slipper

¹ American  

[slip-er] / ˈslɪp ər /

noun

slippers plural

1. any light, low-cut shoe into which the foot may be easily slipped, for casual wear in the home, for dancing, etc.

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verb (used with object)

1. to strike or beat with a slipper.

slipper ² American  

[slip-er] / ˈslɪp ər /

adjective

Older Use.

1. slippery.

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slipper British  

/ ˈslɪpə /

noun

1. a light shoe of some soft material, for wearing around the house

2. a woman's evening or dancing shoe

3. informal cricket a fielder in the slip position

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verb

1. informal (tr) to hit or beat with a slipper

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• slipper-like
  adjective
• slippered
  adjective
• slipperlike
  adjective
• unslippered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• slippers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of slipper¹

First recorded in 1470–80; slip ¹ + -er ¹

Origin of slipper²

before 1000; Middle English sliper, Old English slipor; see slippery

Explanation

A slipper is a kind of indoor shoe that slips easily on and off your foot. You may prefer to walk around barefoot unless it's really cold, in which case you wear slippers. Slippers are cozy, and they're often warm too. A more old fashioned kind of slipper was a dress shoe that slipped on the foot, rather than being buckled or buttoned—like Cinderella's glass slipper. The word comes from the fact that you can slip a slipper on or off easily. It's related to the Old English slypescoh, literally "slip-shoe."

Example Sentences

For a brief while, he also assumed management of the Golden Slipper, a legendary Calcutta nightclub.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

James Slipper scored a try in his 200th Super Rugby match as the ACT Brumbies broke a 26-year hoodoo on Sunday with a 50-24 hammering of the Canterbury Crusaders.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

"He's a great person, first and foremost, off the field. He's very dedicated and passionate about rugby and the Brumbies," Larkham said of Slipper in announcing his team late Wednesday.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

Set the tone in the first Test with a thumping hit on James Slipper and never let up after that.

From BBC • Aug. 3, 2025

It was a picture of Alfred T. Slipper standing at a darkened window.

From "Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures" by Kate DiCamillo

Related Words

• mule
• sandal