clipper: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral to technical depending on sense
Quick answer
What does “clipper” mean?
A tool or device for cutting or trimming, especially hair, nails, or hedges.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A tool or device for cutting or trimming, especially hair, nails, or hedges.
A fast sailing ship of the 19th century; a person or thing that clips; in electronics, a circuit that limits signal amplitude.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. 'Hair clippers' is standard in both. The maritime sense is historical and equally understood.
Connotations
In both varieties, the grooming tool sense is most common. The maritime sense carries historical/nostalgic connotations.
Frequency
The grooming tool sense is significantly more frequent in everyday language than the maritime or electronic senses.
Grammar
How to Use “clipper” in a Sentence
Use [clippers] to [trim/cut] [object]The [clipper] [sailed/circuits]Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in retail for selling grooming tools.
Academic
Used in historical studies (maritime history) and electrical engineering.
Everyday
Primarily refers to grooming tools for hair, nails, or garden hedges.
Technical
In electronics, a 'clipper circuit' limits voltage.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “clipper”
- Using 'clipper' as a verb (the verb is 'to clip'). Confusing 'clippers' (plural tool) with 'a clipper' (singular ship/circuit).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but usage varies. For the tool, it's often plural ('clippers'). For the ship, it's singular ('a clipper').
Clippers typically have two blades that slide past each other (like hair clippers) or a pivoting action (like nail clippers). Scissors have two crossed blades that pivot at a central point.
Not for commercial transport. They are historical vessels, some preserved as museums or used in sailing events.
No. The related verb is 'to clip'. 'Clipper' is only a noun.
A tool or device for cutting or trimming, especially hair, nails, or hedges.
Clipper is usually neutral to technical depending on sense in register.
Clipper: in British English it is pronounced /ˈklɪp.ər/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈklɪp.ɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the sound 'clip-clip' the tool makes, or a ship 'clipping' through the waves.
Conceptual Metaphor
SPEED IS CUTTING (for clipper ships: they 'cut' through the water).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'clipper' most likely refer to an electronic component?