What does "skipper" mean?
The master of a ship.
Skipper
/ˈskɪp.ə(ɹ)/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The master of a ship.
- Grammar: skipper is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: captain, master, admiral, be responsible for.
- Useful contrasts: crew member, follow, member.
- Usage evidence: Tom likes to skipper small sailboats.
How to use "skipper"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "skipper" 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 "skipper" 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 "skipper" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "skipper" 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 "skipper" is acting as name, noun, verb 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 "captain" 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 "skipper", 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 The master of a ship.
"The skipper Mr. Cooke had hired at Far Harbor was a God-fearing man with a luke warm interest in his new billet and employer, and had only been prevailed upon to take charge of the yacht after the offer of an emolument equal to half a year's sea pay of an ensign in the navy."
- 2 Agent noun of skip: one who skips. agent, form-of
- 3 A barn or shed in which to shelter for the night.
- 4 A short-sleeved (or long-sleeved) tee-shirt, or sweatshirt. South-Africa
"Plain nylon doeks...Men's knitted skippers, long sleeves, three buttons in front."
- 5 the naval officer in command of a military ship wordnet
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 A coach, director, or other leader.
- 7 A person who skips, or fails to attend class.
- 8 an officer who is licensed to command a merchant ship wordnet
- 9 The captain of a sports team such as football, cricket, rugby or curling.
"But even the return of skipper Steven Gerrard from a six-week injury layoff could not inspire Liverpool"
- 10 One who jumps rope.
- 11 a student who fails to attend classes wordnet
- 12 Any of various butterflies of the families Hesperiidae and its subfamily Megathyminae, having a hairy mothlike body, hooked tips on the antennae, and a darting flight pattern.
"Blue skippers in sunny hours ope and shut Where wormwood and grunsel flowers by the cart ruts […]"
- 13 Any of several marine fishes that often leap above water, especially Cololabis saira (Pacific saury) and Sprattus sprattus (European sprat).
- 14 A young, thoughtless person. obsolete
"Skipper, stand back; 'tis age that nourisheth"
- 15 The cheese maggot, the larva of a cheese fly (family Piophilidae), which leaps to escape predators.
Verb
- 1 To captain a ship or a sports team. transitive
"Tourist subs, which could once be skippered by anyone with a U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license"
- 2 To take shelter in a barn or shed. intransitive
- 3 work as the skipper on a vessel wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 A male given name.
Example
"Tom likes to skipper small sailboats."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "skipper"?
Common synonyms include: captain, master, admiral, be responsible for, boatswain, boss.
How do you use "skipper" in a sentence?
Tom likes to skipper small sailboats.
How do you pronounce "skipper"?
Pronounced /ˈskɪp.ə(ɹ)/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English skippere, skyppere, scippere, borrowed from Middle Dutch scipper, schipper, from Old Dutch *skipāri, from Proto-Germanic *skipārijaz. Piecewise doublet of shipper, from ship + -er.
Etymology 2
From Middle English skippere, skyppare, equivalent to skip + -er.
Etymology 3
Probably from Welsh ysgubor (“a barn”).
Etymology 4
Unknown, perhaps related to jumper.