[ME. clipp-en, at first northern, and prob. a. ON. klipp-a (Norw., Sw. klippa, Da. klippe) in this sense. In same sense also LG. has klippen (Schütze), Fris. (Wangeroog), klip-pen, N.Fris. klappen, kleppen.
The ON. and LG. klippa, klippen, was prob. identical with LG. klippen to make a sharp sound, cited under CLIP v.3, the application being transferred, as in clack, click, clank, clink, clap, from the sound to associated sharp actions; senses 6, 7, and CLIP sb.2 4, show that the notion of cutting is not inseparable from the word. There may also have been onomatopœic influence: in the utterance of clip, as of snip, there is a cut-short effect, which aptly suits the act.]
1. trans. To cut with scissors or shears, often with the notion of making trim and tidy. Also, b. To cut or snip (a part) away, off, out, from.
c. 1200. Ormin, 4106. To clippenn swa þe cnapess shapp.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 318. Out he clippeth … Her tunge with a paire of sheres.
c. 1532. Dewes, in Palsgr. (1852), 956. To clyppe heares, tonser.
1535. Coverdale, Jer. xlviii. 37. All heades shall be shauen, and all beerdes clipped [1611 clipt] off.
1608. Shaks., Per. (Globe), V. iii. 74. This ornament … will I clip to form.
1618. Bolton, Florus, II. xv. 135. The matrons clipt the haire of their heads to make cordage for engins.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, 404. God, twice as it were … clipt the treasures of the Temple with the cisers.
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 195. Dress up … your Strawbery Beds, clipping away all their Runners.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 112, ¶ 2. [He] clipped the Wings … of his innocent Captives.
1850. Carlyle, Latter-d. Pamph., v. (1872), 154. To clip off a bit of his eloquent tongue.
1873. C. Robinson, N. S. Wales, 59. The following paragraphs, clipped from the … Morning Herald.
1884. Law Times, 301/2. The man at the gate did not detain him to clip his ticket.
absol. 1798. Southey, Eng. Eclogues, I. Tell me where to clip.
fig. c. 1200. Ormin, 4248. Uss birrþ clippenn all aweȝȝ Þe flæshess fule wille.
1871. B. Taylor, Faust (1875), II. II. iii. 149. The father’s hour of rapture clips Hate from the heart.
b. To form or mark by clipping.
1680. Lond. Gaz., No. 1549/4. Stollen … Black Brown Nag … an R clipp’d on the near Buttock.
c. phr. To clip the wings of: lit. to cut (a bird’s) wings short so as to disable it from flight; hence, to check any one’s aspirations or ambition, cripple his strength, resources or action.
1590. Marlowe, Massacre Paris, III. ii. Away to prison with him! I’ll clip his wings.
1599. Marston, Sco. Villanie, III. viii. 213. Ist possible such sensuall action Should clip the wings of contemplation?
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 161. To clip the Wings Of their high-flying Arbitrary Kings.
1845. Sarah Austin, Ranke’s Hist. Ref., II. 339. If he could not succeed in clipping the wings of his restless neighbour.
1874. Blackie, Self-Cult., 10. To clip the wings of our conceit.
2. spec. To cut the hair off; to poll.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Miller’s T., 140. Wel koude he laten blood and clippe and shaue.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 95. Ȝe schal not … clip þe hed in to round.
1535. Coverdale, Jer. xvi. 5. No man shall clippe or shaue himselff for them.
1686. J. Serjeant, Hist. Monast. Convent., 39. They are brought to the Monastery, and then washed, clipped, and shaved.
1859. Jephson, Brittany, viii. 131. Hair-merchants … travel through the country clipping the heads of the peasant-girls.
3. spec. To shear (sheep); to cut off (their fleece or wool).
c. 1200. Ormin, 1189. Þe shep onfoþ Meocliȝ, þatt mann itt clippeþþ.
1382. Wyclif, Gen. xxxi. 19. Laban was goon to the sheep that shulden be clippid.
1483. Act 1 Rich. III., c. 8 § 14. The same Wooll … [shall] be as it is clipped.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 44. Yf your shepe be newe clypped.
1610. Healey, St. Aug. Citie of God, 516. Like a lamb when it is clipped, he [i.e., Christ] was silent.
1842. Bischoff, Woollen Manuf., II. 128. The price is … expected to fall … as soon as the flocks are clipped.
absol. c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., I. 1164. Toles forto gelde and clype and shere.
1641. Best, Farm. Bks. (1856), 20. A faire day the day before hee clippe, that the wooll may bee dry.
1884. Q. Victoria, More Leaves, 149. Four other women were sitting close under the wall, also clipping.
b. To yield on being clipped.
1879. J. Wrightson, in Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 238/1. There were … sheep in the pen that would clip as much or more wool.
4. spec. To mutilate (current coin) by fraudulently paring the edges.
1494. Fabyan, VII. 386. The Kynges coygne … was clypped and washed in suche wyse that it was therby wonderfully mynysshed.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 126. There should be no deceyt used by diminishing or clipping ye same.
1688. Lond. Gaz., No. 2352/4. Such as clip and deface His Majesty’s Coyn.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. 620. To clip the coin was one of the easiest and most profitable kinds of fraud.
b. absol.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1874), II. 222. In theyr wretchyd ryches to abounde, They clyp, they coyne.
a. 1734. North, Lives, II. 241. A fellow was accused for clipping.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. 623. The practice of clipping.
5. fig. To cut short, curtail, diminish.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., V. ii. 603. Hol. Iudas I am, ycliped Machabeus. Dum. Iudas Machabeus clipt, is plaine Iudas.
1628. Prynne, Cens. Cozens, 66. He pares, and clips the Scripture.
1858. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt. (1865), I. II. iv. 66. Pfalz must be reinstated, though with territories much clipped.
b. spec. To cut (words) short; to omit by indistinct or hurried utterance syllables and parts of words; to pronounce imperfectly.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 158. Not clipping the syllables, not skyppyng ony worde.
1642. J. Taylor, God’s Judgem., II. vii. 99. He [the Drunkard] shall lispe and clip his English.
1755. Mem. Capt. P. Drake, II. iii. 81. He was pretty far overcome by the Champaign, for he clipped the Queen’s English.
1862. Mrs. H. Wood, Mrs. Hallib., II. xxvi. (1885), 291. Clipping her words in her vehemence.
c. absol. and intr.
1648. Jenkyn, Blind Guide, iv. 76. Why pilfer you from my words? Why clip you——…?
1876. Whitby Gloss., s.v., The day begins to clip.
1877. N. W. Linc. Gloss., s.v. Clip, ‘The days clip off sorely; we shall hev winter here afore we know where we are.’
6. intr. To move the wings rapidly; to fly rapidly. Also to clip it. arch.
1613–6. W. Browne, Brit. Past., II. i. O yee blessed Muses!… Whose truest lovers never clip with age.
1635. Quarles, Embl., III. xii. (1718), 173. If she springs away The wings of vengeance clip as fast as they. Ibid., V. xiii. (D.). How I would spring from earth, and clip away.
1666. Dryden, Ann. Mirab., 86. Some falcon … flies at check and clips it down the wind.
1850. H. Coleridge, Poems, II. 115. Wavy motion as, on wings unfurled, A seraph clips Empyreal.
7. intr. (colloq.) To move or run quickly. Cf. cut.
1833. M. Scott, Tom Cringle, xii. (1859), 281. He clipped into the water with the speed of light.
1837–40. Haliburton, Clockm. (1862), 46. He sees a steam-boat a clippin it by him like mad. Ibid. (1843–4), Sam Slick in Eng., viii. (Bartlett). I ran all the way, right down as hard as I could clip.
