ripper

Something that rips something else.

Adjective

  1. Very good; excellent; fantastic.
    • 2019 Kobe Howard, Coaches Wrap Brisbane Lions, 30 April 2019. Accessed 6 May 2019. Not only did Lachie Neale have another stand out game with 28 disposals and a ripper goal from outside 50, but Lions debutant Noah...

Origin

From rip + -er; originated 1605–15.

Noun Entry 2

  1. Something that rips something else.
  2. Someone who rips something.
  3. A legislative bill or act that transfers powers of appointment from the usual holders to a chief executive or a board of officials.
  4. A murderer who kills and often mutilates victims with a blade or similar sharp weapon.
    • Jack the Ripper
  5. A hook-like tool used to tear away ore, rock, etc.
  6. A person employed to tear away ore, rock, etc. to make a passage for material to be carried to the surface.
  7. Something that is an excellent example of its kind.
    • He [Rafael Nadal] didn't convert that but gained the advantage and launched another ripper of a forehand to force the error from Tsitsipas on the volley. (Thurston, E. November 15, 2019, Rafael Nadal digs deep to beat...
    • Martin walked around the vehicle, viewing it from all angles and giggling as he did so. “She's a ripper, Bert, a real ripper!” - 2001, Filton Hebbard, Memories of Kalgoorlie: Tales from the Australian Outback, page 334:
    • Really, the Strauss Ball was in a category of its own, which is why we are making such a fuss about it; an absolute ripper of a ball whatever the hell it should be called in technical terms. - 2018, Gary Cox, Cricket...
  8. Software that extracts content from files or storage media.
  9. A tool or plant used to reduce soil compaction.
  10. A hot dog deep-fried in oil until the casing bursts.
  11. A foghorn.

Forms

rippers

Derived

bodice ripper bonnet ripper double-ripper radish ripper Ripperologist Ripperology

Noun obsolete

  1. One who brings fish from the seacoast to markets in inland towns.
    • But what's the action we are for now? Robbing a ripper of his fish. - c. 1622, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger [et al.?], “Beggars Bush”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for...

Origin

Compare rip (“a basket”), or riparian (“relating to a river bank”).

Forms

rippers ripier rippier