# fillip

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈfɪlɪp/ · frequency rank #95,971

## Definitions
1. The action of holding the tip of a finger against the thumb and then releasing it with a snap; a flick.
2. A sharp strike or tap made using this action, or (by extension) by other means.
3. Something unimportant, a trifle; also, the brief time it takes to flick one's finger (see noun sense 1); a jiffy.
4. Something that excites or stimulates.

## Etymology
From Middle English filippen, philippe (“to flick or snap a finger from against the thumb”); further origin uncertain, but probably imitative. See flip. It is not clear whether the verb is derived from the noun, or vice versa.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/fillip