Meaning & use
clip
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Meanings
nouncountable
A small device, usually of metal or plastic, that grips things to hold them together or in place.
Grammar: Countable and often named by use: a paper clip, a hair clip.
Patterns
- a clip for something
- a paper/hair clip
She fastened the pages together with a clip.
He wore a clip in his hair to keep it out of his eyes.
A small clip held the microphone to his shirt.
nouncountable
A short part of a film, video or recording taken from a longer one.
Grammar: Countable: a short clip, a video clip.
Patterns
- a clip from something
- a clip of someone
The teacher showed a clip from a documentary about whales.
The news played a clip of the senator's speech.
I sent my friend a funny clip from last night's show.
verbtransitive
To cut something short or neat with scissors or shears, trimming off small pieces.
Grammar: Takes an object: clip the hedge, clip a coupon.
Patterns
- clip something from something
- clip something off
He clipped the hedge every Saturday.
She clipped a coupon from the newspaper.
The barber clipped the hair around my ears.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To fasten something with a clip, or to be fastened that way.
Grammar: Often followed by to or onto: clip a badge to your jacket; the lid clips on.
Patterns
- clip something to something
- clip onto something
Please clip your name tag to your collar.
The strap clips onto the side of the bag.
She clipped the papers together before filing them.
verbtransitiveinformal
To hit something lightly while passing it, often by accident.
Grammar: Takes an object: the truck clipped the mirror.
Patterns
- clip something with something
The truck clipped the mirror of a parked car.
The ball clipped the edge of the net.
He clipped the curb and went over a pothole.
Word forms
| plural | clips |
|---|---|
| third person singular | clips |
| past tense | clipped |
| past participle | clipped |
| -ing form | clipping |
Common combinations
- paper clip
- Use a paper clip to hold the pages together.
- video clip
- She posted a video clip of the concert.
- hair clip
- The little girl chose a blue hair clip.
- clip a hedge
- He clipped the hedge before the guests arrived.
- clip someone's wings
- The new rules clipped the manager's wings.
- clip a coupon
- She clipped a coupon from the Sunday paper.
Synonyms and how they differ
- trim
- Trim is the general word for cutting small amounts to make something neat, while clip suggests short quick cuts with scissors or shears.
- snip
- Snip suggests one small quick cut, whereas clip can be repeated across a surface.
- excerpt
- Excerpt is used for a piece of writing or music, whereas clip is mostly a part of a video or film.
- fastener
- Fastener is the broad word for anything that holds things shut, and a clip is one kind.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: clip or clasp?
clip vs clasp
A clasp is a fastening that closes by hooking or gripping, as on a necklace, while a clip pinches things together.
Practice
The reporter played a short ____ from the interview.
Choose one answer.
A clip is a short extract of a video or recording. A clasp is a fastener, and clap and click do not fit in this context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “clip”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.