slipper

1 of 2

noun

slip·​per ˈsli-pər 

: a light low-cut shoe that is easily slipped on the foot

slippered

ˈsli-pərd 

adjective

slipper

2 of 2

adjective

chiefly dialectal

: slippery

Examples of slipper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Also new to the Delta One seat is a second Missoni pillow, alongside the classic slippers, mattress pad, slippers, and eye mask—as well as new Bombas socks. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026

Green tea was served by gang members shuffling around in slippers. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Reporting for Wirecutter We’ve been testing (and retesting) slippers since 2014. — Zoe Vanderweide, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2026

She’s stepped out in classic sneakers, easy slip-ons, and even fuzzy slippers made for the chilly fall and winter months. — Jill Layton, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English slypper, from slippen "to slip entry 1" + -er -er entry 2

Adjective

Middle English slipir, sliper "causing something to slide or slip, deceitful," going back to Old English slipor, sliper, going back to Germanic *slip-ra- (whence also Old High German sleffar "sloping downward"), adjective derivative from the base of Germanic *sleipan- (strong verb) "to slide, slip" (whence Middle Dutch slīpen "to smooth, polish, sharpen," Middle Low German, "to glide, sink, slip," Old High German slīfan "to slide, pass away, decline"), of uncertain origin

Note: The adjective slipper has been effectively replaced by its derivative slippery, though the former was in existence in dialect late enough to be noticed by the Survey of English Dialects, which recorded it in Devon and Cornwall (see Survey of English Dialects: The Dictionary and Grammar, Routledge, 1994, s.v.). — The Germanic verb has been compared with Greek olibrón, glossed by Hesychius with olisthērón "slippery," though the assumption of an Indo-European etymon *h₃slib-ro-, with both *b and a laryngeal preceding a sibilant, seems questionable. Parallel to *sleipan- is a verb *sleupan- "to creep, glide," which has been explained as a secondary formation based on near-synonymous *sleuban- (see slip entry 5, sleeve). As all these bases are ultimately of phonesthemic origin and can presumably be reshaped by variation of phonesthemic origin, it is difficult to disentangle inheritance from innovation. Compare slip entry 1.

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing slipper

• ballerina slipper
• ballet slipper
• carpet slipper
• lady's slipper
• slipper chair
• toe slipper

Rhymes for slipper

• chipper
• clipper
• dipper
• flipper
• gripper
• kipper
• nipper
• ripper
• shipper
• skipper
• stripper
• tipper

Kids Definition

slipper

noun

slip·​per

ˈslip-ər

: a light low shoe without laces that is easily slipped on or off

slippered

-ərd

adjective