Unclip

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To release or open a fastening that uses a clip mechanism
2. To detach something by undoing the clip that holds it in place
3. To separate two objects by unfastening a clip that connects them

Etymology: "Unclip" is a plain formation: the reversing prefix "un-" attached to "clip," meaning to undo the fastening that holds two things together. The prefix "un-" is an old English element that has been used to reverse actions for centuries, so "unclip" follows the same pattern as "unlock," "untie," or "unbutton." The base word "clip" has a more tangled history. It descends from Old English "clyppan," which meant to embrace or hug, and that sense of holding things close is the thread that leads to the modern fastening. Going further back, "clyppan" traces to a Proto-Germanic verb "klupjanąz," which is the same root that gave rise to "clasp" and "clip" as physical fasteners.

Synonyms: detach, release, unfasten

Antonyms: clip, fasten, attach