A clipper can refer to several different things depending on the context:

• Cutting tool: Clippers are tools used for cutting small amounts from something, especially nails, hair, wire, or bushes. They can be mechanical or electric, such as hair clippers or hedge clippers

• Sailing ship: Historically, a clipper was a type of mid-19th-century merchant sailing vessel designed for speed. Clippers were narrow, fast ships with large sail areas, used primarily in trade routes like between the UK and China or during the California gold rush. They prioritized speed over cargo capacity and came in various rig types

• Electronics: In electronics, a clipper is a circuit designed to prevent a signal from exceeding a certain voltage level, effectively "clipping" parts of the waveform above or below a set threshold without distorting the rest of the signal

• Figurative use: The term can also refer to a person or thing that moves swiftly

In summary, a clipper is either a cutting tool, a fast sailing ship from the 19th century, or an electronic circuit that limits signal voltage