stopper

American  

[stop-er] / ˈstɒp ər /

noun

• stoppers
  plural

1. a person or thing that stops.

2. a plug, cork, bung, or other piece for closing a bottle, tube, drain, or the like.

3. Informal. something or someone that commands attention, as an unusual window display or a flamboyant person.

4. Cards. a card in a suit that prevents the successive taking of all tricks in the suit by the opponents.

5. Baseball Slang. a formidably and consistently effective pitcher counted on to win, as a team's best starting pitcher or a superior reliever often called on to preserve a victory; pitching ace.

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verb (used with object)

1. to close, secure, or fit with a stopper.

stopper British  

/ ˈstɒpə /

noun

1. Also: stopple.  a plug or bung for closing a bottle, pipe, duct, etc

2. a person or thing that stops or puts an end to something

3. bridge another name for stop

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verb

1. Also: stopple.  (tr) to close or fit with a stopper

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• stopperless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• stoppers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of stopper

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

Explanation

A stopper is plug or a cork — it's designed to block the opening of a container by fitting partially inside it. The rubber plug you use to keep your bath water from going down the drain is a type of stopper. The cork in the neck of a wine bottle is a stopper . Other kinds of stoppers halt or prevent something. A crime stopper keeps criminals at bay, and a conversation stopper is something you say that is so awkward or profound that no one can think of anything to say in response.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stopper stoppers

Canadian 19-year-old right-hander Michelle Roche plays college baseball in British Columbia while 38-year-old veteran Meggie Meidlinger has been a bullpen stopper for the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

Bridges is another key to New York’s playoff rampage, a stopper on defense who’s suddenly reborn offensively.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

While stumbling over the lyrics to “Matchmaker,” “Fiddler” cast members suddenly appeared on stage, performing the song with him; they closed down the number with a rousing rendition of the show stopper “Tradition.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026

Yet Hall is far from a mere stopper.

From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026

Anya helped her pour the potion into a separate flask with a stopper, and Mama tied a tiny wooden spoon to the flask’s neck.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

Originally made in the 1800s for carrying beer, glass bottles with stoppers are popular, thanks to their classic design.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025

But with football continuing to evolve, goalkeepers are not just shot stoppers and used as deep-lying playmakers to open up a new dimension of play.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2025

As teams build their rosters each offseason, they look for shooters such as Knecht, for defensive stoppers such as Jarred Vanderbilt, for offensive initiators or enforcers or for shot blockers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2025

But as the Kent E-FIT debacle reminds us, such pencil pushers still have a lot to teach our modern-day crime stoppers, and even the fanciest image model can’t beat a trained sketch artist just yet.

From Slate ● May 1, 2024

The woman took two empty jars, removed their stoppers, and poured them into the glass cylinder.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton