A flat limb or appendage used for swimming by animals like seals, whales, and penguins; also a device or pinball game hand used to hit a ball.
From 'flip' (to turn or move quickly), with the agent suffix '-er.' The word became common in the early 1900s for both animal limbs and machine parts that move with a flipping action.
Marine animals' flippers aren't just modified legs—they contain the same bone structure as human arms and hands, which is evidence that all mammals share a common ancestor from millions of years ago!
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