Link Centre Dictionary

flap

UK/flap/ US/flæp/ fairly common slang
verb (6) noun (5)

verb

1.

move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion

  • “The curtains undulated”
  • “the waves rolled towards the beach”
Synonyms
2.

move noisily

  • “flags flapped in the strong wind”
3.

move with a thrashing motion

  • “The bird flapped its wings”
  • “The eagle beat its wings and soared high into the sky”
Synonyms
4.

move with a flapping motion

  • “The bird”
Synonyms
5.

make a fuss; be agitated

Synonyms
6.

pronounce with a flap, of alveolar sounds

noun

1.

any broad thin and limber covering attached at one edge; hangs loose or projects freely

  • “he wrote on the flap of the envelope”
2.

an excited state of agitation

  • “he was in a dither”
  • “there was a terrible flap about the theft”
Synonyms
3.

the motion made by flapping up and down

Synonyms
4.
5.

equipment in a motor vehicle that provides electricity to start the engine and ignite the fuel and operate the lights and windshield wiper and heater and air conditioner and radio

Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English flap, flappe (“a slap; blow; buffet; fly-flap; something flexible or loose; flap”), related to Saterland Frisian Flappert (“wing, flipper”), Middle Dutch flabbe (“a blow; slap on the face; fly-flap; flap”) (modern Dutch flap (“flap”)), Middle Low German flabbe, vlabbe, flebbe, from the verb (see below). Related also to English flab and flabby.

Phrases

  • beef flaps
  • butter flap
  • cat flap
  • cellar flap
  • cowl flap
  • dog flap
  • fanny flaps
  • fireman's flap
  • flap off
  • flap one's gums
  • flap one's lips
  • flapping hinge

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

Related verbs

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.