flipper

[ flip-er ]

/ ˈflɪp ər /

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See synonyms for: flipper / flippers on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

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.

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

Slang. the hand.

someone or something that flips.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of flipper

First recorded in 1815–25; flip¹ + -er¹

Words nearby flipper

flip chart, flip-flop, flip-flopper, flip one's lid, flippant, flipper, flipping, flippy, flip side, flip through, Flip-Top

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use flipper in a sentence

With the hook from its dangling metal cable attached to him, the duck moved into the open doorway, his legs and flippers hanging off the side.
What it’s like to rescue someone at sea from a Coast Guard helicopter|Rob Verger|July 20, 2021|Popular-Science
Their giant flippers let them swim through the water like a penguin.
Let’s learn about dinosaurs’ fearsome neighbors|Sarah Zielinski|July 6, 2021|Science News For Students
It’s also ignited fierce competition between flippers angling for “hits,” or the most valuable cards.
‘Collectibles versus commodities’: As Target halts sales of trading cards, collectors reckon with fast-changing hobby|Jacob Bogage|May 13, 2021|Washington Post
Zimmerman couldn’t fathom rebuilding when she knew the home would flood again, and selling it to a flipper felt wrong, because eventually it would just end up in the hands of another unsuspecting buyer enticed by a newly refurbished home.
The Climate Real Estate Bubble: Is the U.S. on the Verge of Another Financial Crisis?|Graphics by Emily Barone|April 19, 2021|Time

Homes are destroyed, but buyers are undeterred—whether because of the influence of home flippers, a lack of reliable information about a home’s risk, or simple carelessness.
The Climate Real Estate Bubble: Is the U.S. on the Verge of Another Financial Crisis?|Graphics by Emily Barone|April 19, 2021|Time
“The flipper is a living object, and you never play the same game on it,” says Colin.
Paris Cafes Lose Their Pinball Machines, as Numbers Dwindle|Solène Cressant|July 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Steel balls caromed around the table as the player massaged, tickled, pressed, and slammed the flipper buttons.
Paris Cafes Lose Their Pinball Machines, as Numbers Dwindle|Solène Cressant|July 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
One of them realizes she is paid less as a part-time employee of PEN than she would be as a burger-flipper or a car-wash girl.
Great Weekend Reads|The Daily Beast|November 20, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Looks like the only thing ready to come with him in this "real" moment is a fish named Flipper.
9 Crazy On-the-Job Movie Meltdowns|The Daily Beast Video|August 10, 2010|DAILY BEAST
We throw some pennies to another group, and the one nearest the coin picks it up by making a scoop of his flipper-like palm.
Gardens of the Caribbees, v. 1/2|Ida May Hill Starr
I'm not sure that a seal's flipper might not be acceptable by to-morrow morning.
Left on Labrador|Charles Asbury Stephens
Now and again one would lazily lift a flipper to scratch itself or heave its great bulk into a more comfortable position.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson
And with that I givd the flipper a big squaze, and a big squaze it was, by the powers, that her leddyship giv'd to me back.
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe|Edgar Allan Poe
Of these, Lieutenant Flipper was dismissed June 30, 1882, for "conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman."
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, 1995, Memorial Issue|Various

British Dictionary definitions for flipper

flipper

/ (ˈflɪpə) /

noun

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

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

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

Scientific definitions for flipper

flipper

[ flĭp′ər ]

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

flipper

Origin of flipper

Words nearby flipper

Words related to flipper

How to use flipper in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for flipper

Scientific definitions for flipper