SKIPPER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does skipper mean? 

• SKIPPER (noun)
  The noun SKIPPER has 3 senses:

1. a student who fails to attend classes

2. an officer who is licensed to command a merchant ship

3. the naval officer in command of a military ship

  Familiarity information: SKIPPER used as a noun is uncommon.

• SKIPPER (verb)
  The verb SKIPPER has 1 sense:

1. work as the skipper on a vessel

  Familiarity information: SKIPPER used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SKIPPER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A student who fails to attend classes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("skipper" is a kind of...):

educatee; pupil; student (a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution)

Derivation:

skip (intentionally fail to attend)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An officer who is licensed to command a merchant ship

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

captain; master; sea captain; skipper

Hypernyms ("skipper" is a kind of...):

officer; ship's officer (a person authorized to serve in a position of authority on a vessel)

Instance hyponyms:

Captain Kidd; Kidd; William Kidd (Scottish sea captain who was hired to protect British shipping in the Indian Ocean and then was accused of piracy and hanged (1645-1701))

Derivation:

skipper (work as the skipper on a vessel)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The naval officer in command of a military ship

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

captain; skipper

Hypernyms ("skipper" is a kind of...):

commissioned naval officer (a commissioned officer in the navy)

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "skipper"):

flag captain (the captain of a flagship)

Derivation:

skipper (work as the skipper on a vessel)

• SKIPPER (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they skipper    ... he / she / it skippers   
Past simple: skippered   
Past participle: skippered   
-ing form: skippering   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Work as the skipper on a vessel

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "skipper" is one way to...):

work (exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

skipper (the naval officer in command of a military ship)

skipper (an officer who is licensed to command a merchant ship)

 Context examples 

As I have said, I am the skipper of the Rugger team of Cambridge ’Varsity, and Godfrey Staunton is my best man.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But there were coastwise skippers I would have returned and killed when a man’s strength came to me, only the lines of my life were cast at the time in other places.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

However, a malicious rogue of a skipper went to an officer, and pointing to me, told him, I had not yet trampled on the crucifix; but the other, who had received instructions to let me pass, gave the rascal twenty strokes on the shoulders with a bamboo; after which I was no more troubled with such questions.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

The skipper was not displeased with the compliment, and went on:—When we got past the Bosphorus the men began to grumble; some o' them, the Roumanians, came and asked me to heave overboard a big box which had been put on board by a queer lookin' old man just before we had started frae London.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

And indeed bad as his clothes were and coarsely as he spoke, he had none of the appearance of a man who sailed before the mast, but seemed like a mate or skipper accustomed to be obeyed or to strike.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Why, I was first reserve for England against Wales, and I’ve skippered the ’Varsity all this year.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There was my last skipper—w’y I thought nothin’ of droppin’ down in the cabin for a little chat and a friendly glass. ‘Mugridge,’ sez ’e to me, ‘Mugridge,’ sez ’e, ‘you’ve missed yer vokytion.’ ‘An’ ’ow’s that?

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Well, we took him on board, this man, and he and the skipper had some long talks in the cabin.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I did return, not long ago, but unfortunately the skippers were dead, all but one, a mate in the old days, a skipper when I met him, and when I left him a cripple who would never walk again.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

He was a sportsman, was Godfrey, down to his marrow, and he wouldn’t have stopped his training and let in his skipper if it were not for some cause that was too strong for him.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)