Dictionary

skipper en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• [ˈskɪp.ə] (Australia, General-South-African, Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈskɪp.ɚ] ~ [ˈskɪp.ɹ̩] (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
• /ˈskɪp.ɚ/ (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
• /ˈskɪp.ə/ (Australia, General-South-African, Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈskɘp.ɘ] (New-Zealand)
• (US) audio
• /ˈskɘp.ɘ/ (New-Zealand)

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. The master of a ship.
   • It is standard practice for search and rescue authorities to ask other vessels in the area to assist. Usually, this is done. The weather on the night of 31 December was too atrocious, and when at 11pm the Coast Guard asked the crabber Ruff & Reddy to head to the scene, its skipper refused, as a skipper has a right to do if he believes conditions to be too treacherous. 2025 October 21, Rose George, “‘I knew in my head we were dying’: the last voyage of the Scandies Rose”, in The Guardian:
   • 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. 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter X, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
2. A coach, director, or other leader.
3. 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 2010 December 29, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0-1 Wolverhampton”, in BBC Sport:
4. (UK, informal) Synonym of detective sergeant, especially as a term of direct address.

Forms

Deriveds

skipperly · skippership · skipperless

Descendants

Skipper · scipéir

Synonyms

captain · detective sergeant · master

Translations (54)

bg шки́пер (master of a ship) · de Schiffskapitän (master of a ship) · gd sgiobair (master of a ship) · cs kapitán (captain of sports team) · de Schiffer (master of a ship) · sv skeppare (master of a ship) · de Kapitän (master of a ship) · he רַב סַפָּן (master of a ship) · da kaptajn (master of a ship) · da skipper (master of a ship) · fr skipper (master of a ship) · mk капета́н (master of a ship) · nn kaptein (master of a ship) · cy sgiper (master of a ship) · ru капита́н (master of a ship) · eo ŝipestro (master of a ship) · fr capitaine (master of a ship) · de Kapitän (captain of sports team) · es entrenador (coach, director, leader) · ru шки́пер (master of a ship) · nb skipper (master of a ship) · el σκίπερ (master of a ship) · da skibsfører (master of a ship) · de Mannschaftskapitän (captain of sports team) · ae 𐬥𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬁𐬰𐬋 (master of a ship) · de Teamchef (captain of sports team) · nl kapitein (master of a ship) · cy sgiper (captain of sports team) · pl szyper (master of a ship) · de Teamkapitän (captain of sports team) · nn skipper (master of a ship) · he סְקִיפֶּר (master of a ship) · sv kapten (master of a ship) · es patrón (master of a ship) · es capitan (captain of sports team) · gd sgiobair (captain of sports team) · cy meistr (master of a ship) · nb kaptein (master of a ship) · nn kaptein (captain of sports team) · ga scipéir (master of a ship) · mk капите́н (captain of sports team) · nb kaptein (captain of sports team) · fa ناخدا (master of a ship) · cy capten (master of a ship) · fi kippari (captain of sports team) · el πλοίαρχος (master of a ship) · cs kapitán (master of a ship) · ga captaen (captain of sports team) · fi kippari (master of a ship) · fi kippari (coach, director, leader) · fo skipari (master of a ship) · nl schipper (master of a ship) · it skipper (master of a ship) · cs kapitán (coach, director, leader)

skipper en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• [ˈskɪp.ə] (Australia, General-South-African, Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈskɪp.ɚ] ~ [ˈskɪp.ɹ̩] (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
• /ˈskɪp.ɚ/ (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
• /ˈskɪp.ə/ (Australia, General-South-African, Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈskɘp.ɘ] (New-Zealand)
• (US) audio
• /ˈskɘp.ɘ/ (New-Zealand)

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To captain a ship or a sports team.
   • Tourist subs, which could once be skippered by anyone with a U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license 2019, Tony Perrottet, “A Deep Dive Into the Plans to Take Tourists to the ‘Titanic’”, in Smithsonian Magazine:

Forms

skipper en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• [ˈskɪp.ə] (Australia, General-South-African, Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈskɪp.ɚ] ~ [ˈskɪp.ɹ̩] (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
• /ˈskɪp.ɚ/ (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
• /ˈskɪp.ə/ (Australia, General-South-African, Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈskɘp.ɘ] (New-Zealand)
• (US) audio
• /ˈskɘp.ɘ/ (New-Zealand)

Etymology

From Middle English skippere, skyppare, equivalent to skip + -er.

Meanings

1. (agent, form-of) Agent noun of skip: one who skips.
   form of skip
2. A person who skips, or fails to attend class.
3. One who jumps rope.
4. 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 […] c. 1864, John Clare, We passed by green closes:
5. Any of several marine fishes that often leap above water, especially Cololabis saira (Pacific saury) and Sprattus sprattus (European sprat).
6. (obsolete) A young, thoughtless person.
   • Skipper, stand back; 'tis age that nourisheth c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:
7. The cheese maggot, the larva of a cheese fly (family Piophilidae), which leaps to escape predators.

Forms

Deriveds

sand-skipper · Lulworth skipper · large chequered skipper · grass-skipper · mudskipper · silver-spotted skipper · Essex skipper · palmetto skipper · large skipper · water skipper · cheese skipper · chequered skipper · long-tailed skipper · large grizzled skipper · zestos skipper · small skipper · grizzled skipper · shield-skipper · dingy skipper · paradise skipper · iris-skipper · fiery skipper · European skipper · sedge-skipper

Translations (21)

de Dickkopffalter (butterfly of the family Hesperiidae) · nl dikkopje (butterfly of the family Hesperiidae) · es hespérido (butterfly of the family Hesperiidae) · it esperido (butterfly of the family Hesperiidae) · fi paksupääperhonen (butterfly of the family Hesperiidae) · fi lintsari (one who fails to attend class) · ru толстоголо́вка (butterfly of the family Hesperiidae) · io hesperido (butterfly of the family Hesperiidae) · fi loikkija (one who skips) · bg кръшкач (one who fails to attend class) · fi saira (fish Cololabis saira) · fi hyppijä (one who skips) · ru прогу́льщик (one who fails to attend class) · la hesperiida (butterfly of the family Hesperiidae) · fy groukopflinter (butterfly of the family Hesperiidae) · cmn 弄蝶 (butterfly of the family Hesperiidae) · cy gwibiwr (butterfly of the family Hesperiidae) · fi paksupää (butterfly of the family Hesperiidae) · fr hespéridé (butterfly of the family Hesperiidae) · fi narunhyppääjä (one who jumps rope) · hu busalepke (butterfly of the family Hesperiidae)

skipper en · NOUN · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• [ˈskɪp.ə] (Australia, General-South-African, Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈskɪp.ɚ] ~ [ˈskɪp.ɹ̩] (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
• /ˈskɪp.ɚ/ (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
• /ˈskɪp.ə/ (Australia, General-South-African, Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈskɘp.ɘ] (New-Zealand)
• (US) audio
• /ˈskɘp.ɘ/ (New-Zealand)

Etymology

Probably from Welsh ysgubor (“a barn”).

Meanings

1. A barn or shed in which to shelter for the night.

Forms

Deriveds

skipper-bird

skipper en · VERB · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• [ˈskɪp.ə] (Australia, General-South-African, Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈskɪp.ɚ] ~ [ˈskɪp.ɹ̩] (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
• /ˈskɪp.ɚ/ (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
• /ˈskɪp.ə/ (Australia, General-South-African, Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈskɘp.ɘ] (New-Zealand)
• (US) audio
• /ˈskɘp.ɘ/ (New-Zealand)

Etymology

Probably from Welsh ysgubor (“a barn”).

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To take shelter in a barn or shed.

Forms

skipper en · NOUN · etymology 4

Pronunciation

• [ˈskɪp.ə] (Australia, General-South-African, Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈskɪp.ɚ] ~ [ˈskɪp.ɹ̩] (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
• /ˈskɪp.ɚ/ (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
• /ˈskɪp.ə/ (Australia, General-South-African, Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈskɘp.ɘ] (New-Zealand)
• (US) audio
• /ˈskɘp.ɘ/ (New-Zealand)

Etymology

Unknown, perhaps related to jumper.

Meanings

1. (South-Africa) A short-sleeved (or long-sleeved) tee-shirt, or sweatshirt.
   • Plain nylon doeks...Men's knitted skippers, long sleeves, three buttons in front. 1971 June 26, Golden City Post:
   • My neighbour's little boy pestered his dad for a 'Viva' T-shirt. This long-suffering man pointed out to his son that he had been sharing his w:Cosatu skipper with him.., but the kid..did not want to wear it any longer as it was not, as he put it, 'skipa sa Mandela'. 1990 May 26, O. Musi, Drum Magazine:
   • The special constables..were issued with one pair of boots, two overalls, one raincoat, and two skippers — but no shirts or warm coats. 1987 August 19, Eastern Province Herald:

Forms

Synonyms

jumper · tee-shirt