clipper

American  

[klip-er] / ˈklɪp ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that clips clip or cuts.

2. (often used with a plural verb)  Often clippers. a cutting tool, especially shears.

   hedge clippers.

3. (usually used with a plural verb)  Usually clippers. a mechanical or electric tool for cutting hair, fingernails, or the like.

   He told the barber, “No clippers on the sides, please.”

4. Also called clipper ship.  Nautical.  a sailing ship built and rigged for speed, especially a type of three-masted ship with a fast hull form and a lofty rig, built in the U.S. from c1845, and in Great Britain from a later date, until c1870, and used in trades in which speed was more important than cargo capacity.

5. Electronics.  a device that gives output only for an input above or below a certain critical value.

6. a person or thing that moves along swiftly.

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clipper British  

/ ˈklɪpə /

noun

1. any fast sailing ship

2. a person or thing that cuts or clips

3. something, such as a horse or sled, that moves quickly

4. electronics another word for limiter

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Other Word Forms

• unclipper noun

Etymology

Origin of clipper

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; clip ¹, -er ¹

Example Sentences

“I want to make people feel that way,” Sevilla said on the second-to-last day of the class, practicing with electric clippers on a mannequin’s hair.

From Seattle Times

They include grass clippers, a drawing compass, and a toy bow and arrow.

From New York Times

If trimming your nails is awkward for you, a few steps may make wielding a toenail clipper easier.

From Washington Post

The clippers and razors come out when it’s all over — either you’re bounced from the playoffs or wetting that beard with cheap beer from Lord Stanley’s Cup.

From Seattle Times

Always adept with the clippers, he saw a commercial on television for a beauty school and decided to give it a try.

From New York Times