looper

noun

loop·​er ˈlü-pər How to pronounce looper (audio)
plural loopers
1
: any of the usually rather small hairless caterpillars that are mostly larvae of moths (families Geometridae and Noctuidae) and move with a looping motion in which the hind prolegs draw the posterior body toward the front followed by forward extension by the anterior legs

called also inchworm

2
: one that loops
3
golf : caddie
Playing golf with a caddie can be one of the best experiences in golf. Or, it can be one of the worst. It all depends on your looper and your attitude.Golf Magazine

Examples of looper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But what happens when a looper fails to kill their older self? Jennifer Ouellette and Sean M. Carroll, Ars Technica, 24 Nov. 2023 Rain and golf go hand-in-hand; even the most prepared loopers get caught sometimes in an unexpected and unwelcome squall on the back nine. Red Fabbri, Travel + Leisure, 27 July 2023 One of those caterpillars using coneflower (Echinacea) is called the camouflage looper. Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 21 July 2023 Buy It: Fiskars Ergo Scratch Tool Garden Weeder, $9 (was $13), Amazon Fiskars 15 Inch PowerGear Super Pruner/Lopper These loopers make lopping off branches a breeze. Wendy Vazquez, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2023 Telford, bound for Stephen F. Austin, induced nine ground-ball outs and struck out three. Hood kept the perfect game alive in the fourth with the defensive play of the day, retreating quickly into shallow left field to chase down a looper off the bat of Martin’s Allie Smith. Dallas News, 8 May 2021 This sock delivers some serious cushion over the foot’s five most common pressure zones, with warm terry loopers underfoot and a generous shin pad. Todd Plummer, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2023 Centerfielder Ruben Cedillo dropped an easy shallow fly ball and shortstop Dernedde lost a soft looper in the sun. ... Joe Freeman, oregonlive, 18 Feb. 2023 Renato Núñez could only knock down a stinger down the first-base line by Cavan Biggio before Grichuk hit a soft looper to short right field to chased Cobb from the game. Jon Meoli, baltimoresun.com, 17 Aug. 2020

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

Word History

First Known Use

1731, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of looper was in 1731

Dictionary Entries Near looper

Cite this Entry

“Looper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/looper. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

looper

noun
loop·​er ˈlü-pər How to pronounce looper (audio)
1
: any of numerous small caterpillars that are mostly larvae of moths, move with a looping movement, and have little or no hair

called also inchworm, measuring worm

2
: one that loops

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