different between flip vs switch

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fl?p/
• Rhymes: -?p

Etymology 1

Alteration of earlier fillip, from Middle English filippen (“to make a signal or sound with thumb and right forefinger, snap the fingers”), an attenuated variation of flappen (“to flap, clap, slap, strike”). Cognate with Dutch flappen (“to flap”), German flappen (“to flap”).

Noun

flip (plural flips)

1. A maneuver which rotates an object end over end.

   We'll decide this on a flip of a coin.

   The diver did a couple of flips before landing in the pool.

2. A complete change of direction, decision, movement etc.
3. (US, slang) A slingshot.
   • 1986, George Scarbrough, A summer ago (page 123)

     He loaded his flip and took careful aim at what he considered to be Emily's most vulnerable spot […]

4. A hairstyle popular among boys in the 1960s–70s and 2000s–10s, in which the hair goes halfway down the ears, at which point it sticks out

   Justin Bieber and Zac Efron are among the celebrities who wore a flip.

5. (informal) The purchase of an asset (usually a house) which is then improved and sold quickly for profit.
   • 2007, Rick Villani, Clay Davis, Gary Keller, Flip: How to Find, Fix, and Sell Houses for Profit (page viii)

     What they bring to the table is hard-won brass-tacks knowledge from over fifteen years of personal investing as well as riding shotgun on over 1,000 flips with their clients.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

flip (third-person singular simple present flips, present participle flipping, simple past and past participle flipped)

1. (transitive) To throw so as to turn over.

   Synonyms: turn, turn over
2. (transitive) To put into a quick revolving motion through a snap of the thumb and index finger.

   Synonym: toss

3. (transitive, US politics) To win a state (or county) won by another party in the preceding elections.

4. (intransitive, US) To turn state's evidence; to agree to testify against one's co-conspirators in exchange for concessions from prosecutors.

5. (transitive, US) To induce someone to turn state's evidence; to get someone to agree to testify against their co-conspirators in exchange for concessions.

6. (intransitive, slang) To go berserk or crazy.

7. (transitive, informal) To buy an asset (usually a house), improve it and sell it quickly for profit.
8. (transitive, computing) To invert a bit (binary digit), changing it from 0 to 1 or from 1 to 0.

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

Apparently a euphemism for fuck.

Interjection

flip

1. (Britain, euphemistic) Used to express annoyance, especially when the speaker has made an error.

Synonyms

• damn

Related terms

• flipping

Etymology 3

Clipping of flippant

Adjective

flip (comparative flipper, superlative flippest)

1. (Britain, informal) Having the quality of playfulness, or lacking seriousness of purpose.

   I hate to be flip, but perhaps we could steal a Christmas tree.

2. Sarcastic.
3. (informal) Disrespectful, flippant.

   Don't get flip with me or I'll knock you into next Tuesday!

Synonyms

• (disrespectful): see Thesaurus:cheeky

Etymology 4

Compare English dialect flip (“nimble, flippant, also, a slight blow”).

Noun

flip (uncountable)

1. A mixture of beer, spirit, etc., stirred and heated by a hot iron (a "flip dog").
   • 1751, Tobias Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle, I.9:

     [H]e had provided vast quantities of strong beer, flip, rumbo, and burnt brandy, with plenty of Barbadoes water for the ladies […] .

   • 1808–10, William Hickey, Memoirs of a Georgian Rake, Folio Society 1995, p. 21:

     I frequently took of large potations, though not of champagne certainly, but port, strong ales, and punch, and when our funds were low as sometimes happened, hot flip […] .

Dutch

Pronunciation

Verb

flip

1. first-person singular present indicative of flippen
2. imperative of flippen

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /flip/

Noun

flip m (plural flips)

1. a type of alcoholic punch from Normandy, composed of cider and calvados
2. (gymnastics) backflip

Further reading

• “flip” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

Perhaps from Middle Dutch swijch (“twig”). First known use in c. 1592.

Pronunciation

• enPR: sw?ch, IPA^(key): /sw?t?/
• Rhymes: -?t?

Noun

switch (plural switches)

1. A device to turn electric current on and off or direct its flow.
2. A change or exchange.
3. (rail transport, US) A movable section of railroad track which allows the train to be directed down one of two destination tracks; (set of) points.
4. A slender woody plant stem used as a whip; a thin, flexible rod, associated with corporal punishment in the United States.
   • 2007, Jeffrey W. Hamilton, Raising Godly Children in a Wicked World, Lulu.com, page 15:

     "A proper switch is a slim, flexible branch off a tree or a bush. A switch applied to the buttocks stings fiercely. It may leave red marks or bruises, but it causes no lasting damage.."

5. (music) Synonym of rute.
6. (computer science) A command line notation allowing specification of optional behavior.

   Use the /b switch to specify black-and-white printing.

7. (computing, programming) A programming construct that takes different actions depending on the value of an expression.
   • 2004, "Curt", Can I use IF statements, and still use switches? (on newsgroup microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields)
8. (computing, networking) A networking device connecting multiple wires, allowing them to communicate simultaneously, when possible. Compare to the less efficient hub device that solely duplicates network packets to each wire.
9. (telecommunications) A system of specialized relays, computer hardware, or other equipment which allows the interconnection of a calling party's telephone line with any called party's line.
10. (genetics) A mechanism within DNA that activates or deactivates a gene.
11. (BDSM) One who is willing to take either a submissive or a dominant role in a sexual relationship.
    • 2012, Terri-Jean Bedford, Bondage Bungalow Fantasies (page 99)

      Ideally, if one of your ladies happens to be a switch (or would be willing to switch for this scene), I would love to be able to inflict a little "revenge tickling" as well, as part of a scenario.

12. (historical) A separate mass or tress of hair, or of some substance (such as jute) made to resemble hair, formerly worn on the head by women.

Synonyms

• (section of railroad track): (UK) points
• (whip): crop
• (command-line notation): flag, option, specifier

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

switch (third-person singular simple present switches, present participle switching, simple past and past participle switched)

1. (transitive) To exchange.

2. (transitive) To change (something) to the specified state using a switch.

3. (transitive, in modern times Southern US) To whip or hit with a switch.
4. (intransitive) To change places, tasks, etc.

5. (slang, intransitive) To get angry suddenly; to quickly or unreasonably become enraged.
6. To swing or whisk.

   to switch a cane

7. To be swung or whisked.

   The angry cat's tail switched back and forth.

8. To trim.

   to switch a hedge

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

9. To turn from one railway track to another; to transfer by a switch; generally with off, from, etc.

   to switch off a train; to switch a car from one track to another

10. (ecclesiastical) To shift to another circuit.

Synonyms

• (to exchange): interchange, swap; See also Thesaurus:switch

Translations

Adjective

switch (not comparable)

1. (snowboarding) Pertaining to riding with the front and back feet swapped round compared to one's normal position.
2. (freestyle skiing) Pertaining to skiing backwards.

Coordinate terms

(snowboarding):

• goofy
• regular

Translations

See also

• switch off
• switch on

References

Further reading

• switch on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• switch (corporal punishment) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Finnish

Noun

switch

1. (BDSM) switch

Declension

French

Etymology

English switch

Adjective

switch

1. (skiing, snowboarding) switch.

Portuguese

Etymology

From English switch.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /?swit??/

Noun

switch m (plural switches or switch)

1. (networking) switch (device connecting multiple wires, allowing them to communicate simultaneously)
2. (computing) switch (command line notation allowing specification of optional behaviour)
3. (programming) switch (construct that takes different actions depending on the value of an expression)