wiper

1 of 2

noun (1)

wip·​er ˈwī-pər How to pronounce wiper (audio)
1
: a person who wipes
2
a
: something (such as a towel or sponge) used for wiping
b
: a moving contact for making connections with the terminals of an electrical device (such as a rheostat)
c
: a usually motor-driven arm with a flexible blade for wiping a window (such as the windshield of an automobile or airplane)

wiper

2 of 2

noun (2)

plural wipers
: a hybrid striped bass that is a cross between a female striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and a male white bass (Morone chrysops) and is silvery-white with dark usually discontinuous or irregular horizontal stripes along the sides

Note: The wiper has an aggressive nature and is bred chiefly as a sport fish for stocking lakes, streams, and reservoirs.

White bass and striped bass have solid stripes on their bodies. The hybrid fish, also called wipers or whiterock bass, have broken horizontal stripes, grow larger than white bass and are more tolerant of warm water than stripers.D'Arcy Egan
While wipers are far from unpalatable, their flesh is of a coarser texture and tastes a little more "fishy" than crappie or walleye fillets.Steve Davis

called also palmetto bass, whiterock bass

compare sunshine bass

Examples of wiper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Industrial systems were accessed, firmware manipulated and wiper malware deployed, yet no blackout followed. Joern Hackbarth, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 At the nose is a pronounced S-duct directing so much airflow that the wipers had to be vertically configured at the flanks of the windshield. Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 25 May 2026 Replace the wiper blades and have a shop inspect the steering, suspension, and brakes. John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026 The action of using them to flick on the wipers or the lights is basically identical to a conventional stalk. Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for wiper

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

w- (from white bass) + (str)iper

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1978, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wiper was in 1552

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wiper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wiper. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster