Where does “flipper” come from?

flipper (French) comes from English flipper, from English Flip, from English fillip, from Middle English filippen, from Middle English flappen — to flap, clap, slap, strike.

flipper (French): pinball; to freak out

Definitions

  1. pinball; to freak out

Ancestry of “flipper”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishflipperIn marine mammals such as whales, a wide flat...
2EnglishFlipA Filipino; a person who is of Filipino...
3EnglishfillipThe action of holding the tip of a finger against...
4Middle Englishfilippento make a signal or sound with thumb and right...
5Middle Englishflappento flap, clap, slap, strike

Words derived from “flipper

Every word from Middle English flappen
flipper — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer