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flip·per

(flĭpər)

1. One that flips: a flipper of hamburgers

2. A wide flat limb, as of a seal, whale, or other aquatic mammal, adapted for swimming.

3. See fin¹.

4. A flat lever in a pinball machine, used to hit the ball so it stays in play.

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flipper

South African fur seal

Arctocephalus pusillus

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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