flip
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /flɪp/
rhymes: -ɪp
Forms: form: flips
form: flipping
form: flipped
form: flipped
Etymology: Alteration of earlier fillip, from Middle English filippen (“to make a signal or sound with thumb and right forefinger, snap the fingers”), an attenuated variation of flappen (“to flap, clap, slap, strike”). Cognate with Dutch flappen (“to flap”), German flappen (“to flap”).
Senses: examples: text: You need to flip the pancake onto the other side.
text: However, the hosts hit back and hit back hard, first replacement hooker Andrew Hore sliding over, then Williams careering out of his own half and leaving several defenders for dead before flipping the ball to Nonu to finish off a scintillating move.
ref: 2011 September 16, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: New Zealand 83-7 Japan”, in BBC Sport:
text: Crucially, our research suggests that space weather is able to flip a signal in either direction, turning a red signal green or a green signal red. The former is obviously much more significant from a safety perspective.
ref: 2023 November 15, Prof. Jim Wild, “This train was delayed because of bad weather in space”, in RAIL, number 996, page 31:
synonyms: turn
turn over
glosses: To throw so as to turn over.
examples: text: If you can't decide which option to go for, flip a coin.
synonyms: toss
glosses: To put into a quick revolving motion through a snap of the thumb and index finger.
examples: text: Wisconsin had been Democratic for decades, but the Republicans flipped it in 2016.
topics: government
politics
glosses: To win a state (or county) won by another party in the preceding elections.
examples: text: The mafioso flipped on his superiors to get a lighter sentence.
glosses: To turn state's evidence; to agree to testify against one's co-conspirators in exchange for concessions from prosecutors.
examples: text: The district attorney was able to strengthen his case against the bank robber by flipping the getaway driver.
glosses: To induce someone to turn state's evidence; to get someone to agree to testify against their co-conspirators in exchange for concessions.
examples: text: I'd flip if anyone broke my phone.
text: They're talkin' bout the night Santa went crazy
The night St. Nicholas flipped
Broke his back for some milk and cookies
Sounds to me like he was tired of gettin' gypped
ref: 1996, "Weird Al" Yankovic, “The Night Santa Went Crazy”, in Bad Hair Day:
glosses: To go berserk or crazy; to get extremely angry.
examples: 1964, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure
I got a silver ring with a "B" on it for Beatles. I really flip for those excellent guys.
glosses: To go berserk or crazy; to be extremely thrilled or enthusiastic.
examples: text: Those companies have been flipping houses in the real estate market for years.
text: After the formal part of dealer interviews, often later over a glass of wine, tales would be told of how the dealer does cope with pricing decisions, how other dealers are thought to set prices, and the pricing problems that result when evil collectors flip new paintings at auction.
ref: 2010, Don Thompson, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark, Aurum Press Limited, →ISBN:
text: Quick cash, flip that, now I got big cash. Sit back, sip yak with a next piff yat.
ref: 2018 November 30, “Bits” (track 10), in Original Sounds, performed by Bru-C and Window Kid:
text: Typically, the art world disdains “flipping” — when a collector buys a work and then immediately resells it at a profit.
ref: 2021 March 11, Scott Reyburn, “JPG File Sells for $69 Million, as ‘NFT Mania’ Gathers Pace”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
topics: business
finance
glosses: To purchase and resell assets (often real estate or artworks) for immediate short-term profit.
examples: text: The bill makes it illegal to encourage borrowers to repeatedly refinance, or "flip," a loan primarily to collect more fees.
ref: 2002, BNA's Banking Report, volume 78, page 747:
text: Some of our consumer protection offices are all too familiar with the abusive practice of "flipping" loans.
ref: 2002, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Predatory Mortgage Lending, page 70:
topics: business
finance
glosses: To refinance (a loan), accruing additional fees.
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
glosses: To invert a bit (binary digit), changing it from 0 to 1 or from 1 to 0.
examples: text: "Flip me the details, and I'll have a sneaky beaky round for you."
ref: 2014, Martyn Kinsella-Jones, A Falling of Angels:
glosses: To hand over or pass along.
examples: text: I flipped from the calendar app to the email app and logged in to view Cooper's. The unreads were staggering; I'd have to triage them later.
ref: 2022, Michelle McCraw, Boss Me:
glosses: To switch to another task, etc.
examples: text: Rising above it all, an American flag flipped in the breeze.
ref: 2016, Dan Eberhart, A Pact with the Living:
glosses: To flap.
Derived terms: sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: backflip
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flip a bitch
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flip burgers
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flip off
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flip one's lid
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flip one's shit
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flip one's wig
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flip on its head
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flip out
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flip over
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flippable
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flipper
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flip phone
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flip-screen
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flipside
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flip the bird
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flip the kipper
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flip the lid
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flip the script
sense: Terms derived from flip (verb)
word: flip through