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Synonyms

shipper

1 American  
[ship-er] / ˈʃɪp ər /

noun

  1. a person who ships goods or makes shipments.

shipper 2 American  
[ship-er] / ˈʃɪp ər /

noun

Slang.

  1. a person who discusses, writes about, or hopes for a romantic relationship between fictional characters, as in fan fiction, or between famous people, whether or not the romance actually exists in the book, show, etc., or in real life.

    Harry Potter/Hermione Granger shippers.
shipper British  
/ ˈʃɪpə /

noun

  1. a person or company in the business of shipping freight

"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

Other Word Forms

  • nonshipper noun

Etymology

Origin of shipper1

before 1100; 1745–55 for current sense; late Old English scipere sailor (not recorded in ME); ship 1, -er 1

Origin of shipper2

First recorded in 1995–2000; shortening of earlier relationshipper (in the same sense)

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.

“If refunds are issued to FedEx, we will issue refunds to the shippers and consumers who originally bore those charges,” said the shipper in a statement soon after the Supreme Court ruling.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

Chevron remains a major shipper of Venezuelan oil to the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

Air Products produces hydrogen and ammonia at scale, while Yara is the world’s largest trader and shipper of ammonia.

From Barron's • Dec. 8, 2025

FedEx, another major player in the industry, said it does not typically destroy packages, unless directed to do so by the shipper.

From BBC • Oct. 13, 2025

The conflict was precipitated by legislation which favoured the London East India Company at the expense of the American shipper.

From A Short History of the World by Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)

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.