flipper

American  

[flip-er] / ˈflɪp ər /

noun

1. a broad, flat limb, as of a seal or whale, especially adapted for swimming.

2. Also called fin.  one of a pair of paddlelike devices, usually of rubber, worn on the feet as an aid in scuba diving and swimming.

3. Theater. a narrow flat hinged or attached at right angles to a larger flat.

4. Slang. the hand.

5. someone or something that flips.

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flipper British  

/ ˈflɪpə /

noun

1. the flat broad limb of seals, whales, penguins, and other aquatic animals, specialized for swimming

2. Also called: fin.  (often plural) either of a pair of rubber paddle-like devices worn on the feet as an aid in swimming, esp underwater

3. cricket a ball bowled with backspin imparted by the action of the bowler's wrist

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flipper Scientific  

/ flĭp′ər /

1. A wide, flat limb adapted for swimming, found on aquatic animals such as whales, seals, and sea turtles. Flippers evolved from legs.

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Etymology

Origin of flipper

First recorded in 1815–25; flip ¹ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

They called it JAWS, which stands for Job Access With Speech, but is also a playful reference to another DOS screen reader called Flipper, like the dolphin in an eponymous 1960s TV show.

From The Verge • Jul. 14, 2022

During Black History Month at West Point, honor is paid to Henry O. Flipper, a formerly enslaved man who became the academy’s first Black graduate in 1877.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 2, 2021

Look After My Bills has paused its operations, and Flipper has closed down completely.

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2021

And Negro Head, a summit in Reeves County, will be called Henry Flipper Hill, after a man who was born enslaved in Georgia and became the first Black graduate of the U.S.

From Washington Post • Jun. 10, 2021

The following week when Flipper came on, I’d gotten up and turned the television set off.

From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia

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