Etymology From Middle English skippere, skyppere, scippere, borrowed from Middle Dutch scipper, schipper, from Old Dutch *skipāri, from Proto-Germanic *skipārijaz. Piecewise doublet of shipper, from ship + -er.
The skipper Mr. Cooke had hired at Far Harbor was a God-fearing man with a luke warm interest in his new billet and employer, and had only been prevailed upon to take charge of the yacht after the offer of an emolument equal to half a year's sea pay of an ensign in the navy.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter X, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
It is standard practice for search and rescue authorities to ask other vessels in the area to assist. Usually, this is done. The weather on the night of 31 December was too atrocious, and when at 11pm the Coast Guard asked the crabber Ruff & Reddy to head to the scene, its skipper refused, as a skipper has a right to do if he believes conditions to be too treacherous.2025 October 21, Rose George, “‘I knew in my head we were dying’: the last voyage of the Scandies Rose”, in The Guardian:
2
A coach, director, or other leader.
3
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports The captain of a sports team such as football, cricket, rugby or curling.
But even the return of skipper Steven Gerrard from a six-week injury layoff could not inspire Liverpool2010 December 29, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0-1 Wolverhampton”, in BBC Sport:
Etymology From Middle English skippere, skyppere, scippere, borrowed from Middle Dutch scipper, schipper, from Old Dutch *skipāri, from Proto-Germanic *skipārijaz. Piecewise doublet of shipper, from ship + -er.
1
To captain a ship or a sports team.
Tourist subs, which could once be skippered by anyone with a U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license2019, Tony Perrottet, “A Deep Dive Into the Plans to Take Tourists to the ‘Titanic’”, in Smithsonian Magazine:
skipper
noun
Etymology From Middle English skippere, skyppare, equivalent to skip + -er.
Any of various butterflies of the families Hesperiidae and its subfamily Megathyminae, having a hairy mothlike body, hooked tips on the antennae, and a darting flight pattern.
Blue skippers in sunny hours ope and shut Where wormwood and grunsel flowers by the cart ruts […]c. 1864, John Clare, We passed by green closes:
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Any of several marine fishes that often leap above water, especially Cololabis saira (Pacific saury) and Sprattus sprattus (European sprat).
Skipper, stand back; 'tis age that nourishethc. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:
7
The cheese maggot, the larva of a cheese fly (family Piophilidae), which leaps to escape predators.
South Africa A short-sleeved (or long-sleeved) tee-shirt, or sweatshirt.
Plain nylon doeks...Men's knitted skippers, long sleeves, three buttons in front.1971 June 26, Golden City Post:
The special constables..were issued with one pair of boots, two overalls, one raincoat, and two skippers — but no shirts or warm coats.1987 August 19, Eastern Province Herald:
1 more example
My neighbour's little boy pestered his dad for a 'Viva' T-shirt. This long-suffering man pointed out to his son that he had been sharing his w:Cosatu skipper with him.., but the kid..did not want to wear it any longer as it was not, as he put it, 'skipa sa Mandela'.1990 May 26, O. Musi, Drum Magazine: