flip

¹

[ flip ]

verb (used with object)

, flipped, flip·ping.

1. to toss or put in motion with a sudden impulse, as with a snap of a finger and thumb, especially so as to cause to turn over in the air:

   to flip a coin.

2. to move (something) suddenly or jerkily.
3. to turn over, especially with a short rapid gesture:

   to flip pancakes with a spatula.

4. to cause to switch from one political party or candidate to another:

   Republicans flipped the Senate and increased their majority in the House.

5. Slang.
   1. to provide incriminating evidence about (an associate or accomplice); inform on:

      I only work with people I know won’t flip me.

   2. to turn into an informer:

      The prosecutor will try to flip the defendant in exchange for a reduced sentence.

6. to buy and sell (real estate or another asset) for a quick profit:

   The buyer flipped the house for double what he paid for it, just nine months after renovations were completed.

7. to change (an opinion, stance, or way of thinking):

   Federal courts had ruled the practice unconstitutional, but an appeals judge flipped the decision.

8. Slang. to make (someone) insane, irrational, angry, or highly excited (usually followed by out ).
9. Finance. to resell, especially quickly, or to refinance, as a mortgage loan.

verb (used without object)

, flipped, flip·ping.

1. to make a flicking movement; strike at something smartly or sharply; snap.
2. to move oneself with or as if with flippers:

   The seals flipped along the beach.

3. to move with a jerk or jerks.
4. to turn over or perform a somersault in the air.
5. to switch from one political party or candidate to another: Last November, most state legislatures saw fewer than five seats flip one way or the other.

   Formerly Democratic, our state has flipped to become red.

   Last November, most state legislatures saw fewer than five seats flip one way or the other.

6. Slang to provide incriminating evidence about an associate or accomplice; inform on:

   They wanted me to flip on the guy who sold me the drugs.

7. to change one’s opinion, stance, or way of thinking:

   The CEO has been accused of flipping on the issue of employee vacation time.

8. to shift from one state, position, etc., to another:

   My mood seems to flip 180 degrees without any obvious triggers.

9. Slang.
   1. to react to something in an excited, astonished, or delighted manner:

      He really flipped over his new girlfriend.

   2. to become insane, irrational, angry, or highly excited (often followed by out ).

noun

1. an instance of flipping; a smart tap or strike.
2. a sudden jerk.
3. a somersault, especially one performed in the air:

   a back flip off the diving board.

4. Cards. a variety of seven-card stud in which each player receives the first four cards facedown and selects two of them to expose before receiving the next card.
5. Slang. flip side.

flip

²

[ flip ]

noun

1. a mixed drink made with liquor or wine, sugar, and egg, topped with powdered nutmeg and served hot or cold.
2. a drink, popular especially in the 18th century, made with beer or ale mixed with rum or other liquor, sweetened and served hot.

flip

³

[ flip ]

adjective

, Informal.

, flip·per, flip·pest.

1. flippant; pert:

   She answered with a flip remark.

flip

/ flɪp /

verb

1. to throw (something light or small) carelessly or briskly; toss

   he flipped me an envelope

2. to throw or flick (an object such as a coin) so that it turns or spins in the air
3. to propel by a sudden movement of the finger; flick

   to flip a crumb across the room

4. foll by through to read or look at (a book, newspaper, etc) quickly, idly, or incompletely
5. intr (of small objects) to move or bounce jerkily
6. intr to make a snapping movement or noise with the finger and thumb
7. slang.
   intr to fly into a rage or an emotional outburst (also in the phrases flip one's lid, flip one's top, flip out )
8. slang.
   intr to become ecstatic or very excited

   he flipped over the jazz group

noun

1. a snap or tap, usually with the fingers
2. a rapid jerk
3. a somersault, esp one performed in the air, as in a dive, rather than from a standing position
4. same as nog 1

adjective

1. informal.
   impertinent, flippant, or pert

Word History and Origins

Origin of flip¹

First recorded in 1585–95; 1955–60 flip ¹fordef 18; fillip

Origin of flip²

First recorded in 1690–1700; perhaps noun use of flip ¹, so called from tossing or flipping of ingredients in preparation

Origin of flip³

First recorded in 1840–50; adjective use of flip ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of flip¹

C16: probably of imitative origin; see fillip

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. flip (someone) the bird, Slang. give (someone) the finger.
2. flip one's lid / wig, Slang. lid ( def 8 ).

Example Sentences

“You’re challenging people, not just handing them things. I love that Sean flips it on its head and makes it something completely different.”

From Los Angeles Times

On the flip side, anti-aging strategies like calorie restriction, or eating less, result in smaller nucleoli.

From Science Daily

On the flip side, states in the Southeast and Southwest gained the most workers, the analysis found.

From Los Angeles Times

More than half of reviews on the online platform, Yelp,now are negative, flipping the pre-COVID picture.

From Science Daily

But Republicans are on track to flip three legislative seats this year, one in the Senate and two in the Assembly.

From Los Angeles Times

More About Flip

Where does flip come from?

When it comes to studying the origins of words, it’s easy to overlook—and take for granted—everyday, unassuming words, like flip. But oftentimes, the story behind these most basic of words can provide great insights into how words work.

Flip is first recorded around 1585–95. It appears to be related to, and may even be a contraction of, the word fillip. This word means “to strike with the nail of a finger snapped from the end of the thumb.” Compared to flip, fillip is less common but older, recorded around 1425–75.

While the ultimate origin of fillip is unknown, etymologists think the word is what’s called expressive. While imitative words evoke the actual sound of a word being defined (boom), the sound of expressive words can conjure up a particular emotion, sensation, shape, movement, and so on. So, a word like fillip evokes the movement involved in the action of fillipping.

Try flipping—or filliping—your thumb and index finger. Can you hear how the words evoke such finger flicking? And use of the word flick is no accident here. Flick is very similar in sense and form, imitating the sound of flicking something.

Dig deeper

Like flick, the word flip also brings to mind flop, as in flip-flop and its variant, flip-flap. Flop itself originates as a variant of flap. Flip-flops, like the kind of sandals you might wear at the pool, are so named for the sound they make when you walk in them.

Flip, flap, flop, flick—the initial cluster, fl-, in English is associated with flittering, fluttering, flitting motion. This relationship between the sound fl– and the meaning of unsteady movement is called sound symbolism.

Sound symbolism is the “nonarbitrary connection between phonetic features of linguistic items and their meanings, as in the frequent occurrence of close vowels in words denoting smallness, as petite and teeny-weeny.”

One commonly cited example of sound symbolism in English is how many words dealing with light begin with the cluster gl-: glance, glare, glimmer, glitter, and glimpse, to name a few. Can you think of other words to add to this list?

One the most familiar forms of sound symbolism is onomatopoeia, the formation of a word, as cuckoo, meow, honk, or boom, by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent.

Did you know ... ?

The word flip, and the underlying type of movement the word expresses, is also apparently the source of the adjective flippant, meaning “frivolously disrespectful, shallow, or lacking in seriousness; characterized by levity.” Flippant entered English around 1595–1605. Its earliest senses were “talkative,” “nimble,” and “playful,” which extended to “unserious” and “disrespectful.”

The adjective flip is an informal synonym for flippant, recorded around 1840–50. It may have shortened from flippant or extended directly from flip.