ripper

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɪpə/
• (General American) enPR: rĭpʹər, IPA^(key): /ˈɹɪpɚ/

• Audio (General Australian):

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• Rhymes: -ɪpə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: rip‧per

From rip +‎ -er; originated 1605–15.

ripper (plural rippers)

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. (mining) A hook-like tool used to tear away ore, rock, etc.
6. (mining) A person employed to tear away ore, rock, etc. to make a passage for material to be carried to the surface.
7. (British, Australia, slang) 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 Stefanos Tsitsipas at ATP Finals. Sky UK https://www.skysports.com/tennis/news/12110/11862011/rafael-nadal-digs-deep-to-beat-stefanos-tsitsipas-at-atp-finals accessed August 29, 2020)
   • 2001, Filton Hebbard, Memories of Kalgoorlie: Tales from the Australian Outback, page 334:

     Martin walked around the vehicle, viewing it from all angles and giggling as he did so. “She's a ripper, Bert, a real ripper!”

   • 2018, Gary Cox, Cricket Ball, page 242:

     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.

8. (computing) Software that extracts content from files or storage media.
9. (agriculture) A tool or plant used to reduce soil compaction.
10. (US, New Jersey, slang) A hot dog deep-fried in oil until the casing bursts.
11. A foghorn.

ripper (not comparable)

1. (British, Australia, slang) 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 Answerth slotted in nicely picking up 5 intercept marks.

• “ripper”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN.
• “ripper”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "ripper" in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003.

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

• ripier
• rippier

ripper (plural rippers)

1. (obsolete) One who brings fish from the seacoast to markets in inland towns.^[1][2]
   • c. 1622, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger [et al.?], “Beggars Bush”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act V, scene i:

     But what's the action we are for now? Robbing a ripper of his fish.

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ripper m (plural rippers)

1. (computing) ripper

ripper

1. (computing) to rip