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

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Etymology

Origin of stopper

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

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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

The Athletic Club stopper kept seven clean sheets and was only beaten by Belgium's Charles de Ketelaere in the quarter-final tie.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

He turned into a trusted defensive stopper, timely three-point shooter and steady leader for the team.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 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

Oliver Kahn was in goal for that agonising, stoppage-time turnaround against Manchester United - two years later, the German stopper would prove Bayern Munich's hero against a vintage Valencia in Milan.

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

Sitting at my desk, I removed the stopper from the base of my Einstein-in-a-lab-coat piggy bank.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

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

There was lemon soda in thick bottles with blue marble stoppers to keep the fizz in.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

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