skipper
1 Americannoun
-
the master or captain of a vessel, especially of a small trading or fishing vessel.
-
a captain or leader, as of a team.
verb (used with object)
-
skippers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
skippered,
past participle, past
-
skippering
present participle
noun
-
the captain of any vessel
-
the captain of an aircraft
-
a manager or leader, as of a sporting team
verb
noun
-
a person or thing that skips
-
any small butterfly of the family Hesperiidae, having a hairy mothlike body and erratic darting flight
-
another name for saury
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
skippersimple
-
skipperssimple
-
have skipperedperfect
-
has skipperedperfect
-
am skipperingprogressive
-
are skipperingprogressive
-
is skipperingprogressive
-
have been skipperingperfect progressive
-
has been skipperingperfect progressive
Past
-
skipperedsimple
-
had skipperedperfect
-
was skipperingprogressive
-
were skipperingprogressive
-
had been skipperingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of skipper1
1350–1400; Middle English < Middle Dutch schipper, equivalent to schip ship 1 + -er -er 1
Origin of skipper2
Explanation
The person in charge of a ship or boat is the skipper. Another word for the skipper is the "captain," but skipper is so much more fun to say. Skipper is an informal name for the captain, a way to address the person who's at the helm of a boat or in command of a Navy ship. The word skipper comes from the Dutch schipper, from schip, or "ship." Sometimes this word is also used for the captain of a team or the pilot of an airplane.
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.
See Examples For:
As the skipper of the 40-foot sloop First Light, Ms. Brauer had at her fingertips resources that would have amazed the salts of yore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Stokes, who backed Brook to succeed him as Test skipper, has always been a Brook fan.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Pietersen's stint as England skipper lasted only five months.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Europe's skipper faced intense scrutiny throughout her captaincy, especially over her stubborn faith in Woad's partnership with fellow Englishwoman Charley Hull.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
A red jib was set and the skipper was carefully trying to steer it toward the dock.
From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos
The project also involves training local anglers and boat skippers to tag sharks too, so that they can contribute to the work.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
England often anoint future skippers a long way out - they are usually specialist batters.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
Knowing there is already a wealth of tinder, the skippers will not want sparks to fly - certainly until the contest finally gets under way on Friday morning.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2025
The suspension of fishing for the last two years has brought major losses of income for those in the fishing industry, but some salmon boat skippers agree that extending the closure is needed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2025
The boats out there now were moving on blind bearings, and he didn’t necessarily trust their skippers.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Phil Foden has captained City during pre-season and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is a vocal presence on the pitch, while defender Marc Guehi skippered former club Crystal Palace.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
In other sports endeavors, Turner successfully skippered the US yacht Courageous to win the 1977 America's Cup.
From Barron's ● May 6, 2026
The 35-year-old has made 105 appearances for England and skippered his country in 2024.
From Barron's ● Jan. 21, 2026
Chambers signed in 2012 and skippered the side until departing in 2021.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2024
They had often talked of a deep-sea-fishing boat, which they would buy, man themselves, and rent to vacationers—this though neither had ever skippered a canoe or hooked a guppy.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
It left Australia with work to do in their final two games but they will not panic according to Head, skippering Australia in the absence of the injured Mitchell Marsh.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026
Kerr was appointed captain in 2019, with Arsenal defender Steph Catley typically skippering the side since her injury.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2025
It got worse for the tourists, who chose to rest captain Jos Buttler, when Josh Hazlewood - skippering Australia for the first time with Pat Cummins also rested - bowled Phil Salt.
From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2022
It said one was suspected of skippering the vessel, and the other of assisting him.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 3, 2022
"Give Cappy Ricks one look into Matt Peasley's face and I'll be skippering the Retriever," he declared.
From Cappy Ricks Or, the Subjugation of Matt Peasley by Peter B. (Peter Bernard) Kyne
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.
