/klip"euhr/ , n.
1. a person or thing that clips or cuts.
2. Often, clippers . ( often used with a pl. v. ) a cutting tool, esp. shears: hedge clippers.
3. Usually, clippers . ( usually used with a pl. v. ) a mechanical or electric tool for cutting hair, fingernails, or the like: He told the barber, "No clippers on the sides, please."
4. Naut. Also called clipper ship . a sailing ship built and rigged for speed, esp. a type of three-masted ship with a fast hull form and a lofty rig, built in the U.S. from c1845, and in Great Britain from a later date, until c1870, and used in trades in which speed was more important than cargo capacity.
5. Electronics. a device that gives output only for an input above or below a certain critical value.
6. a person or thing that moves along swiftly.
[ 1350-1400; ME; see CLIP 1 , -ER 1 ]