Definition of "stopper" [stop•per]

• A device, such as a cork or plug, that is inserted to close an opening. (noun)
• One that causes something to stop: a conversation stopper. (noun)
• Baseball A relief pitcher, especially one called upon to protect a lead. (noun)
• Sports A player who excels on defense, as in basketball. (noun)
• Sports In soccer, a defensive player who plays behind the center midfielder and often guards the opponent's best forward. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "He removed the small stopper from the calabash, and, as the sweet water gurgled into it, he saw the phosphorescent glimmer of a big fish, like a sea ghost, drift sluggishly by."
• "Sasha and Sanchez: Magic act extraordinaire - Show stopper is when Sasha pulls 22 pairs of underwear from Sanchez's pants. or"
• "Put a drain stopper in the disposal so no water can flow out through the bottom"