Dipper

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈdɪpə/

Definitions

1. A utensil shaped like a small bowl with a handle, used for taking up and pouring liquids ; a group of stars forming a pattern used for navigation and identification in the night sky ; a type of bird known for diving and swimming underwater in streams and rivers
2. An implement designed to scoop and transfer fluids from one container to another ; a celestial pattern made of several stars that helps locate other constellations ; an aquatic bird species that can walk underwater by swimming against currents
3. A small ladle or scoop typically used to measure out or transfer liquids ; a recognizable star formation often used by stargazers as a guide ; a bird that inhabits running water and is adapted to forage underwater

Etymology: The most striking thing about "dipper" is how many unrelated objects share it. The name began as a plain tool: a dipper was simply something used for dipping, with the "-er" ending marking the thing that does the action, the same pattern that gives us "lifter" or "opener." Middle English "dippere" was built on the verb "dip," so the earliest sense was the practical one of a ladle or scoop for taking liquid from a larger container. The same idea of a bowl or vessel on a handle carried over to other tools and objects, and the name was later given to a bird that repeatedly dips under water while feeding, and to the group of stars whose outline resembles a ladle. Each of these uses rests on the shape or the action of dipping, so the meanings are connected by a single visual and physical idea rather than by any shared history of borrowing.

Synonyms: scooper, ladle