clip

clip¹ [klıp] n

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

1¦(for fastening)¦

2¦(film)¦

3¦(gun)¦

4 at a good/rapid/fast etc clip

5¦(cut)¦

6 a clip round the ear/earhole

7¦(newspaper)¦

8 $100/50 cents etc a clip

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

[Sense: 1,3,8; Date: 1400-1500; Origin: CLIP²1]

[Sense: 2,4-7; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: CLIP²2]

1.) ¦(FOR FASTENING)¦

a small metal or plastic object that holds or fastens things together

▪ The wire is held on with a metal clip.

▪ a wad of money in a gold clip

→↑Bulldog clip, ↑paperclip

2.) ¦(FILM)¦

a short part of a film or television programme that is shown by itself, especially as an advertisement

▪ clips from the new James Bond film

3.) ¦(GUN)¦

a container for bullets which passes them quickly into the gun so that they can be fired

4.) at a good/rapid/fast etc clip

quickly

▪ Traffic was moving at a good clip.

5.) ¦(CUT)¦ [singular]

BrE the act of cutting something to make it shorter or tidier

▪ I gave the hedge a clip.

6.) a clip round the ear/earhole

BrE informal a short hit on the side of someone's head

7.) ¦(NEWSPAPER)¦

an article that is cut from a newspaper or magazine for a particular reason

8.) $100/50 cents etc a clip

AmE informal if things cost $100, 50 cents etc a clip, they cost that amount of money each

clip ²

clip² v past tense and past participle clipped present participle clipping

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

1¦(fasten)¦

2¦(cut)¦

3¦(cut from newspaper)¦

4¦(hit)¦

5¦(reduce)¦

6 clip somebody's wings

7 clip somebody round the ear/earhole

8¦(ticket)¦

9 clip your words

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

[Sense: 1; Origin: Old English clyppan 'to hold tight, hug']

[Sense: 2-9; Date: 1200-1300; : Old Norse; Origin: klippa]

1.) ¦(FASTEN)¦ [I always + adverb/preposition, T]

to fasten something together or to be fastened together using a clip

clip sth into/onto etc sth

▪ A microphone was clipped to his tie.

▪ a stack of bills clipped together

2.) ¦(CUT)¦ [T]

to cut small amounts of something in order to make it tidier

▪ The hedges had just been clipped.

3.) ¦(CUT FROM NEWSPAPER)¦ [T always + adverb/preposition]

to cut an article or picture from a newspaper, magazine etc

clip sth out of/from sth

▪ a cartoon clipped from a Minneapolis newspaper

4.) ¦(HIT)¦ [T]

to hit something quickly at an angle, often by accident

▪ A truck swerved and clipped a parked car.

5.) ¦(REDUCE)¦ [T]

to slightly reduce an amount, quantity etc - used in news reports

clip sth off/from sth

▪ Gunnell clipped a second off the world record.

6.) clip sb's wings

to restrict someone's freedom, activities, or power

7.) clip sb round the ear/earhole

BrE informal to hit someone quickly on the side of the head

8.) ¦(TICKET)¦ [T]

BrE to make a hole in a bus or train ticket to show that it has been used

American Equivalent: punch

9.) clip your words

to say words in a quick, short, and not very friendly way