kipper

Meanings

Noun

• A split, salted and smoked herring or salmon.
• A male salmon after spawning.
• A patrol to protect fishing boats in the Irish and North Seas against attack from the air.
• A torpedo.
• An Englishman who has moved to Australia.
• A young Aboriginal man who has been initiated into to the rights of manhood.
• A fool.
• A child or young person.
• A member or supporter of UKIP (UK Independence Party).

Verb

• To prepare (a herring or similar fish) by splitting, salting, and smoking.
• To damage or treat with smoke.
• To dry out with heat or harsh chemicals; to desiccate.
• To drink or give a drink of alcohol, especially to intoxication.
• To punish by spanking or caning.
• To lead astray or frame; to cause to get into trouble.
• To utterly defeat or humiliate.

Adjective

• Out of season.
• Very wide, shaped like a kipper.
• amorous
• lively; chipper; nimble.

Origin

• From Old English cypera, perhaps related to Old English coper (see copper), on resemblance of color. Another theory connects it to kip, from Middle English kippen, but OED doubts this.
• Short form of UKIP -er, influenced by kipper, the type of fish.
• , kipra, Norwegian kjapp, Dutch kippen. More at kip.