clippers
KLIP-erz
/ˈklɪp.ərz/
An electric or manual tool used for cutting or trimming animal hair or nails.
Refers specifically to powered blades or specialized lever tools designed for thick fur or tough claws.
The story behind the word. Derived from the Old Norse verb 'klippa', an imitative word representing the snip-snip sound of shears. It evolved into 'clippers' during the Industrial Revolution to describe specialized mechanical cutting instruments.
Word relationships
- trimmers: Trimmers usually refer to smaller devices for fine edging rather than full-body shearing.
- shears: Shears are large manual scissor tools used mainly for sheep or heavy fabrics.
- glue: Glue attaches items together rather than clipping them apart.
Commonly confused with
- scissors: Scissors have two pivoting blades held manually, whereas clippers use oscillating powered teeth or mechanical levers.
Word family
- clip (verb): To cut or trim short with clippers.
- clipping (noun): A small piece cut off during grooming.
Collocations
- electric clippers
- nail clippers
- clipper blade
- clipper guard
Idioms & expressions
- at a fast clip
Example sentences
- "The groomer carefully adjusted the blade size on the electric clippers before trimming the poodle's thick fur." Professional grooming
Memory hook
CLIPpers make a rapid CLIP-CLIP sound as they buzz through thick pet fur. Snip and clip with electric power.
When not to use
Do not use for standard household paper scissors; clippers imply cutting hair, wires, or claws.
Fun facts
- Clipper ships in the 19th century were named because they moved at a fast 'clip' across oceans!
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