flapper

noun

flap·​per ˈfla-pər 

1

a

: something used in flapping or striking

b

: one that flaps

c

: flipper sense 1

2

: a young woman predominantly of the 1910s and 1920s who showed freedom from conventions (as in style of dress and conduct)

Examples of flapper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The queen—blond, leggy, wearing dark glasses and a red flapper dress—lounges on an armchair while ministers in suits delight their childish king by dancing with him, turning him and his big belly in cartwheels and the like. —Jennifer Homans, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026

Where at the beginning of the period, the boyish, figure-obscuring flapper dress was the au courant silhouette, by the end, fashion was shifting toward the more body-conscious bias cut. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2026

There was also a 1920s feel to several closing looks at Fendi (the shimmering nude dresses and the flapper fringe) and Ferragamo (liquid gold and drop-waist peplums). —Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 2 Mar. 2026

Elsewhere, vintage Hollywood silhouettes and flapper dresses were reinterpreted in subtle ways, from Odessa A’zion’s shaggy fringed jumpsuit to the glittering drop waist of Rose Byrne’s silk crepe Chanel dress. —Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for flapper

• capper
• clapper
• dapper
• kapur
• mapper
• napper
• rapper
• sapper
• snapper
• tapper
• trapper
• wrapper