Flipper
/ˈflɪp.ər/noun
A broad flat appendage used for swimming, or a person or device that flips things.
Did you know?The swimming sense of flipper is a later English formation from the verb *flip*, ultimately tied to the same sound-symbolic family behind sudden, quick striking motions—not a mystical root, but a very physical one.
Etymological Timeline
Late Middle English
English
flippen
“to strike or move with a quick sudden motion”
16th Century
English
flip
“a quick light blow or sudden motion”
17th Century
English
flipper
“one who or that which flips; later, a broad movable appendage”
19th Century
English
flipper
“a paddle-like limb or fin, especially of a seal or whale”
Modern English
English
flipper
“a fin-like limb used for swimming, or a device for flipping things”