dipper
[ dip-er ]
/ ˈdɪp ər /
noun
a person or thing that dips.
a cuplike container with a long handle, used for dipping liquids.
(initial capital letter) Astronomy.
Ornithology. Also called water ouzel. any small, stocky diving bird of the family Cinclidae, related to the thrushes, especially Cinclus aquaticus of Europe and C. mexicanus of western North America, having dense, oilyplumage and frequenting rapid streams and rivers.
South Midland and Southern U.S. a person who uses snuff.
Words nearby dipper
dipnoan, dipody, dipolar ion, dipole, dipole moment, dipper, dippy, dipropellant, dipropyltryptamine, diprotic, diprotodon
Definition for dipper (2 of 3)
Little Dipper
noun Astronomy.
the group of seven bright stars in Ursa Minor resembling a dipper in outline.
Origin of Little Dipper
First recorded in 1835–45
Also called Dipper.
Definition for dipper (3 of 3)
Big Dipper
noun Astronomy.
the group of seven bright stars in Ursa Major resembling a dipper in outline.
Origin of Big Dipper
First recorded in 1865–70
Also called Dipper.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Examples from the Web for dipper
British Dictionary definitions for dipper (1 of 4)
dipper
/ (ˈdɪpə) /
noun
a ladle used for dipping
Also called: water ouzel any aquatic songbird of the genus Cinclus and family Cinclidae, esp C. cinclus. They inhabit fast-flowing streams and resemble large wrens
a slang word for pickpocket
a person or thing that dips, such as the mechanism for directing car headlights downwards
a small metal cup clipped onto a painter's palette for holding diluent or medium
archaic an Anabaptist
See also big dipper
British Dictionary definitions for dipper (2 of 4)
British Dictionary definitions for dipper (3 of 4)
Little Dipper
noun
the Little Dipper US and Canadian a small faint constellation, the brightest star of which is the Pole Star, lying 1° from the true celestial poleAlso known as: Ursa Minor, the Bear, the Little Bear
British Dictionary definitions for dipper (4 of 4)
big dipper
noun
(in amusement parks) a narrow railway with open carriages that run swiftly over a route of sharp curves and steep inclinesAlso called: roller coaster
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for dipper (1 of 2)
Big Dipper
An asterism composed of seven stars in the constellation Ursa Major. Four stars form the bowl and three form the handle in the outline of a dipper.
Scientific definitions for dipper (2 of 2)
Little Dipper
[ lĭt′l ]
An asterism composed of seven stars in the constellation Ursa Minor that form the outline of a dipper.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for dipper
Big Dipper
A constellation in the northern sky. The two stars on the far end of the bowl of the dipper point toward the North Star. The Big Dipper is part of the constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear).
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.