What does "stopper" mean?
Someone or something that stops something.
Stopper
/ˈstɒp.ə/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Someone or something that stops something.
- Grammar: stopper is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: plug, bar, bind, block.
- Useful contrasts: assembly line push, attacker, continuant.
- Usage evidence: This stopper does not fit the bottle.
How to use "stopper"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "stopper" 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 "stopper" 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 "stopper" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "stopper" 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 "stopper" is acting as 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 "plug" 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 "stopper", 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 Someone or something that stops something.
"“It just shows you what women are like. A frightful sex, Bertie. There ought to be a law. I hope to live to see the day when women are no longer allowed.” “That would rather put a stopper on keeping the human race going, wouldn't it?” “Well, who wants to keep the human race going?”"
- 2 blockage consisting of an object designed to fill a hole tightly wordnet
- 3 A type of knot at the end of a rope, to prevent it from unravelling.
"Put a stopper in the knot."
- 4 (bridge) a playing card with a value sufficiently high to insure taking a trick in a particular suit wordnet
- 5 A bung or cork.
"We need a stopper or the boat will sink."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 a remark to which there is no polite conversational reply wordnet
- 7 Goalkeeper. informal
"He's the number one stopper in the country."
- 8 an act so striking or impressive that the show must be delayed until the audience quiets down wordnet
- 9 In the commodity futures market, someone who is long (owns) a futures contract and is demanding delivery because they want to take possession of the deliverable commodity. slang
"Cattle futures: spillover momentum plus evidence of a strong stopper (i.e., 96 loads demanded) should kick the opening higher."
- 10 A train that calls at all or almost all stations between its origin and destination, including very small ones.
"The local train was empty at midday. She changed at Yatton and caught a stopper into Bristol. There was an express calling at Exeter which left Bristol at twelve-forty-five and she caught it by the skin of her teeth."
- 11 Any of several trees of the genus Eugenia, found in Florida and the West Indies.
"Red Stopper. Leaves ovate-oblong, contracted at the apex into long points, coriaceous. Eugenia Garber"
- 12 A short rope for making something fast.
- 13 A playspot where water flows back on itself, creating a retentive feature.
Verb
- 1 To close a container by using a stopper.
"He tightly stoppered the decanter, thinking the expensive liqueur had been evaporating."
- 2 close or secure with or as if with a stopper wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"This stopper does not fit the bottle."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "stopper"?
Common synonyms include: plug, bar, bind, block, block up, blockade.
How do you use "stopper" in a sentence?
This stopper does not fit the bottle.
How do you pronounce "stopper"?
Pronounced /ˈstɒp.ə/.
Etymology
From stop + -er.