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chipper

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chipper¹

  • /ˈt͡ʃɪpɚ/ US
  • /ˈtʃɪpə/ UK

Rhymes with -ɪpə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

From English dialectal kipper (“nimble; frisky”), of obscure origin. Perhaps akin to Old Norse kjapt (“briskly; impetuously”), kippa ("to snatch; pull; jerk" > Middle English kippen (“to seize”)), kipra (“to wrinkle; draw tightly”), Norwegian kjapp (“fast; brisk”), Dutch kippen (“to seize; catch; grip”). More at kip.

adjective chipperer · chipperest

  1. Exhibiting a lively optimism; in high spirits, cheerful. Van Halen orders garlic strewn about Lucy's bedroom. she feels a bit chipperer the next morning, so Mina heads off to help poor Harker in Budapest.

chipper²

  • /ˈt͡ʃɪpɚ/ US
  • /ˈtʃɪpə/ UK

Rhymes with -ɪpə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

From chip + -er.

noun chippers

  1. Someone who or something which chips (e.g. wood). Used for chopping large blocks of chocolate into small pieces, a chocolate chipper looks like a large fork with six thin, very sharp, pointed metal fingers. To use the chipper, hold it straight up and down and press it firmly[…]
  2. US, in particular A machine that reduces organic matter to compost; depending on size, whole tree trunks are reduced to sawdust; a woodchipper. NR workers feed the cleared vegetation into a chipper.
  3. A machine that chips potatoes into pieces that are ready to be fried and made into chips.
  4. East, Ireland, North, Scotland, slang A fish and chip shop, or more generally a cheap fast food outlet, typically selling chips and other deep-fried foods. 'Yes, and CCTV on the drink link and at Fabio's chipper.'

    Similar: chippy, greasy spoon, hole-in-the-wall

  5. A company that manufactures potato chips/potato crisps. Bichel asked chippers several thought-provoking questions about potato procurement, storage and handling.
  6. A player who chips the ball.
  7. A golf club for making chip shots.
  8. slang A deep frier.
  9. US An occasional tobacco user, or more generally drug user.
  10. slang Killer.

chipper³

  • /ˈt͡ʃɪpɚ/ US
  • /ˈtʃɪpə/ UK

Rhymes with -ɪpə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

Compare cheep, chirp.

verb chippers · chippering · chippered

  1. UK, dialectal To chirp or chirrup. [a squirrel] […] eyeing me inquisitively, chippering, and shaking his tail

Translations

Every language

adj exhibiting a lively optimism

Deutschüberschwänglich, quietschfidel

noun machine that reduces organic matter to compost

Portuguêstriturador
Françaisbroyeur, hache-paille
DeutschSchredder, Häcksler

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Cite this
MLA

"chipper." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/chipper. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

chipper. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/chipper

Chicago

"chipper." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/chipper.

BibTeX
@misc{chipper_2026,
  title = {chipper},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/chipper},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}