plural flippers
1
a
: a broad flat limb (as of a seal or cetacean) adapted for swimming
b
: a flat shoe (as of rubber or silicone) with the front expanded into a paddle that is used to aid movement through water (as in snorkeling or scuba diving)
called also fin, swim fin
2
: someone or something that flips or is used in flipping
spatulas and pancake flippers
pinball flippers
He worked as a burger flipper.
A flipper is a person who changes TV channels just to see what else is on.—
Springfield (Massachusetts) Morning Union
Springfield (Massachusetts) Morning UnionHe also interviews house "flippers" who buy cheap property with an eye toward making some inexpensive improvements to spruce it up and then quickly "flipping" it, or reselling it at a value-added price for a tidy profit.—James Prichard
James PrichardExamples of flipper in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mosasaurs evolved webbed feet and flippers, Zietlow notes, and so studying the way geckos grow webbed feet can help paleontologists better understand the way mosasaurs did something similar back in the Cretaceous.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 May 2024
In real-world speak, Gen-Z are watch flippers who are willing to go into debt to get their next horological dose.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 24 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flipper 
Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 May 2024
In real-world speak, Gen-Z are watch flippers who are willing to go into debt to get their next horological dose.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 24 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flipper
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flipper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near flipper
Cite this Entry
“Flipper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flipper. Accessed 31 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flipper
noun
flip·per
ˈflip-ər 
1
: a broad flat limb (as of a seal or whale) used for swimming
2
: a flat rubber shoe with the front widened into a paddle for use in skin diving
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