Rap

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɹæp/
• Rhymes: -æp
• Homophones: wrap

From Middle English rap, rappe, of origin, related to Norwegian rapp ("a blow, strike, lash"), Swedish rapp ("a blow, lash, crack"), Danish rap ("a tap, smart, blow"). Compare Old English hreppan ("to touch, treat"). More at rape.

Full definition of rap

Noun

1. (countable) A sharp blow with something hard.The teacher gave the wayward pupil a rap across the knuckles with her ruler.
• 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, The House Behind the Cedars, Chapter II,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.
2. (uncountable) Blame (for something).You can't act irresponsibly and then expect me to take the rap.
3. (informal) A casual talk
4. (uncountable) Rap music.
5. A song, verse, or instance of singing in the style of rap music.

Synonyms

• (blame) fall

Derived terms

From Middle English rappen, of origin, related to Swedish rappa ("to strike, beat, rap"), German rappeln ("to rattle").

Verb

1. (intransitive) To strike something sharply with one's knuckles; knock.
• 1845, Edgar Allan Poe, "":Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, ¶ Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, ¶ While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, ¶ As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. ¶ "'Tis some visitor", I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door — ¶ Only this, and nothing more."
• 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, The House Behind the Cedars, Chapter II,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.
2. (transitive, dated) To strike with a quick blow; to knock on.
• PriorWith one great peal they rap the door.
3. (metalworking) To free (a pattern) in a mould by light blows on the pattern, so as to facilitate its removal.
4. (ambitransitive) To speak (lyrics) in the style of rap music.''He started to rap after listening to the Beastie BoysHe rapped a song to his girlfriend.
• 2012, April 19, Josh Halliday, Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised?, 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.
5. (informal, intransitive) To talk casually.

Synonyms

• (strike something sharply with one's knuckles) knock

Derived terms

• rap on
• rapper

Uncertain.

Noun

1. A lay or skein containing 120 yards of yarn.

Perhaps contracted from rapparee.

Noun

1. 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.
• Jonathan SwiftMany counterfeits passed about under the name of raps.
• Mrs. AlexanderTie it money up so tight that you can't touch a rap, save with her consent.
2. A whit; a jot.I don't care a rap.That's not worth a rap.

Anagrams

• APR, Apr., apr, ARP, arp, PAR, Par, par