clipped
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of clipped
Explanation
Use the adjective clipped for things that are cut very short — or for things that sound that way. "A clipped lawn is better for croquet," she announced in clipped tones. While you can use clipped where you'd use words like "shorn" or "trimmed," it's more common for this adjective to describe a particular way of speaking. If someone talks in a slightly irritated, very direct way, using sharp, short sounds, their speech is clipped. You can hear the difference between your math teacher's laid back "Hey kids, have a seat!" and your gym teacher's clipped command, "Take a knee. Now."
Vocabulary lists containing clipped
"Caged Bird" by Maya Angelou
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Novel Study: Fences, Act 2
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The Brightwood Code
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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.
Pulse oximeters, clipped onto fingers in every hospital, were cleared under 2013 Food and Drug Administration guidance that asked for as few as two darkly pigmented test subjects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
She clipped coupons until she was 88, so the money meant a lot to him.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
Ohtani clipped Braves catcher Drake Baldwin’s mitt and was awarded first base for catcher’s interference.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
He had three chances in eight minutes - a tame shot, a clipped attempt and then the big one - played in by Gilmour but pulled wide.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Once there, their hair was clipped and partially shaved, and their pants were slit on their right leg.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
