Flap
Pronunciation
- IPA: /flæp/
- Rhymes: -æp
Origin
Middle English flappe ("slap")
Full definition of flap
Noun
flap
(plural flaps)- Anything broad and flexible that hangs loose, or that is attached by one side or end and is easily moved.
- Sir Thomas Brownea cartilaginous flap upon the opening of the larynx
- 1998, October, Robert H. Mohlenbrock, Twin Peaks, The hairs guide the pollinating insect to the base of the petal, where there is a purplish nectary covered by a flap of tissue.
- a flap of a garment; The envelope flap seemed curiously wrinkled.
- A hinged leaf, as of a table or shutter.
- An upset, stir, scandal or controversyThe comment caused quite a flap in the newspapers.
- The motion of anything broad and loose, or a stroke or sound made with it.
- 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, Mr. Pratt's Patients Chapter 4, Then he commenced to talk, really talk. and inside of two flaps of a herring's fin he had me mesmerized, like Eben Holt's boy at the town hall show. He talked about the ills of humanity, and the glories of health and Nature and service and land knows what all.
- the flap of a sail; the flap of a wing
- A disease in the lips of horses.
- (aviation) A hinged surface on the trailing edge of the wings of an aeroplane.
- (surgery) A piece of tissue incompletely detached from the body, as an intermediate stage of plastic surgery.
- (slang) The female genitals.
Synonyms
- (upset)
Verb
- (transitive) To move (something broad and loose) back and forth.The crow slowly flapped its wings.
- 2004, Robert Jordan, New Spring, He could be flapping his tongue about you right this minute to anybody who'll bloody listen.
- (intransitive) To move loosely back and forth.The flag flapped in the breeze.
- 2011, September 29, Tom Rostance, Stoke 2 - 1 Besiktas, Former Turkey goalkeeper Rustu Recber flapped at his first Delap throw but was given a soft free-kick by referee Antony Gautier.