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Synonyms

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.

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

"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
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.

Etymology

Origin of flipper

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I picked it up and thought I saw a movement in one flipper, so I carried it back to the campsite".

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026

Otter flipper tags are designed to last an animal’s lifespan, but research shows they don’t always last so long.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2025

Plus, the tail makes a handy beaver-burger flipper.

From Slate • Feb. 14, 2025

The development of a claw or a flipper requires many particular different genes.

From Salon • Oct. 14, 2024

A seal in the back raised her flipper.

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.