clip

noun

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

Synonyms of clip

• blow
• swipe
• punch
• thump
• slap
• stroke
• hit
• pound
• thud
• whack
• knock
• lick
• poke
• bang
• smack
• spank
• hook
• beat
• slam
• belt
• cuff

Examples of clip in a Sentence

an unexpectedly low branch dealt him a clip to the head

Recent Examples on the Web

The clips, totaling about 15 minutes, give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into creating the show. —Judith Y. Kim, The Washington Examiner, 7 June 2026

Red and green accents on the branding, heel and tongue reference the character’s shoes and hair clips. —Riley Jones, Footwear News, 7 June 2026

The clip spread widely on social media and drew outrage. —Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026

Groypers do this at such a scale that often Fuentes’ clips go viral before the platforms take them down. —Donie O'Sullivan, CNN Money, 6 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing clip

• a clip round the ear
• alligator clip
• banana clip
• clip art
• clip-clop
• clip joint
• clip-on
• clip someone's wings
• ear clip
• paper clip
• roach clip

Rhymes for clip

• blip
• chip
• dip
• drip
• flip
• grip
• grippe
• hip
• ip
• kip
• lip
• nip

Kids Definition

clip

1 of 4 verb

ˈklip 

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

also : magazine sense 4a

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

Old English clyppan "to clasp"

Middle English clippen "to cut," of Norse origin

Medical Definition

clip

noun

ˈklip 

: a device used to arrest bleeding from vessels or tissues during operations