Pronunciations
-
/ɹæp/
Noun
A sharp blow with something hard.
Usage- Countable
- Examples
-
More examples (3)
The teacher sat at one end of the bench, with a meek little fellow by his side. When the others were disorderly, this young martyr received a rap; intended, probably, as a sample of what the rest might expect, if they didn't amend.
He walked softly up the sanded path, tiptoed up the steps and across the piazza, and rapped at the front door, not too loudly, lest this too might attract the attention of the man across the street. There was no response to his rap. He put his ear to the door and heard voices within, and the muffled sound of footsteps. After a moment he rapped again, a little louder than before.
The author (obviously a naturalist of no mean order) received an official rap over the knuckles for trespassing, and for encouraging others to do so. Evidently the instigator of this reprimand had not visited the railway in blackberry time!
The blame for something, a reprimand, censure, or a legal sentence to serve in prison
Usage- Countable
- Slang
- Uncountable
- with-definite-article
- Examples
-
You can't act irresponsibly and then expect me to take the rap.
A casual talk.
Usage- Countable
- Informal
- Uncountable
- Examples
-
Clearspace is holding a bisexuality rap at the center, 485 Mass Ave. 7:30pm. Topic of discussion will be femininity and masculinity.
Rap music.
Usage- Uncountable
- Examples
-
They like listening to rap.
A song, verse, or instance of singing in the style of rap music.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
An appraisal.
Usage- Australia
- Countable
- Informal
- Uncountable
- Examples
-
a good/great/bad rap
A positive appraisal; a recommendation.
Usage- Australia
- Countable
- Informal
- Uncountable
- Examples
-
He gave the novel quite a rap.
Verb
To strike something sharply with one's knuckles; knock.
Usage- Intransitive
- Examples
-
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, / As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
More examples (1)
He walked softly up the sanded path, tiptoed up the steps and across the piazza, and rapped at the front door, not too loudly, lest this too might attract the attention of the man across the street. There was no response to his rap. He put his ear to the door and heard voices within, and the muffled sound of footsteps. After a moment he rapped again, a little louder than before.
To strike with a quick blow; to knock on.
Usage- Dated
- Transitive
- Examples
-
With one great peal they rap the door.
More examples (1)
Maud took an active part in the drive, and with her cries and flourishings of the broken oar was of considerable assistance. I noticed, though, that whenever one looked tired and lagged, she let it slip past. But I noticed, also, whenever one, with a show of fight, tried to break past, that her eyes glinted and showed bright, and she rapped it smartly with her club.
To free (a pattern) in a mould by light blows on the pattern, so as to facilitate its removal.
To utter quickly and sharply.
- Examples
-
The sergeant rapped out a word of command to the troops.
"My dear sir!" rapped out the distressed curate, "don't you think that I haven't worried about that? […]"
To speak (lyrics) in the style of rap music.
Usage- Transitive or intransitive
- Examples
-
He started to rap after listening to Tupac.
He rapped a song to his girlfriend.
More examples (1)
But the purported rise in violent videos online has led some MPs to campaign for courts to have more power to remove or block material on YouTube. The Labour MP Heidi Alexander said she was appalled after a constituent was robbed at knifepoint, and the attackers could be found brandishing weapons and rapping about gang violence online.
To talk casually; to engage in conversation.
Usage- Informal
- Intransitive
- Examples
-
Three languages rapped, fumbled or rumblingly oozed all the while.
Louie said, "I dig this Theo. I'm gonna learn Swahili and rap with him."
More examples (1)
Got your address from NGTF, I could dig some mail and friends. I'll be released in July of '80, am 24, and like chess, body building, people and of course letters. Nice rapping to you.
Noun
A lea or skein of yarn that forms the standard length taken from the reel, 80 yards of worsted or 120 yards of silk or cotton.
- Examples
-
More examples (5)
[…] and that every hank or skein that shall be used as a binder to tie up or bind together any pound or parcel of yarn shall contain the same number of threads in a rap or lea, and the same number of raps or leas as the other hanks or skeins in the said pound or parcel.
At each rap the reel was moved slightly to one side, so that the next rap was wound separately, and so on until seven raps had been made, then the seven raps were made up into one hank, […]
Thus, a rap may be reeled (of cotton or silk 120 yards, of worsted 80 yards), then as one rap is equal to one-seventh of a hank, 1000 grains will be equal to the one-seventh of a pound, so that whatever part of 1000 grains one rap weighs, or whatever number of raps are required to weigh1000 grains, that number of hanks will weigh one pound.
The yarn rap reel is 1½ yard in circumference; 80 rounds or 120 yards make one rap; 7 raps or 840 yards one bank. In 1 lb. of cotton yarn there are 7,000 grains. When one rap weighs 1,000 grains, or seven raps 7,000 grains, the yarn is one hank to the pound, and when ten raps weigh 350 grains it is 28.57 hanks to the pound.
Rule to find constant for beams: Multiply the number of yards in one rap by the number of ends in the beam, and by the number of raps on the beam and divide by 840.
Noun
Any of the tokens that passed current for a halfpenny in Ireland in the early part of the eighteenth century; any coin of trifling value.
Usage- Historical
- Examples
-
Many counterfeits passed about under the name of raps.
Tie it [her money] up so tight that you can't touch a rap, save with her consent.
A whit; a jot.
- Examples
-
I don't care a rap.
That's not worth a rap.
Verb
To seize and carry off.
Usage- Transitive
To transport out of oneself; to affect with rapture.
Usage- Transitive
Noun
A charge, whether or not it results in a conviction.
Usage- Countable
- Slang
- Examples
-
We got one maybe ID, but when we checked, we found out the suspect's been in Rikers for a year on a drug rap.
Verb
to rappel
- Related words
Noun
a reproach for some lapse or misdeed
- Synonyms
- Broader terms
- Examples
-
he took the blame for it
it was a bum rap
a gentle blow
the sound made by a gentle blow
- Broader terms
voluble conversation
- Broader terms
genre of African-American music of the 1980s and 1990s in which rhyming lyrics are chanted to a musical accompaniment; several forms of rap have emerged
the act of hitting vigorously
- Broader terms
- Examples
-
he gave the table a whack
Verb
strike sharply
- Synonyms
- Broader terms
- Examples
-
rap him on the knuckles
make light, repeated taps on a surface
- Examples
-
he was tapping his fingers on the table impatiently
perform rap music
- Broader terms
talk volubly