clipped; clipping
1
2
a
: to hold in a tight grip : clutch
b
: to clasp, fasten, or secure with a clip
1
: any of various devices that grip, clasp, or hook
2
: a device to hold cartridges for charging the magazines of some rifles
also
: a magazine from which ammunition is fed into the chamber of a firearm
3
: something (such as a piece of jewelry) that is worn as an ornament or fastener and that is held in position by a clip
clipped; clipping
1
a
: to cut or cut off with or as if with shears
clip a dog's hair
clip an hour off traveling time
b
: to cut off the distal or outer part of
c(1)
(2)
: to cut items out of (a publication, such as a newspaper)
3
4
: to illegally block (an opposing player) in football
5
: to take money from unfairly or dishonestly especially by overcharging
the nightclub clipped the tourist for $200
1
: to clip something
2
: to travel or pass rapidly
3
: to clip an opposing player in football
1
a
b
: a 2-bladed instrument for cutting especially the nails
2
3
: an act of clipping
4
: a sharp blow
5
: rate sense 1a
continues at a brisk clip
6
: a single instance or occasion : time
he charged $10 a clip
—often used in the phrase at a cliptrained 1000 workers at a clip
Examples of clip in a Sentence
Verb (2)
a mother who's sad to see her little boy's curls clipped for the first time
the pitch clipped the batter's helmet with enough force to knock it clean off his head
Noun (2)
an unexpectedly low branch dealt him a clip to the head
Recent Examples on the Web
Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025
Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
More storms in Kansas City area’s forecast The weather service said additional storms are expected to develop Thursday afternoon and evening to the north in Nebraska and Iowa, possibly clipping northern Missouri.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clip
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Noun
The film is a symphony of voices, featuring recent interviews with many of the original participants—businesspeople, union leaders, political officials—along with archival clips documenting key events and conveying the tone of the times.
—Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025
Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
In recent national headlines were a fatal crash of a tour helicopter in New York, a small plane that crashed in Florida and two commercial jets that clipped wings at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
More storms in Kansas City area’s forecast The weather service said additional storms are expected to develop Thursday afternoon and evening to the north in Nebraska and Iowa, possibly clipping northern Missouri.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clip
Cite this Entry
“Clip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clip. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clip
2 of 4 noun1
: a device that grips, clasps, or hooks
2
: a device for loading cartridges into a firearm
also
: magazine sense 4a
3
: a piece of jewelry held by a clip
clip
3 of 4 verb
clipped; clipping
1
: to cut or cut off with or as if with shears
clip a hedge
clip out a news item
2
: to cut off or trim the hair or wool of
have the dog clipped
clip
4 of 4 noun1
: a two-bladed instrument for cutting especially the nails
2
: a section of filmed, videotaped, or recorded material
3
: an act of clipping
4
: a sharp blow
5
: a rapid pace
move along at a good clip
Etymology
Verb
Old English clyppan "to clasp"
Verb
Middle English clippen "to cut," of Norse origin
Medical Definition
clip
noun
: a device used to arrest bleeding from vessels or tissues during operations
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