paper clip

Thân thiện

A teacher uses a paper clip to organize her handouts.

Definition

Noun: A small, usually metal, device made of bent wire or molded plastic, designed to hold a few sheets of paper together by clamping them without puncturing or damaging them.

Usage

The term "paper clip" refers specifically to the fastening device itself. It is a count noun (e.g., a paper clip, three paper clips). It is used to describe the object's function of temporarily binding papers.

Examples

• Please use a paper clip to keep these documents together.
• I found an old memo attached with a rusty paper clip.
• The standard paper clip is made from a single piece of bent steel wire.

Advanced Usage

• "To paper-clip" (verb, informal/rare): To fasten with a paper clip.
  • She paper-clipped the note to the front of the file.
• Figurative use: Can symbolize office work, bureaucracy, or temporary organization.
  • Their agreement was held together by little more than a paper clip and a promise.

Variants and Related Words

• Clip (noun): A more general term for any device that holds things together or in place. A paper clip is a specific type of clip.
• Binder clip (noun): A larger, stronger clip with folding handles, used for holding thicker stacks of paper.
• Bulldog clip (noun): A spring-loaded clip with two flat, metal plates, often used for thicker documents.

Synonyms

• Fastener: A general term for any device that fastens things together.
• Clip: The most common direct synonym, though it is broader.

Related Phrases

• Paper clip chain: A series of paper clips linked together, often made for fun or as a makeshift chain.
  • The children made a long paper clip chain during their break.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a wire or plastic clip for holding sheets of paper together
   • the paper clip was invented in 1900

Từ đồng nghĩa

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