kipper

UK: /ˈkɪpə^r/ US: /ˈkɪpɚ/ ,(kip′ər)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

kip•per¹ /ˈkɪpɚ/   n. [countable]

1. Food a fish, esp. a herring, that has been kippered.

v. [~ + object]

2. Food to prepare or cure fish by splitting, salting, drying, and smoking.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

kip•per¹  (kip′ər), n. 

1. Food a fish, esp. a herring, that has been cured by splitting, salting, drying, and smoking.
2. Food this method of curing fish.
3. Fish a male salmon during or after the spawning season.

v.t. 

4. Food to cure (herring, salmon, etc.) by splitting, salting, drying and smoking.

• Middle English kypre, Old English cypera spawning salmon, apparently derivative of cyperen of copper, i.e., copper-colored bef. 1000

kip•per²  (kip′ər), n. [Australian Informal.]

1. British Terms a young male Aborigine, usually 14 to 16 years old, who has recently undergone his tribal initiation rite.

• Wiradjuri gibirr man
• 1835–45

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

kipper / ˈkɪpə/ noun

1. a fish, esp a herring, that has been cleaned, salted, and smoked
2. a male salmon during the spawning season

verb

1. (transitive) to cure (a fish, esp a herring) by salting and smoking

Etymology: Old English cypera, perhaps from coper copper¹, referring to its colour