A dipper is a cup with a long handle used for scooping up liquids, especially water. Picture an old-fashioned metal cup attached to a wooden handle, the kind you might see hanging by a water bucket in a pioneer cabin or farmhouse. Before indoor plumbing, people kept a bucket of fresh water with a dipper nearby so anyone could get a drink. You'd dip the cup into the bucket and bring up some water, which is exactly how the tool got its name.

The word also refers to several types of small birds that live near streams and rivers. These remarkable birds wade into fast-moving water and actually walk along the bottom of streams, hunting for insects and small fish. They got their name because they constantly bob up and down, dipping their bodies in a distinctive motion.

When you look up at the night sky, you might spot the Big Dipper or Little Dipper, which are groups of stars that form shapes resembling water dippers with their cups and handles. The Big Dipper is one of the easiest star patterns to find, and for thousands of years, travelers have used it to locate the North Star and find their way.