Dictionary

flipper en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈflɪpə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈflɪpɚ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From flip + -er. Compare Saterland Frisian Flappert (“flipper, wing”).

Meanings

1. In marine mammals such as whales (or other secondarily aquatic animals such as sea turtles), a wide, flat limb adapted for swimming.
2. A wide, flat, paddle-like rubber covering for the foot, used in swimming.
3. 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. 2012 February 24, Rebecca J. Rosen, “The Glory of the Pinball Machine”, in The Atlantic:
4. 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, […] 1998, Martin Harrison, The Language of Theatre, page 104:
   • When standing alone, a flat may have a small extension, a FLIPPER, for added strength. 2013, Jonathan Law, The Methuen Drama Dictionary of the Theatre:
5. A type of ball bowled by a leg spin bowler, which spins backwards and skids off the pitch with a low bounce.
6. (US, informal) Television remote control, clicker.
7. (dated, slang) The hand.
   • 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. 1888, Hélène E A. Gingold, Denyse, page 222:
8. 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." 2005, Washington Appellate Reports, volume 128:
9. 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. 2009, Amy J. Yowell, The Silent Cry, page 161:
10. 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. 2014 April 3, Walter Robinson, “Flipping and the Rise of Zombie Formalism”, in Artspace, archived from the original on 02 Oct 2015:
11. Someone who flips in any other sense, for example throwing a coin.

Forms

Deriveds

flipperling · squareflipper · flipper baby · burger flipper · flippery · flipperless · hindflipper · flipperlike · foreflipper

Relateds

fin

Synonyms

flapper · swim fin

Translations (106)

pl flipper (cricket: type of ball) · ko 지느러미 (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · bg спекулант (someone who buys and sells quickly for profit) · pt pé de pato (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · sh perája (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · it protesi temporanea (dentistry: temporary tooth) · izh lasti (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · bg плавник (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · sh peraja (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · az üzgəc (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · de Flosse (slang: hand) · de Flosse (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · fo bøksl (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · th ตีนกบ (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · it pinna (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · el βατραχοπέδιλο (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · nb svømmefot (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · sv labb (slang: hand) · el πτερύγιο (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · oc aleta (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · it speculatore (someone who buys and sells quickly for profit) · sv flipper (flat lever in a pinball machine) · pl spekulant (someone who buys and sells quickly for profit) · bg дистанционно (informal: remote control) · nl flipper (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · fi maila (flat lever in a pinball machine) · pt barbatana (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · da luffe (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · fi kapula (informal: remote control) · ja 鰭 (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · pt aleta (flat lever in a pinball machine) · sv paddel (flat lever in a pinball machine) · pl łapa (slang: hand) · mi peke (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · pl bilard (flat lever in a pinball machine) · de Flipperhebel (flat lever in a pinball machine) · bg плавник (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · ko 오리발 (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · fr palme (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · vi vây (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · sv simfot (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · fi lantinheittäjä (someone who flips) · de Flipper (flat lever in a pinball machine) · nb flipper (flat lever in a pinball machine) · cmn 鰭 /鳍 (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · pt nadadeira (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · sv simfena (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · it telecomando (informal: remote control) · uk ласт (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · es pata de rana (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · de Flosse (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · bg ръка (slang: hand) · it lanciatore (someone who flips) · da flipper (flat lever in a pinball machine) · esu talliquq (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · pl podrzucacz (someone who flips) · fi uimaräpylä (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · ja フィン (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · pl płetwa (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · fr aileron (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · fr nageoire (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · pt barbatana (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · pl proteza tymczasowa (dentistry: temporary tooth) · nl flipper (flat lever in a pinball machine) · tr yüzgeç (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · pl płetwa (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · sv spekulant (someone who buys and sells quickly for profit) · tr palet (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · mi pakihau (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · sv dykfena (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · bg флипер (flat lever in a pinball machine) · nn symjefot (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · mi pakikau (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · uk ласт (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · oc nadarèla (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · sv dosa (informal: remote control) · nl flipper (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · fo lálla (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · sw kikono (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · sv simfot (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · sh пера́ја (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · fi evä (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · fi keinottelija (someone who buys and sells quickly for profit) · cmn 蛙鞋 (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · es aleta (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · cs ploutev (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · cs ploutev (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · ru ласт (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · ru плавни́к (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · fi räpylä (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · ru ласт (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · sv singlare (someone who flips) · hu uszony (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · pl spekulantka (someone who buys and sells quickly for profit) · vi chân vịt (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · es aleta (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · it pinna (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · pl pilot (informal: remote control) · sv simfena (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · fi räpylä (slang: hand) · da svømmefod (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · sv labb (marine mammal's wide limb for swimming) · nn svømmefot (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · pt controle (informal: remote control) · oc palma (paddle-like rubber covering for the foot) · pl flipper (flat lever in a pinball machine)

flipper en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈflɪpə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈflɪpɚ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From flip + -er. Compare Saterland Frisian Flappert (“flipper, wing”).

Meanings

1. To lift one or both flippers out of the water and slap the surface of the water.

Forms