flip

plural flips

1. countableuncountableA maneuver which rotates an object end over end.

   We'll decide this on a flip of a coin.

   1 more example

   The diver did a couple of flips before landing in the pool.

2. countableuncountableA complete change of direction, decision, movement etc.

   Synonyms: inversion, swap

3. archaiccountableuncountableA fillip or light blow.

   […] who looked at Dean a moment, crossed over the stage to him, raised himself on his toes, dashed his own hat firmly down to his ears, and every one on the stage supposed Dean was about to receive a flip on the ear or nose.

   1851, Falconbridge, Dan. Marble: A Biographical Sketch, page 98

   Synonyms: flick

4. countabledateduncountableA whit or jot; the tiniest amount.

   I don't care a flip for what he says.

   Synonyms: bit, ace, atom, thought, atomy, aught, bissel, continental

5. countableuncountableA short flight.

   "While that was going on, we were getting organized. There were some fifty or sixty of us to begin with. I took flips in the helicopter, and when I saw signs of a group anywhere, I'd go down and issue a general invitation to come along."

   1951, John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, published 1954, page 256

6. UScountableslanguncountableA slingshot.

   He loaded his flip and took careful aim at what he considered to be Emily's most vulnerable spot […]

   1986, George Scarbrough, A summer ago, page 123

7. countableuncountableA hairstyle popular among boys in the 1960s–70s and 2000s–10s, in which the hair goes halfway down the ears, at which point it sticks out.

   Justin Bieber and Zac Efron are among the celebrities who wore a flip.

8. countableinformaluncountableThe purchase of an asset (usually a house) which is then improved and sold quickly for profit.

   What they bring to the table is hard-won brass-tacks knowledge from over fifteen years of personal investing as well as riding shotgun on over 1,000 flips with their clients.

   2007, Rick Villani, Clay Davis, Gary Keller, Flip: How to Find, Fix, and Sell Houses for Profit, page viii

9. uncountableengineeringThe tendency of a gun's barrel to jerk about at the moment of firing.

   A small, lightweight round, such as a .22 LR, generates very manageable recoil and muzzle flip (how much the nose of the gun flips up when you fire it).

   2015, Tara Dixon Engel, The Handgun Guide for Women, page 33

   1 more example

   In the case of rifles flip is counteracted by the sighting of the weapons, and it is because of flip that the sights cannot be set so that the line of sight is exactly parallel to the axis of the bore.

   1961, Sir Gerald Burrard, The gun. The cartridge, page 224

present singular third person flips · participle present flipping · participle past flipped · past flipped

1. transitiveTo throw so as to turn over.

   You need to flip the pancake onto the other side.

   2 more examples

   However, the hosts hit back and hit back hard, first replacement hooker Andrew Hore sliding over, then Williams careering out of his own half and leaving several defenders for dead before flipping the ball to Nonu to finish off a scintillating move.

   2011 September 16, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: New Zealand 83-7 Japan”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 16 Oct 2025

   Crucially, our research suggests that space weather is able to flip a signal in either direction, turning a red signal green or a green signal red. The former is obviously much more significant from a safety perspective.

   2023 November 15, Prof. Jim Wild, “This train was delayed because of bad weather in space”, in RAIL, number 996, page 31

   Synonyms: flip over, turn, turn over, turn upside down

2. transitiveTo put into a quick revolving motion through a snap of the thumb and index finger.

   If you can't decide which option to go for, flip a coin.

   1 more example

   Parkour – often referred to as freerunning – entails creatively moving through an urban environment: flipping, jumping and vaulting across various obstacles.

   2022 June 16, Issy Ronald, “Meet the parkour athletes defying fear and gravity at Red Bull Art of Motion”, in CNN, archived from the original on 26 Jun 2022

   Synonyms: toss

3. UStransitivegovernmentTo win a state (or county) won by another party in the preceding elections.

   Wisconsin had been Democratic for decades, but the Republicans flipped it in 2016.

4. USintransitiveTo turn state's evidence; to agree to testify against one's co-conspirators in exchange for concessions from prosecutors.

   The mafioso flipped on his superiors to get a lighter sentence.

5. UStransitiveTo induce someone to turn state's evidence; to get someone to agree to testify against their co-conspirators in exchange for concessions.

   The district attorney was able to strengthen his case against the bank robber by flipping the getaway driver.

6. intransitiveslangTo go berserk or crazy; to get extremely angry.

   I'd flip if anyone broke my phone.

   1 more example

   They're talkin' bout the night Santa went crazy The night St. Nicholas flipped Broke his back for some milk and cookies Sounds to me like he was tired of gettin' gypped

   1996, "Weird Al" Yankovic, “The Night Santa Went Crazy”, in Bad Hair Day

7. intransitiveslangTo go berserk or crazy; to be extremely thrilled or enthusiastic.

   1964, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure I got a silver ring with a "B" on it for Beatles. I really flip for those excellent guys.

   1 more example

   Heading home from a party, two hipsters, completely stoned, pause to snuggle on a park bench. A fire engine roars by, bells clanging, sirens screaming. The boy flips. “Solid, doll,” he murmurs, “they’re playing our song!”

   1952 September 29, “"BOP VOCABULARY" section, inside of "That Crazy Bop Joke Craze"”, in LIFE Magazine, New York, U.S., page 69

8. slangtransitivebusinessTo purchase and resell assets (often real estate or artworks) for immediate short-term profit.

   Those companies have been flipping houses in the real estate market for years.

   3 more examples

   After the formal part of dealer interviews, often later over a glass of wine, tales would be told of how the dealer does cope with pricing decisions, how other dealers are thought to set prices, and the pricing problems that result when evil collectors flip new paintings at auction.

   2010, Don Thompson, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark, Aurum Press Limited, →ISBN

   Quick cash, flip that, now I got big cash. Sit back, sip yak with a next piff yat.

   2018 November 30, “Bits” (track 10), in Original Sounds, performed by Bru-C and Window Kid

   Typically, the art world disdains “flipping” — when a collector buys a work and then immediately resells it at a profit.

   2021 March 11, Scott Reyburn, “JPG File Sells for $69 Million, as ‘NFT Mania’ Gathers Pace”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

9. slangtransitivebusinessTo refinance (a loan), accruing additional fees.

   Some of our consumer protection offices are all too familiar with the abusive practice of "flipping" loans.

   2002, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Predatory Mortgage Lending, page 70

   1 more example

   The bill makes it illegal to encourage borrowers to repeatedly refinance, or "flip," a loan primarily to collect more fees.

   2002, BNA's Banking Report, volume 78, page 747

10. transitivecomputingTo invert a bit (binary digit), changing it from 0 to 1 or from 1 to 0.
11. informaltransitiveTo hand over or pass along.

    "Flip me the details, and I'll have a sneaky beaky round for you."

    2014, Martyn Kinsella-Jones, A Falling of Angels

12. informalintransitiveTo switch to another task, etc.

    I flipped from the calendar app to the email app and logged in to view Cooper's. The unreads were staggering; I'd have to triage them later.

    2022, Michelle McCraw, Boss Me

13. transitiveTo put on a (facial expression).

    I knew he was kidding because he flipped a grin at me.

14. intransitiveTo flap.

    Rising above it all, an American flag flipped in the breeze.

    2016, Dan Eberhart, A Pact with the Living

1. UKcolloquialeuphemisticUsed to express annoyance, especially when the speaker has made an error.

   What the flip just happened?

   2 more examples

   Impossible. He's dining out and coming on here after. He can't be reached. / Oh, flip!

   1967, Peter Shaffer, Black comedy, including White lies: two plays

   "Oh flip, don't come near this place," she said. It was dangerous. The Catholics had banners up on the Garvaghy Road saying, 'No Protestants here'.

   2000, Susan McKay, Northern Protestants

   Synonyms: damn

comparative flipper · superlative flippest

1. UKinformalHaving the quality of playfulness, or lacking seriousness of purpose.

   I hate to be flip, but perhaps we could steal a Christmas tree.

2. Sarcastic.
3. informalDisrespectful, flippant.

   Don't get flip with me or I'll knock you into next Tuesday!

   Synonyms: cheeky

1. uncountableA mixture of beer, spirit, etc., stirred and heated by a hot iron (a "flip dog").

   [H]e had provided vast quantities of strong beer, flip, rumbo, and burnt brandy, with plenty of Barbadoes water for the ladies […].

   1751, [Tobias] Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC

   2 more examples

   I frequently took of large potations, though not of champagne certainly, but port, strong ales, and punch, and when our funds were low as sometimes happened, hot flip […] .

   1808–10, William Hickey, Memoirs of a Georgian Rake, Folio Society 1995, p. 21

   Adding a whole egg to alcoholic drinks goes back centuries, and at one point it was common to plunge a hot poker into your beverage (then commonly made with beer) that caused it to froth around or "flip". These days, most flips are served cold and often with a fortified wine, like sherry or port, and they are delightful as the egg adds wonderful body and texture to the drink.

   2022 May 17, Nick Fisher, Cocktail Chemistry: The Art and Science of Drinks from Iconic TV Shows and Movies, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 95

   Synonyms: flannel

plural Flips

1. derogatoryethnicslangslurA Filipino; a person who is of Filipino background.

   Later, the lieutenant came up to me. “Those dumb Flips finally got the message, right? […]

   2002, Henry C Allan, H-Hour Plus Three: The Saga of the US Army Amphibious Engineers in the Pacific During World War II, →ISBN, page 188

   1 more example

   One of the children beckoned to me to try it and I started forward, but before I could move Ryland grabbed my coat. "They're fucking Flips, kid. The only way to play is to be better than they are. Go all the way to the top."

   1993, Gary Paulsen, Eastern sun, winter moon: an autobiographical odyssey, →ISBN

1. A nickname for Philippa.

plural FLIPs

1. abbreviationacronymbusinessAcronym of flexible loan insurance plan.