Clipped

How to spell clipped

7 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce clipped

What does clipped mean?

1. verbPast tense of clip: to have trimmed something short, or to have fastened something with a clip.
2. adjectiveOf speech or manner: short, abrupt and precise, with words cut off quickly.

Clipped in a sentence

• verb

  The gardener clipped the hedge into a neat square before lunch.

• adjective

  Her clipped tone made it clear the meeting was over.

• verb

  She clipped the receipt to the expense form and posted it.

• adjective

  The officer gave clipped instructions and walked away.

Where does clipped come from?

Language of origin: Old Norse

English actually carries two different verbs that both ended up spelled 'clip', and 'clipped' is the past tense of each. The 'cut short' sense descends from the Old Norse verb klippa, meaning 'to cut or shear', which Norse settlers brought into northern England, and it long described the shearing of sheep and later the trimming of hedges, hair and coins. The 'fasten or hold tight' sense comes instead from the Old English verb clyppan, which literally meant 'to embrace, clasp or surround', so the modern paper clip really does 'hug' the pages together. Over the centuries the two verbs converged on the same short, blunt spelling, which is fitting because a clipped tone of voice sounds curt and cut off. The spelling trap is purely mechanical: because the vowel in 'clip' is short and stressed, the final p doubles before the -ed ending, giving 'clipped' rather than 'cliped'.

How the word is built

• clip (to cut short, or to fasten)
• -ped (past tense; the final consonant is doubled after a short stressed vowel)