clipping

Pluralclippings

1. 1
   nouncountable

   A small piece cut or trimmed off something larger.

   Like the little bits of paper left over after you cut out a shape.

   She swept the grass clippings into a paper bag.

   He kept a single clipping from his first haircut as a keepsake.

   Similarsnippet, offcut

   Note
2. 2
   nouncountable

   A piece cut out of a newspaper or magazine to keep.

   Like cutting a picture out of a magazine to stick on your wall.

   She saved a clipping about her team winning the cup.

   He pinned the newspaper clippings to the wall above his desk.

   Similarcutting

   Note
3. 3
   nouncountable or uncountable

   The act of cutting or trimming something off.

   Like the trimming you do when you cut the edges off a sheet of paper.

   The clipping of the hedge took most of the morning.

   Nail clipping is part of caring for a dog.

   Similarcutting, trimming, shearing, snipping

4. 4
   verb

   Present participle of clip. Use this form for the action happening right now.

   She is clipping the rose bushes in the yard.

   The barber was clipping the boy's hair.

   Note
5. 5
   nouncountable

   A short word made by cutting syllables off a longer word.

   Like calling a 'bicycle' a 'bike' for short.

   The word 'gym' is a clipping of 'gymnasium'.

   Words like 'ad' and 'phone' are clippings of longer words.

   Similarabbreviation

   Note
6. 6
   noununcountable

   Cutting off the tops of a signal when it grows too strong for the system to handle.

   Like water spilling over the top of a glass: anything above the edge is lost.

   Turning the volume up too high caused clipping in the speakers.

   You can hear clipping when the sound turns harsh and flat.

   Note
7. 7
   noununcountable

   Making a shorter word by cutting syllables off a longer one.

   Like shortening a long name into a quick nickname.

   Clipping gives us short words like 'bus' from 'omnibus'.

   English makes many casual words through clipping.

   Similarshortening, truncation

   Note
8. 8
   noununcountable

   Hiding part of a picture by covering it with a shape or mask.

   Like a window frame that lets you see only what is inside it.

   The app uses clipping to show only part of the photo.

   Clipping let the designer hide the rough edges of the image.

   Similarmasking

   Note
9. 9
   nounCanadianuncountable

   Hitting the back of an opponent's legs after coming up behind them.

   Like tripping someone by striking the backs of their knees.

   The referee called clipping on the return play.

   Clipping can hurt a player's knees very badly.

   Note

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