Clipper
/ˈklɪp.ər/noun
A tool, machine, or fast sailing ship used for cutting, trimming, or moving quickly.
Did you know?The ship sense of *clipper* comes from the older verb *clip* meaning both “cut” and “move swiftly,” a perfect example of how one word can split into violence and velocity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰleib-
“to cut, carve, or split”
Old English
OE
clyppan
“to embrace, clasp; later associated with close contact and holding”
Middle English
ME
clippen
“to cut off, shear, trim; also to move briskly”
14th–16th Century
English
clippe / clipper
“a cutter, trimmer, or one that moves swiftly”
19th Century
English
clipper
“a fast sailing ship, especially one built for speed”