English Reference
Noun

stopper

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈstɑpɝ/ UK /stˈɒpɐ/ stop·per UK spelling stopper's, stopper's, stoppering Botany Finance Nautical

n.a small object, like a cork or a plug, that you put into the top of a bottle or jar to close it. It keeps the liquid inside and prevents air from getting in.

n.an object, such as a plug or bung, designed to seal the opening of a container. Often made of glass, cork, or rubber to ensure an airtight or watertight fit.


SIMPLE

She put the glass stopper back in the perfume bottle.

CONTEXTUAL

After pouring the wine, he replaced the decorative stopper to keep the remaining liquid fresh.

COMPLEX

The chemist carefully inserted the ground-glass stopper into the flask to prevent the volatile reagents from evaporating during the overnight reaction.

Usage

Commonly refers to the removable closure of a bottle, distinct from a screw-on cap.

Espanyol stopper Marko Dmitrovic made a good save to stop Mbappe after he got in behind on the right of the area.

Al Jazeera· 22 Aug 2026

From stop + -er.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated