clipping

• Coupure ou morceau découpé dans quelque chose ; action de tondre ou de couper ; mot formé par troncation ; distorsion d'un signal audio lorsque son amplitude dépasse la limite maximale.

A small piece removed from a larger whole; the act of cutting or trimming; a word formed by shortening a longer term; or distortion in audio signals.

1. A piece cut from a newspaper or similar document.B1formal

   A small excerpt or segment removed from a printed publication, such as an article or advertisement, often kept for future reference or as a keepsake.

   coupure de presse

   • She pasted a newspaper clipping about the event into her scrapbook.
   • The file contained several old magazine clippings.
   • I found a clipping of the poem tucked inside his wallet.
   • He sent a clipping of the review to his publisher.
   • A yellowed clipping from the 1980s was pinned to the bulletin board.

   Synonymescutoutcuttingexcerptpress clippingsnippet

2. The action of cutting off small pieces.B2formal

   The process of removing small amounts from the edge or surface of an object in order to shape it, make it neat, or keep it within bounds, such as when trimming hedges, hair, or nails.

   coupe, rognage

   • The gardener was busy with the clipping of the tall hedges.
   • Regular clipping of the dog's fur keeps it free of mats.
   • The clipping of his nails was part of his grooming routine.
   • The barber performed a quick clipping to even out the sides.
   • She spent the morning clipping coupons from the newspaper.

   Synonymescuttingparingpruningshearingsnippingtrimming

3. A shortened word derived by omitting syllables.C1formal

   A word created by truncating a longer term while preserving the same meaning, such as 'phone' from 'telephone' or 'gym' from 'gymnasium'; commonly found in informal speech and eventually accepted into standard usage.

   apocope

   • The term 'ad' is a common example of a word-forming process.
   • Many linguists study how new shortened forms enter the language.
   • 'Flu' is an accepted short form that originated in everyday speech.
   • The lecture covered several types of word-reduction, including back-formation.
   • Such truncated words often feel more casual than their full equivalents.

   Synonymesshorteningtruncation

4. Unwanted distortion when a signal exceeds its limit.C1formaltechnical

   A form of waveform distortion that occurs when an amplifier or other audio device is overdriven and abruptly cuts off the peaks of the signal, producing a harsh or crunchy sound; also used deliberately as an effect in music production.

   Écrêtage

   • The guitar pedal adds a warm, deliberate form of this distortion to the tone.
   • Audio engineers reduce input gain to prevent harsh distortion during recording.
   • If the red light turns on, it indicates that the signal peaks are being cut off.
   • The indicator warns when the loudspeaker is overloading and damaging the waveform.
   • Heavy styles of music often rely on this kind of signal processing.

• Verbe signifiant couper ou tailler quelque chose avec un outil tranchant, ou attacher des objets à l'aide d'une pince ou d'un clip.

A verb meaning to cut or trim something with a sharp tool, or to fasten things together with a clip.

1. Cut or trimB1formal

   To cut something with scissors or shears, often to make it shorter or neater.

   couper, tailler

   • She clipped the hedges in the garden.
   • He clipped the article from the newspaper.
   • The barber clipped his hair very short.

   Synonymesbobcropcutdockpruneshearsniptrim

   Antonymeselongateextendlengthen

2. B1formal

   To attach or fasten something with a clip or similar device.

   fixer avec une pince

   • She clipped the papers together.
   • He clipped the microphone to his shirt.
   • The badge was clipped onto her jacket.

   Synonymesaffixattachclaspfastenfixhookpinsecure

   Antonymesdetachremoveseparateunclipunfasten

3. Hit or strike brieflyB2informal

   To hit something quickly and lightly, often accidentally.

   frapper brièvement

   • The car clipped the curb while turning.
   • He clipped his elbow on the door frame.
   • The ball clipped the edge of the table.

   Synonymesbrushgrazehitknockrapskimstriketap

4. Reduce or shortenB2informal

   To reduce the length or duration of something.

   Raccourcir, réduire

   • They clipped two minutes off the record.
   • The editor clipped the film to fit the time slot.
   • We need to clip the presentation to ten minutes.

   Synonymesabbreviatecropcurtailcutdockloppareprunereduceshortentrim

   Antonymesextendlengthenprolong