nipper

/ˈnɪpə(ɹ)/

//ˈnɪpə(ɹ)// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"nipper" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nipper” is an uncommon English word, ranked #66,873 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#66,873
frequency rank, English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who, or that which, nips.

Key facts for nipper
PropertyValue
Headwordnipper
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnɪpə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#66,873
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nipper” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). nipper lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for nipper is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnɪpə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #66,873 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 16 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for nipper in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From nip + -er. The correct English form is nipper, spelled N-I-P-P-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who, or that which, nips.
  2. 2
    Any of various devices (as pincers) for nipping.
  3. 3
    A child.
  4. 4
    A child aged from 5 to 13 in the Australian surf life-saving clubs.
  5. 5
    A boy working as a navvies' assistant.
  6. 6
    A mosquito.
  7. 7
    One of four foreteeth in a horse.
  8. 8
    A satirist.
  9. 9
    A pickpocket; a young or petty thief.
  10. 10
    A fish, the cunner.
  11. 11
    A European crab (Polybius henslowii).
  12. 12
    The claws of a crab or lobster.
  13. 13
    A young bluefish.
  14. 14
    A machine used by a ticket inspector to stamp passengers' tickets.
  15. 15
    One of a pair of automatically locking handcuffs.
  16. 16
    One of the gloves or mittens worn by fishermen to protect their hands from cold and abrasion.

Etymology

From nip + -er.

Synonyms

pickpocket

This word in other languages

mico(Español)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "nipper"?
"nipper" is spelled N-I-P-P-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnɪpə(ɹ)/.
What does "nipper" mean?
As a noun, "nipper" means: One who, or that which, nips.
How do you pronounce "nipper"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nipper" is /ˈnɪpə(ɹ)/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "nipper"?
From nip + -er. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “nipper”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is N-I-P-P-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈnɪpə(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list