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

Since the start of the 2024-25 season no-one has prevented more expected goals than the Everton stopper.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

But that wasn’t enough to serve as the team’s new stopper, as the Dodgers’ offense fell flat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

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

Other items such as an Oxo wooden spoon set, a Le Creuset wine stopper and Wusthof shears - all bought on Amazon - were photographed inside the motorhome.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

Then he took a pencil from his pocket, stirred the wine until the powder had dissolved, and replaced the stopper.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

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

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

After serving as stoppers throughout a rejuvenating regular season, the Husky pen surrendered 17 earned runs and 16 hits across just 9.2 innings in back-to-back home losses to Cal on Saturday and Sunday.

From Seattle Times ● May 23, 2023

Some filled tubes, others inserted rubber stoppers, sealed tubes, or stacked them inside a walk-in incubator where they stayed until being packaged for shipping.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot