Dictionary

Jap en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /d͡ʒæp/
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Hokkien 日本 (Ji̍t-pún)bor. Malay Jepangbor. Portuguese Japãobor. ▲ Malay Jepangbor. Dutch Japanbor. English Japan Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-iskbor. Late Latin -iscus ▲ Vulgar Latin -iscus Latin -ēnsis Old French -eisbor. Middle English -eys English -ese English Japaneseclip. English Jap Clipping of Japanese, attested as a noun since 1872, and adjectivally since 1878. Compare Nip (shortened from Nipponese).

Meanings

1. (derogatory, ethnic, not-comparable, slur) Japanese; of or pertaining to Japan or its people.
   • A soldier might grab his rifle and batter his way to the heart of some Jap position. Back home they gave him all sorts of medals but his companions dismissed him as the poor bastard who finally went Asiatic. 1951, James Albert Michener, The Voice of Asia, page 6:

Jap en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /d͡ʒæp/
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Hokkien 日本 (Ji̍t-pún)bor. Malay Jepangbor. Portuguese Japãobor. ▲ Malay Jepangbor. Dutch Japanbor. English Japan Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-iskbor. Late Latin -iscus ▲ Vulgar Latin -iscus Latin -ēnsis Old French -eisbor. Middle English -eys English -ese English Japaneseclip. English Jap Clipping of Japanese, attested as a noun since 1872, and adjectivally since 1878. Compare Nip (shortened from Nipponese).

Meanings

1. (US, derogatory, ethnic, slur) A Japanese person.
   • Among our Japs on board are two returning from Italy, where they have been with silk-worms' eggs, on cards, to sell. This has become a great speculation, and the Japs are going into it with zeal. The Japs almost always—always when they can—take cabin passages ; the Chinese seldom, or never. 1872, James Brooks, A Seven Months' Run, Up, Down, Around the World:
2. (derogatory, historical) An Imperial Japanese Army soldier.
   • ‘The telegram says “missing”.’ ’Nothing about “presumed drowned”?’ Sorrel asked. ’Nothing.’ ’Then he could easily be a prisoner in the hands of the Japs,’ she persisted. 1944, Noel Streatfeild, Theatre Shoes:
   • The Japs had been confident that this first and sudden land grab could be accomplished without their becoming involved in a major war, and they were right. 1944, Frank Capra, 14 minutes from the start, in Why We Fight: The Battle of China:

Forms

Deriveds

Japland · Jap silk · japtard

Descendants

ジャップ · 잽스

Relateds

Japan

Synonyms

Nip · Japanese

Translations (31)

cmn 鬼子 (offensive term for a Japanese person) · hu japcsi (offensive term for a Japanese person) · yue 蘿蔔頭 /萝卜头 (offensive term for a Japanese person) · cmn 小八嘎 (offensive term for a Japanese person) · et japs (offensive term for a Japanese person) · pt japa (offensive term for a Japanese person) · ko 왜놈 (offensive term for a Japanese person) · ru джап (offensive term for a Japanese person) · cmn 本子 (offensive term for a Japanese person) · ko 짜개발 (offensive term for a Japanese person) · pl japoniec (offensive term for a Japanese person) · es japo (offensive term for a Japanese person) · cmn 小日子 (offensive term for a Japanese person) · ko 왜족 (offensive term for a Japanese person) · es japa (offensive term for a Japanese person) · ko 쪽발이 (offensive term for a Japanese person) · th ยุ่น (offensive term for a Japanese person) · ru яп (offensive term for a Japanese person) · ko 잽스 (offensive term for a Japanese person) · cmn 日本鬼子 (offensive term for a Japanese person) · cmn 小日本兒 /小日本儿 (offensive term for a Japanese person) · ja チョッパリ (offensive term for a Japanese person) · fi japsi (offensive term for a Japanese person) · ja ジャップ (offensive term for a Japanese person) · de Japse (offensive term for a Japanese person) · nl Jap (offensive term for a Japanese person) · ru япо́шка (offensive term for a Japanese person) · yue 㗎仔 (offensive term for a Japanese person) · fr Jap (offensive term for a Japanese person) · cmn 小日本 (offensive term for a Japanese person) · cmn 倭寇 (offensive term for a Japanese person)

Jap en · PROPN

Pronunciation

• /d͡ʒæp/
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Hokkien 日本 (Ji̍t-pún)bor. Malay Jepangbor. Portuguese Japãobor. ▲ Malay Jepangbor. Dutch Japanbor. English Japan Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-iskbor. Late Latin -iscus ▲ Vulgar Latin -iscus Latin -ēnsis Old French -eisbor. Middle English -eys English -ese English Japaneseclip. English Jap Clipping of Japanese, attested as a noun since 1872, and adjectivally since 1878. Compare Nip (shortened from Nipponese).

Meanings

1. (dated, ethnic, offensive, slang, slur) The Japanese language.
   • He petered out under Pitty's savage look: Do you speak Jap? Do you understand the world from inside those bastards' slanty-eyed little head-lopping poem-writing minds? 2007, Les A. Murray, Fredy Neptune, page 239:
   • He said it in Japanese, which surprised the boy and stunned Cullen. “You speak Jap?” asked Cullen. “Looks like it, doesn't it?” 2012, Robert Conroy, Rising Sun:
2. (Australia, Hong-Kong, Singapore, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal) Clipping of Japanese.
   alt of Japanese

Jap en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /d͡ʒæp/
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Hokkien 日本 (Ji̍t-pún)bor. Malay Jepangbor. Portuguese Japãobor. ▲ Malay Jepangbor. Dutch Japanbor. English Japan Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-iskbor. Late Latin -iscus ▲ Vulgar Latin -iscus Latin -ēnsis Old French -eisbor. Middle English -eys English -ese English Japaneseclip. English Jap Clipping of Japanese, attested as a noun since 1872, and adjectivally since 1878. Compare Nip (shortened from Nipponese).

Meanings

1. (alt-of) Alternative letter-case form of jap.
   alt of jap

Forms