flipper

A flipper is often the broad, flat limb used by sea animals like seals, dolphins, and penguins for swimming. The word is also used for the rubber paddles that swimmers and divers wear on their feet to move faster through the water. If you've ever played pinball, the levers that bat the ball back up the machine are called flippers too. In the kitchen, many people use this word for a flat tool that turns pancakes, eggs, or burgers. It can also mean a person who buys something, such as a house or ticket, and quickly sells it for a profit.

The word "flipper" often brings to mind smooth movement through water. Its main meaning is the broad, flat limb of sea animals such as dolphins, seals, walruses, and penguins. These are not hands or feet in the usual sense. They are body parts shaped for swimming and steering, helping the animal move through the water with speed and control. "The dolphin used its powerful flippers to break through the surface in a bright arc."

Beyond animal life, "flipper" is also the common name for the rubber fins that swimmers, snorkelers, and divers wear on their feet. These make each kick stronger by pushing more water. "She put on her flippers and mask before swimming over the reef." The word keeps the same basic idea here: something broad and flat that helps with motion.

In pinball, the flippers are the small levers near the bottom of the machine that the player uses to hit the ball. In everyday home use, a flipper can also mean a spatula or turner used to flip food in a pan or on a grill. "He grabbed the flipper to turn the burgers before they burned."

The word also appears in business and real estate. A flipper can be a person who buys something, such as a house, car, or ticket, planning to sell it again quickly for a profit. So the word can describe an animal body part, a piece of swim gear, a pinball control, a kitchen tool, or a fast reseller. Across these meanings, the idea is usually the same: quick movement, turning, or pushing something forward.