Dipper
/'dipə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A small diving bird: A small, stocky bird that dives into fast-flowing streams to feed along the bottom. It does not have webbed feet.
- A type of duck: A small North American diving duck, notable for the male's bushy head plumage.
- A constellation: A group of seven bright stars forming a recognizable pattern in the sky.
- Specifically, the Big Dipper is the asterism within the constellation Ursa Major.
- The Little Dipper is the asterism within the constellation Ursa Minor; Polaris (the North Star) is at the end of its handle.
- A ladle: A cup-shaped vessel with a long handle, used for lifting liquid.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Bird):
- We spotted an American dipper bobbing on a rock in the river.
- The dipper is unique because it can walk underwater to find insects.
- Noun (Duck):
- A flock of buffleheads, also known as dippers, landed on the lake.
- Noun (Constellation):
- On a clear night, you can easily find the Big Dipper.
- Polaris is part of the Little Dipper.
- Noun (Ladle):
- She used a dipper to serve soup from the large pot.
Advanced Usage
- "The [Big/Little] Dipper": These are proper nouns referring to the specific, well-known asterisms. The word "dipper" in these names refers to their resemblance to a ladle (dipper).
- The Big Dipper is often used to locate the North Star.
Variants and Related Words
- Dip (verb): To plunge briefly into a liquid. This is the root action from which "dipper" is derived, describing something that dips (the bird) or is used for dipping (the ladle).
- Dipperful (noun): The amount a dipper (ladle) can hold.
- He added a dipperful of water to the mixture.
Synonyms
- Ladle: For the utensil.
- Water ouzel: An alternative name for the dipper bird.
- Asterism: For the star pattern (e.g., the Big Dipper is an asterism).
Related Phrases
- To be a dipper: (Informal, archaic) Can refer to being a pickpocket. This is a separate, slang usage derived from the verb "to dip" (into a pocket).
- The police warned of dippers operating in the crowded market. (Note: This is an idiomatic/phrasal use not directly related to the main definitions above).
Noun
- small stocky diving bird without webbed feet; frequents fast-flowing streams and feeds along the bottom
- small North American diving duck; males have bushy head plumage
- a group of seven bright stars in the constellation Ursa Major
- a cluster of seven stars in Ursa Minor; at the end of the dipper's handle is Polaris
- a ladle that has a cup with a long handle