Plural of wiper; devices that clean surfaces by wiping, most commonly windshield wipers on vehicles. Can also refer to cleaning cloths or similar implements.
From the verb 'wipe' plus the agent suffix '-er,' meaning one who or that which wipes. The automotive sense developed with the invention of windshield wipers in the early 20th century.
Windshield wipers were invented by a woman named Mary Anderson in 1903 after she noticed streetcar operators had to stop and manually clear snow from their windows. Her invention was initially dismissed as unnecessary but became standard equipment within decades.
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