wiper

1 of 2

noun (1)

wip·​er ˈwī-pər How to pronounce wiper (audio)
1
: a person who wipes
2
a
: something (such as a towel or sponge) used for wiping
b
: a moving contact for making connections with the terminals of an electrical device (such as a rheostat)
c
: a usually motor-driven arm with a flexible blade for wiping a window (such as the windshield of an automobile or airplane)

wiper

2 of 2

noun (2)

plural wipers
: a hybrid striped bass that is a cross between a female striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and a male white bass (Morone chrysops) and is silvery-white with dark usually discontinuous or irregular horizontal stripes along the sides

Note: The wiper has an aggressive nature and is bred chiefly as a sport fish for stocking lakes, streams, and reservoirs.

White bass and striped bass have solid stripes on their bodies. The hybrid fish, also called wipers or whiterock bass, have broken horizontal stripes, grow larger than white bass and are more tolerant of warm water than stripers.D'Arcy Egan
While wipers are far from unpalatable, their flesh is of a coarser texture and tastes a little more "fishy" than crappie or walleye fillets.Steve Davis

called also palmetto bass, whiterock bass

compare sunshine bass

Examples of wiper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Inspect: Check your vehicle’s tires, wiper blades, fluids, lights, belts and hoses. Jade Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Dec. 2024 Clear the glass and wipers: In harsh climates, take care that the wiper blades are not frozen or adhere to the windshield. Mark Maynard, The Mercury News, 13 Dec. 2024 As road salt built up on the windshield, squirting the cleaner then using the wipers was effective but the extra drops of liquid the wipers consistently splattered all over the passenger side when performing its task, this was inexcusable and annoying. Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024 Other recalls have involved faulty wipers, loose trim, and jammed accelerator pedals. Umar Shakir, The Verge, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wiper 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

w- (from white bass) + (str)iper

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1978, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wiper was in 1552

Dictionary Entries Near wiper

Cite this Entry

“Wiper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wiper. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.

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