nipper
/ˈnɪpə(ɹ)/noun, verb
nipper is spelled N-I-P-P-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 66,686th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, nipper means “One who, or that which, nips” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of nipper is nippers.
How many letters and syllables are in nipper?
| Letters | 6: N-I-P-P-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 66,686th 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 nipper?
Nipper appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 66,686th 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 nipper?
- /ˈnɪpə(ɹ)/
Nipper 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: En-au-nipper.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of nipper
- nippers plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- nippering participle, present
- nippered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does nipper mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
One who, or that which, nips.
- 2
Any of various devices (as pincers) for nipping.
- 3
UKinformalA child.
- 4
AustraliaA child aged from 5 to 13 in the Australian surf life-saving clubs.
- 5
A boy working as a navvies' assistant.
- 6
CanadaslangA mosquito.
- 7
archaicOne of four foreteeth in a horse.
- 8
obsoleteA satirist.
verb
- 1
To seize (two ropes) together.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Nipper in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense slang term for a small child:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | mico |
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 nipper come from?
From nip + -er.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).