clipped

Thân thiện

The gardener trimmed the hedges into neat, clipped shapes.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • (Of speech or an accent) Characterized by short, clear, and often abrupt pronunciation: Describes a manner of speaking where words are pronounced quickly and precisely, with consonants being sharply articulated and vowels sometimes shortened. This often conveys formality, efficiency, or a specific social or regional background.
   • Trimmed or cut short, especially by clipping: Describes something, typically hair, fur, hedges, or wings, that has been made neat, short, or tidy by cutting with shears or clippers.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective (Speech):
  • He spoke in a clipped, military tone.
  • Her clipped British accent was very distinctive.
• Adjective (Trimmed):
  • The dog has a neatly clipped coat.
  • They maintained a perfectly clipped lawn.

Advanced Usage

• "clipped tone/voice": A manner of speaking that is brief and often sounds impatient or unfriendly.
  • She answered in a clipped tone, indicating she was busy.
• "clipped wings": Literally, wings that have been trimmed to prevent flight. Figuratively, it can describe someone whose power or freedom has been restricted.
  • The bird's clipped wings meant it could not fly away. (literal)
  • After the scandal, the CEO's authority had clipped wings. (figurative)

Variants and Related Words

• Clip (verb): To cut or trim with shears or clippers; to shorten.
  • I need to clip the hedge this weekend.
• Clipper (noun): A tool used for clipping or cutting.
  • He used hair clippers for the trim.
• Clipping (noun): A piece cut off from something; also, an article cut from a newspaper.
  • She saved a newspaper clipping about the event.

Synonyms

• For speech: Abrupt, brisk, brusque, staccato, concise.
• For trimmed: Trimmed, cropped, shorn, neatened, pruned.

Related Phrases

• To speak in clipped sentences/phrases: To communicate using very short, abrupt sentences.
  • The officer gave orders in clipped phrases.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. (of speech) having quick short sounds
   • a clipped upper-class accent
2. cut or trimmed by clipping
   • a handsome man with a clipped moustache
   • clipped hedges
   • close-clipped lawns
   • a clipped poodle