clipping

Syllables: clip·ping/ˈklɪpɪŋ/

clipping is the present participle and gerund of clip.

Noun

clipping (countable and uncountable, plural clippings)

The act by which something is clipped (in any sense).
(countable) A piece of something removed by clipping.
- a clipping of hair
- grass clippings
Synonyms:

offcut, snippet
(countable) An article clipped from a newspaper (especially) or from a magazine.
- When a 90-year-old yellowed clipping appeared one day at my feet, an implausible new mystery entered my life.2011 November 19, James Bishop Jr., “Grand Canyon mystery runs deep”, in The Arizona Republic
Synonyms:

cutting, press cutting
(uncountable) A process of word formation involving shortening by removal of syllables, often terminal ones.
(countable) A short form (of a longer word) created by removing syllables, often terminal ones.
- The word "ad" is a clipping of "advertisement".
- > --Lia
  An unusual clipping! -or is it not short for Julia?2007 December 11, Peter T. Daniels, “Bushman clicks and tsks”, in sci.lang (Usenet), message-ID <b992264e-0708-4570-b54d-4ecc43586865@t1g2000pra.googlegroups.com>
Synonyms:

short form
(uncountable) The process of cutting off a signal level that rises above a certain maximum level.
(uncountable) The use of a mask to hide part of an object or image.
(Canadian, uncountable) Falling, rolling, or throwing one's body on the back of an opponent's legs after approaching from behind.

clip (third-person singular simple present clips, present participle clipping, simple past and past participle clipped)

To grip tightly.
To fasten with a clip.
- Please clip the photos to the pages where they will go.
(archaic) To hug, embrace.
- "As how, my lambkin," blushing, she replide, / "Because I in this dancing schoole abide? / If that it be, that breede's this discontent, / We will remoue the camp incontinent: / For shelter onelie, sweete heart, came I hither, / And to auoide the troblous stormie weather; / But now the coaste is...1593, Thomas Nashe, The Choice of Valentines
(slang) To collect signatures, generally with the use of a clipboard.

clip (third-person singular simple present clips, present participle clipping, simple past and past participle clipt or clipped)

To cut, especially with scissors or shears as opposed to a knife etc.
- She clipped my hair with her scissors.
To curtail; to cut short.
- All my reports go with the modest truth; / No more nor clipped, but so.c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...

clipping (not comparable)

(UK, obsolete, slang) Excellent; very good.
- A Yankee fellow told a clipping good story.1880, Richard Mounteney Jephson, A Pink Wedding, volume 1, page 124
- Rather! a clipping good run!1887, Fores's Sporting Notes & Sketches, page 270

plural	clippings

By surface analysis, clip + -ing.

What does clipping mean?: Clipping means the act by which something is clipped (in any sense).
What is clipping the present participle and gerund of?: Clipping is the present participle and gerund of clip.
What part of speech is clipping?: Clipping can be a noun or an adjective.
How do you pronounce clipping?: Clipping is pronounced /ˈklɪpɪŋ/.
What is the plural of clipping?: The plural of clipping is clippings.

Adapted from Wiktionary: clipping (page history and authors); clip (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-clipping.wav.

Cite this entry: “clipping.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/clipping. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.