flippers

Noun

flipper (plural flippers)

1. In marine mammals such as whales (or other secondarily aquatic animals such as sea turtles), a wide, flat limb adapted for swimming.
2. A wide, flat, paddle-like rubber covering for the foot, used in swimming.

   Synonyms:

   swim fin

3. A flat lever in a pinball machine, triggered by the player to strike the ball and keep it in play.
   • Early pinball machines demanded that a player shake the entire table in an effort to guide the ball through the obstacles (pins—hence the name). Later iterations had mechanical flippers like today's, but more of them—six, which were distributed three on each side up and down the body of the machine.2012 February 24, Rebecca J. Rosen, “The Glory of the Pinball Machine”, in The Atlantic
4. A small flat used to support a larger one.
   • The flipper is designed to give support by standing at a 90-degree angle to the flat. It probably gets its name from its appearance: cut out like a piece of profile scenery, it resembles the flipper of a marine animal, […]1998, Martin Harrison, The Language of Theatre, page 104
5. A type of ball bowled by a leg spin bowler, which spins backwards and skids off the pitch with a low bounce.
6. (US, informal) Television remote control, clicker.

See all 13 meanings of flipper