flipper

Pluralflippers

Formsflippers, flippering, flippered

1. 1
   nouncountable

   A wide, flat arm or leg that sea animals like whales and sea turtles use to swim.

   The sea turtle swam away, pushing hard with its front flippers.

   The seal lifted one flipper and waved it at the crowd.

   Similarfin

   Note
2. 2
   nouncountable

   A wide, flat rubber shoe shaped like a paddle that you wear on your foot to swim.

   Don't forget your mask and flippers for the beach.

   He lost a flipper in the waves and swam back with one bare foot.

   Similarfin

3. 3
   nouncountable

   A small flat bar in a pinball machine that the player moves to hit the ball and keep it in play.

   She hit the ball with the left flipper just in time.

   The flippers on this old pinball machine are really slow.

   Note
4. 4
   nouncountable

   A person who buys a house or other thing and sells it again quickly to make money.

   A flipper bought the old house on our street and sold it two months later.

   Some art flippers buy paintings by new artists and sell them again right away.

   Similarspeculator

   Note
5. 5
   nouncountable

   A flat kitchen tool, like the one you use to turn pancakes or eggs.

   Hand me the flipper so I can turn the eggs.

   Dad used a flipper to lift the cookies off the hot tray.

   Similarspatula, turner

6. 6
   nouncolloquialUScountable

   A TV remote, the small device you hold to change channels.

   Who has the flipper? I want to watch the game.

   The flipper fell between the couch cushions again.

   Similarremote, clicker, zapper

7. 7
   nouncountable

   A person who flips, for example someone who tosses a coin.

   Ana was the flipper, so she tossed the coin to see who would go first.

   My little brother is a fearless flipper on the trampoline.

8. 8
   nouncountable

   In cricket, a ball from a leg-spin bowler that spins backward and stays low after it bounces.

   The batter missed the flipper, and it hit the stumps.

   Our spin bowler spent the whole practice working on his flipper.

   Note
9. 9
   verbintransitive

   To lift one or both flippers out of the water and hit the water with them.

   Whales often flipper near boats, and the splash can soak everyone on deck.

   The young whale was flippering, and the splashes were loud.

   Note
10. 10
    nouncountable

    In a theater, a small panel of scenery that helps hold up a bigger one.

    The stage crew added a flipper so the tall wall would not fall over.

    Each piece of the set has a flipper behind it.

    Note
11. 11
    nouncountable

    A false tooth that people usually wear for a short time.

    After the tooth was pulled, the dentist gave her a flipper to wear.

    He takes out his flipper before he goes to sleep.

    Note

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