clip

1 of 4

verb (1)

clipped; clipping

transitive verb

1
2
a
: to hold in a tight grip : clutch
b
: to clasp, fasten, or secure with a clip

clip

2 of 4

noun (1)

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

clip

3 of 4

verb (2)

clipped; clipping

transitive verb

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
(2)
: to cut items out of (a publication, such as a newspaper)
2
b
: to abbreviate in speech or writing
3
: hit, punch
especially : to strike in passing
the car skidded off the road and clipped a lamppost
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

intransitive verb

1
: to clip something
2
: to travel or pass rapidly
3
: to clip an opposing player in football

clip

4 of 4

noun (2)

1
a
clips plural, Scotland : shears
b
: a 2-bladed instrument for cutting especially the nails
2
: something that is clipped: such as
a
: the product of a single shearing (as of sheep)
b
: a crop of wool of a sheep, a flock, or a region
c
: a section of filmed, videotaped, or recorded material
d
: a clipping especially from a newspaper
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 clip
trained 1000 workers at a clip

Examples of clip in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
When an error is made, it doesn’t get forgotten: clips of it circulate widely on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook; replays are studied like the Zapruder film. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2024 Kelce commented on an Instagram clip of the interview. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 In one scene, when Jackie is feeling trapped, the editing splices in an insert of a boiling coffee percolator and an old news clip of the Berlin Wall. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 In the clip, Black and Gass strut around the red carpet, doing dance moves and jump-kicking while belting along to the D’s hard rock take on the 1998 pop smash. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2024 Watching the clip afterwards, Marschner says, has been surreal and traumatic. Steve Knopper, Billboard, 8 Mar. 2024 But the highlight was the Oscars nominees lunch, where one viral clip of a fawning Ryan Gosling truly captures Messi’s thrall over the crowd. Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024 That political weakness has been accentuated by occasional trips, falls and verbal stumbles that are recirculated on social media with far more velocity than any triumphant clips from his speeches. Nicholas Nehamas, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Use the spring steel clip inside the top door to send outgoing mail. Samantha S. Thorpe, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2024
Verb
When my older sister, a mom of two little ones under the age of four, saw this small gem clipped onto my weekender bag, she was mesmerized. Meaghan Kenny, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Mar. 2024 Patient after patient at the East Oakland clinic extended their fingers so that healthcare workers could clip on a pulse oximeter, a device that measures the degree to which red blood cells are saturated with oxygen. Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 It can be easily clipped onto their phone, making the lighting ideal for selfies. Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2024 Assuming that most people in its target audience probably won’t have any interest in questions, and will have more interest in checking their phones or monitoring the roast in the oven or clipping toenails, Tracker feels well-suited for a long broadcast run. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Feb. 2024 The California Highway Patrol later concluded that his pickup clipped a guardrail. Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2024 Simply wrap sections of the hair around the curlers, clip them in—and prepare to wait. Jenny Berg, Vogue, 11 Feb. 2024 Cárdenas and Padilla, by contrast, created their empire in a less-Latino area within a generation, making sure to clip any potential internecine drama — or push out those who got in the way. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Make sure to clip the on-site coupon to get it for an extra 20 percent off, a discount that brings its price down to $38. Kristine Solomon, Travel + Leisure, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clip.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English clippen, from Old English clyppan; akin to Old High German klāftra fathom, Lithuanian globti to embrace

Verb (2)

Middle English clippen, from Old Norse klippa

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of clip was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near clip

Cite this Entry

“Clip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clip. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

clip

1 of 4 verb
clipped; clipping
: to fasten with a clip
clip the papers together

clip

2 of 4 noun
1
: a device that grips, clasps, or hooks
2
: a device for loading cartridges into a firearm
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 noun
1
: 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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