Definition of nippers Nippers
nip•pers
We found 7 definitions of nippers from 5 different sources.
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What does nippers mean?
Wiktionary 
- nippers (Noun)
Plural of nipper.
Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘
- nippers (n. pl.)
Small pinchers for holding, breaking, or cutting. - nippers (n. pl.)
A device with fingers or jaws for seizing an object and holding or conveying it; as, in a printing press, a clasp for catching a sheet and conveying it to the form. - nippers (n. pl.)
A number of rope-yarns wound together, used to secure a cable to the messenger.
Marine DictionaryUniversal Dictionary of the Marine ⚓️
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nippers
garcettes de tournevire, certain pieces of flat, braided cordage, used to fasten the cable to the voyal in a ship of war, when the former is drawn into the ship by mechanical powers applied to the latter.These nippers are usually six or eight feet in length, according to the size of the cable; and five or six of them are commonly fastened about the cable and voyal at once, in order to be heaved in by the capstern. Those which are farthest aft are always taken off, as the cable approaches the main hatchway; and others are at the same time fastened on, in the fore-part of the ship, to supply their places. The persons employed to bind the nippers about the cable and voyal, are called nipper-men: they are assisted in this office by the boys of the ship, who always supply them with nippers, and receive the ends of those which are fastened, to walk aft with them, and take them off at the proper place, in order to return them to the nipper-men.
Sailor's Word-BookThe Sailor's Word-Book ⛵
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nippers
Are formed of clean, unchafed yarns, drawn from condemned rope, unlaid. The yarns are stretched either over two bolts, or cleats, and a fair strain brought on each part. They are then "marled" from end to end, and used in various ways, viz. to bind the messenger to the cable, and to form slings for wet spars, &c. The nipper is passed at the manger-board, the fore-end pressing itself against the cable; after passing it round cable and messenger spirally, the end is passed twice round the messenger, and a foretop-man holds the end until it reaches the fore-hatchway, when a maintop-man takes it up, and at the main-hatchway it is taken off, a boy carrying it forward ready coiled for further use.--Selvagee nippers are used when from a very great strain the common nippers are not found sufficiently secure; selvagees are then put on, and held fast by means of tree-nails. (See SELVAGEE and TREE-NAILS.)--Buoy and nipper. Burt's patent for sounding. By this contrivance any amount of line is loosely veered. So long as the lead descends, the line runs through the nipper attached to a canvas inflated buoy. The instant it is checked or the lead touches bottom, the back strain nips the line, and indicates the vertical depth that the lead has descended.
Part of speech
🔤- nippers, noun, plural of nipper.
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