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skipper¹ Definition

skip·per (skipər)

noun

  1. a person or thing that skips
  2. saury
  3. any of a family (Hesperiidae) of mostly small, heavy-bodied butterflies, having threadlike antennae usually ending in a hook, and characterized by short, erratic bursts of flight
  4. any skipping insect

skipper² Definition

skip·per (skipər)

noun

  1. the captain of a ship, esp. of a small ship or boat
  2. any leader, director, or captain

Etymology: ME < MDu schipper < schip, a ship

transitive verb

to act as skipper of

skipper Synonyms

skipper

n.

commander, leader, operator; see captain 3, officer 3, pilot 2.

skipper Usage Examples

Object

  • yacht: By the end of the course you should have enough experience to safely skipper a small yacht in familiar waters by day.
  • charter: The boats have performed well in racing and are offered for bare boat and skippered charter.
  • boat: Go shark or mackerel fishing in hired skippered boats from Looe or dive with Looe Divers Club on the recently sunk warship wreck.

Adjective modifier

  • grizzled: The work will provide a larger habitat for the rare and oddly names grizzled skipper, dingy skipper and green hairstreak butterflies.
  • silver-spotted: The North Downs supports chalk grassland and Surrey acts as a stronghold for species such as the silver-spotted skipper.
  • dingy: Cheshire's stronghold for the dingy skipper, a Local Biodiversity Action Plan species, is on Ashton's Flash.
  • under-21: A former Scotland Under-21 skipper, Ian has captained Hibs since the departure of John O'Neil to Falkirk.
  • inspirational: Ipswich will therefore utilize rider replacement for their inspirational skipper.
  • injured: And new coaches Zimmerman and Moriarty joined injured skipper Lortie on the sideline to complete the victorious team.

Modifies a noun

  • butterfly: Other spring highlights include dingy and grizzled skipper butterflies which are now found in only a few places in the county.

Noun used with modifier

  • stand-in: Then Steve Sidwell, stand-in skipper for crocked Graham Murty, had a 25-yard pile-driver headed off the line by Forbes.
  • trawler: A Cardiff trawler skipper later lost his ticket for a number of years for failing to stop and pick up the survivors.
  • yacht: Flying Fish trains and recruits yacht skippers and sail, dive, surf, windsurf, ski and snowboard instructors.
  • charter: No injuries occurred to the divers but the competence of the charter boat skippers operating in the area was called into question.
  • boat: John Eccles, Marine Operative, former Trinity House pilot boat skipper.
  • fishing: Sea Angling Trips on MFV Girl Kilda These are with a deep sea fishing skipper of 20 years experience.

Possessives

  • armband: The popular Frenchman has been handed the skipper's armband by manager Dave Jones.

Preposition: of

  • yacht: Their brief was to search for three teenage boys who were reported missing by the skipper of the yacht Black Pig.
  • vessel: With the help of the skipper of a nearby fishing vessel, the skipper was finally recovered and air lifted to hospital.
  • boat: By contrast the skipper of the second boat was Jim.
skipper Quotes

The king sits in Dunfermline town, Drinking the blude-red wine; 'O whare will I get a skeely skipper, To sail this new ship of mine?'

—Ballads

Browse dictionary entries near skipper

  1. skiplane
  2. skipjack
  3. skip
  4. skintight
  5. skint
  6. skinny-dip
  7. skinny
  8. skinner
  9. -skinned
  10. skinless
  1. skiptracing
  2. skirl
  3. skirmish
  4. skirr
  5. skirt
  6. skit
  7. skitter
  8. skittery
  9. skittish
  10. skittle