kipper
/ˈkɪpə(ɹ)/noun, verb, adjective
kipper is spelled K-I-P-P-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 65,114th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, kipper means “A split, salted and smoked herring or salmon” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of kipper is kippers.
How many letters and syllables are in kipper?
| Letters | 6: K-I-P-P-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 65,114th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is kipper?
Kipper appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 65,114th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce kipper?
- /ˈkɪpə(ɹ)/
Kipper has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-kipper.wav, En-us-kipper.oga, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of kipper
- kippers plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- kippering participle, present
- kippered participle, past
- more kipper comparative
- most kipper superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does kipper mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A split, salted and smoked herring or salmon.
- 2
A male salmon after spawning.
- 3
A patrol to protect fishing boats in the Irish and North Seas against attack from the air.
- 4
UKslangA torpedo.
- 5
AustraliaslangAn Englishman who has moved to Australia.
- 6
AustraliaA young Aboriginal man who has been initiated into to the rights of manhood.
- 7
CanadaslangAn English person.
- 8
A fool.
- 9
UKinformalA member or supporter of UKIP (UK Independence Party).
verb
- 1
To prepare (a herring or similar fish) by splitting, salting, and smoking.
- 2
To damage or treat with smoke.
- 3
To dry out with heat or harsh chemicals; to desiccate.
- 4
To drink or give a drink of alcohol, especially to intoxication.
- 5
To punish by spanking or caning.
- 6
To lead astray or frame; to cause to get into trouble.
- 7
To utterly defeat or humiliate.
adjective
- 1
Out of season.
- 2
Very wide, shaped like a kipper.
- 3
UKlively; chipper; nimble.
noun
- 1
A type of fortune-telling cards.
- 2
A supporter or member of UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Kipper in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense salted and smoked herring or salmon:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Bückling, Räuchergering |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does kipper come from?
From Old English cypera (“male salmon”), perhaps related to Old English coper (“reddish-brown metal”) (see copper), on resemblance of color. Another theory connects it to kip (“sharp, hooked lower jaw of the male salmon in breeding season”), from Middle English kippen (“to seize, snatch”), but OED doubts this.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).