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Added 10 October 2026

fillip

/ˈfɪlɪp/ noun

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about fillip at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The action of holding the tip of a finger against the thumb and then releasing it with a snap; a flick.
A sharp strike or tap made using this action, or by other means.
Something unimportant, a trifle; also, the brief time it takes to flick one's finger (see noun sense 1); a jiffy.

verb

To strike, project, or propel with a fillip (that is, a finger released quickly after being pressed against the thumb); to flick.
To project quickly; to snap.
To strike or tap smartly.

Origin

From Middle English filippen, philippe (“to flick or snap a finger from against the thumb”); further origin uncertain, but probably imitative. See flip. It is not clear whether the verb is derived from the noun, or vice versa.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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