clipper — English Dictionary

Noun

1. Anything or anyone that clips.

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   Yes, perhaps I’d better begin there, at the moment when I […] asked a question carelessly enough of one of the locals, who was clipping a hedge in a desultory fashion nearby. […] When I passed my hedge clipper again, he said, […]

2. A tool used for clipping something, such as hair, coins, or fingernails.

   Usage

   • in-plural

3. Something that moves swiftly; especially: Any of several forms of very fast sailing ships having a long, low hull and a sharply raked stem.

   Examples

   And those were the days of clippers, and the freights were clipper-freights,

4. Something that moves swiftly; especially: An Alberta clipper.

   Usage

   • Informal

5. An Asian butterfly of species Parthenos sylvia, family Nymphalidae.

6. A circuit which prevents the amplitude of a wave from exceeding a set value.

7. A person who mutilates coins by fraudulently paring the edges.

   Usage

   • Historical

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   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.

   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.

   More examples (1)

   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 […]

8. A confidence trickster; a conman.

   Usage

   • Slang

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   "You have head enough for both of us, Beck," said he. "You're sure to get us out of the scrape. I never saw your equal, and I've met with some clippers in my time too."

9. Anything showy or first-rate.

   Usage

   • Obsolete
   • Slang

   Examples

   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.

Verb

1. To cut or style (the hair) using clippers.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Related words

   Clipper chip

   Examples

   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.

Noun

1. (electronics) a nonlinear electronic circuit whose output is limited in amplitude; used to limit the instantaneous amplitude of a waveform (to clip off the peaks of a waveform)

   Synonyms

   limiter

   Broader terms

   circuitelectrical circuitelectric circuit

   Examples

   a limiter introduces amplitude distortion

2. a fast sailing ship used in former times

   Synonyms

   clipper ship

   Broader terms

   sailing vesselsailing ship

3. shears for cutting grass or shrubbery

   Broader terms

   shears

4. scissors for cutting hair or finger nails

   Broader terms

   scissorspair of scissors