What does "flipper" mean?
In marine mammals such as whales (or other aquatic animals such as sea turtles), a wide, flat limb adapted for swimming.
Flipper
/ˈflɪpə/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: In marine mammals such as whales (or other aquatic animals such as sea turtles), a wide, flat limb adapted for swimming.
- Grammar: flipper is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: fin, act drop, aquaplaning, aquatics.
- Useful contrasts: long-term landlord, stable investor, static arm.
- Usage evidence: Those fish keep charging me and snapping at my flipper.
How to use "flipper"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "flipper" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "flipper" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "flipper" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "flipper" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "flipper" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "fin" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "flipper", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 In marine mammals such as whales (or other aquatic animals such as sea turtles), a wide, flat limb adapted for swimming.
- 2 the flat broad limb of aquatic animals specialized for swimming wordnet
- 3 A wide, flat, paddle-like rubber covering for the foot, used in swimming.
- 4 a shoe for swimming; the paddle-like front is an aid in swimming (especially underwater) wordnet
- 5 A flat lever in a pinball machine, triggered by the player to strike the ball and keep it in play.
"Early pinball machines demanded that a player shake the entire table in an effort to guide the ball through the obstacles (pins—hence the name). Later iterations had mechanical flippers like today's, but more of them—six, which were distributed three on each side up and down the body of the machine."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 A small flat used to support a larger one.
"The flipper is designed to give support by standing at a 90-degree angle to the flat. It probably gets its name from its appearance: cut out like a piece of profile scenery, it resembles the flipper of a marine animal, […]"
- 7 A type of ball bowled by a leg spin bowler, which spins backwards and skids off the pitch with a low bounce.
- 8 Television remote control, clicker. US, informal
- 9 The hand. dated, slang
"Give me your flipper, old man, and tell me if I can be of any service to you. I'll do what you want at all hazards."
- 10 A kind of false tooth, usually temporary.
"Dr. Woo attempts to distinguish Blakeslee by pointing out that “one can fondle a breast without having anything to do with dentistry, but one cannot take molds, fabricate and insert flippers into another person's mouth without practicing dentistry.""
- 11 A kitchen spatula.
"Remember the mornings when you help me fix eggs and pancakes for breakfast. You always had to use the “flipper” to turn the pancakes and eggs."
- 12 Someone who flips, in the sense of buying a house or other asset and selling it quickly for profit.
"Two notable examples of Zombie Formalism would be the electroplated silver monochromes of Jacob Kassay (b. 1984) and the “Rain Paintings” of Lucien Smith (b. 1989), both recent favorites of the art flippers."
- 13 Someone who flips in any other sense, for example throwing a coin.
Verb
- 1 To lift one or both flippers out of the water and slap the surface of the water.
Proper Noun
- 1 A common name for aquatic animals which have flippers, such as dolphins and seals.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Those fish keep charging me and snapping at my flipper."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "flipper"?
Common synonyms include: fin, act drop, aquaplaning, aquatics, asbestos, asbestos board.
How do you use "flipper" in a sentence?
Those fish keep charging me and snapping at my flipper.
How do you pronounce "flipper"?
Pronounced /ˈflɪpə/.
Etymology
From flip + -er. Compare Saterland Frisian Flappert (“flipper, wing”).