stripper

The term carries vastly different connotations depending on the domain. In a professional entertainment context, it refers to a performer, often carrying a provocative or adult-oriented connotation. In technical or home-improvement contexts, it is a neutral, utilitarian term for a tool or chemical agent.

When referring to the chemical substance, the word is often used as an uncountable mass noun (e.g., "some paint stripper"), whereas the tool and the performer are always countable. Users should be mindful of the potential for ambiguity in mixed-context conversations, though the surrounding vocabulary usually clarifies the meaning.