clipper

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English

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a fully-rigged clipper

Etymology

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From Middle Dutch klepper and Middle English clippen, from Old English clyppan, from Proto-Germanic *klupjaną.[1] [2]

Pronunciation

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Noun

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

clipper (plural clippers)

  1. Anything that clips.
  2. (chiefly in the plural) A tool used for clipping something, such as hair, coins, or fingernails.
  3. Something that moves swiftly; especially:
    1. (nautical) Any of several forms of very fast sailing ships having a long, low hull and a sharply raked stem.
    2. (informal) An Alberta clipper.
  4. (entomology) An Asian butterfly of species Parthenos sylvia, family Nymphalidae.
  5. (electronics) A circuit which prevents the amplitude of a wave from exceeding a set value.
  6. (historical) A person who mutilates coins by fraudulently paring the edges.
    • 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
      Indeed, the French may lay twenty French crowns to one, they will beat us; for they bear them on their shoulders: but it is no English treason to cut French crowns, and to-morrow the king himself will be a clipper.
    • 1781, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal[1], London: J. Bew, act II, page 21:
      Many a wretch who has been drawn upon a hurdle, has done less mischief than those barterers of forged lies, coiners of scandal, and clippers of reputation.
    • 2010, James Morrow, The Last Witchfinder:
      Surtouts billowing in an unseasonably fierce wind, the ursine Chelmsford magistrate and his equally bulky constable herded their bound prisoners – three murderers, three thieves, a coin clipper, two convicted witches – across the Common []
  7. (slang) A confidence trickster; a conman.
  8. (slang, obsolete) Anything showy or first-rate.
    • 1838, Thomas Chandler Haliburton, The Clockmaker:
      Well, he was courtin' Sister Sall. She was a real handsum looking gal; [] a real clipper, and as full of fun and frolic as a kitten.

Derived terms

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Descendants

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Translations

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See also

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Verb

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clipper (third-person singular simple present clippers, present participle clippering, simple past and past participle clippered)

  1. (transitive) To cut or style (the hair) using clippers.
    • 2020 November 16, Dave Finlay, “Killer sliced open inmate's face while serving life for murdering dad and cutting up body”, in Glasgow Live[2]:
      Rocks was having his hair clippered by another prisoner when Collins calmly walked past and sliced open the side of his face without breaking his stride.

References

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Anagrams

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French

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Etymology 1

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From English clipper.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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clipper m (plural clippers)

  1. (nautical) heavy sailing ship
  2. (aviation) transatlantic airplane

Etymology 2

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From clip.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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clipper

  1. (transitive) to clip
Conjugation
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References

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  • Nouveau Petit Larousse illustré. Dictionnaire encyclopédique. Paris, Librairie Larousse, 1952, 146th edition

Further reading

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