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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

flap en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /flap/ (British, Northern-England, Scotland, Southern, Standard, Wales)
  • /flɛp/ (New-Zealand)
  • /flæp/ (Australia, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
  • (US) audio

Etymology

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.

Meanings

  1. Anything broad and flexible that hangs loose, or that is attached by one side or end and is easily moved.
    • Again, Beside these parts destin'd to divers offices, there is a peculiar provision for the wind-pipe, that is, a cartilagineous flap upon the opening of the Larynx or Throttle, which hath an open cavity for the admiffion of the air 1686, Sir Thomas Browne, chapter VIII, in The Works of the Learned Sr. Thomas Brown: Containing, Enquiries Into Vulgar and Common Errors, etc, book IV:
    • The envelope flap seemed curiously wrinkled.
    • a flap of a garment
    • The hairs guide the pollinating insect to the base of the petal, where there is a purplish nectary covered by a flap of tissue. 1998 October, Robert H. Mohlenbrock, “Twin Peaks”, in Natural History, volume 107, number 8, page 73:
  2. A hinged leaf.
    • the flaps of a table
    • the flap of a shutter
  3. A hinged surface on the trailing edge of the wings of an aeroplane, used to increase lift and drag.
  4. A side fin of a ray.
  5. The motion of anything broad and loose, or a sound or stroke made with it.
    • the flap of a sail
    • the flap of a wing
    • 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. 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter IV, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
  6. A controversy, scandal, stir, or upset.
    • “[…] We saw him vanish right in front of the rest of us. He was there and then he wasn’t. We were to wait for a year for his return or for some message. We waited. Nothing.” / Calvin, his voice cracking: “Jeepers, sir. You must have been in sort of a flap.” 1962, Madeleine L’Engle, “Absolute Zero”, in A Wrinkle in Time, New York, N.Y.: Ariel Books, →OCLC; republished New York, N.Y.: Ariel Books, 1973 printing, →ISBN, page 167:
    • The current Middlesex grand jury […] is once again on the case, partly as the result of the public flap created by Brill's death and, of course, by the series of articles written by Corsetti in the month after Brill's demise. 1980 April 19, Mitzel, “Barbre Murder Grand Jury: Puccini Outtake”, in Gay Community News, page 1:
    • The comment caused quite a flap in the newspapers.
  7. A consonant sound made by a single muscle contraction, such as the sound /ɾ/ in the standard American English pronunciation of body.
  8. A piece of tissue incompletely detached from the body, as an intermediate stage of plastic surgery.
  9. (in-plural, slang, vulgar) The labia, the vulva.
  10. (obsolete) A blow or slap (especially to the face).
    • 1450, Palladius on Husbondrieː Ware the horn and heels lest they fling a flap to thee.
    • a1500 The Prose Merlinː The squire lift up his hand and gave him such a flap that all they in the chapel might it hear.
  11. (obsolete) A young prostitute.
    • Fall to your flap, my Masters, kisse and clip. […] Come hither, you foule flappes. 1631, James Mabbe, Celestina, IX. 110:
  12. A connected component of the induced subgraph formed by deleting a set of vertices.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
flaps Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

mud flap · majestic sea flap flap · flappity · cap-flap · butter flap · roof flap · French flap · flap-eared · nan flap · fireman's flap · meat flaps · tail flap · flyflap · majestic flap-flap · flap steak · pet flap · plap · swirl flap · flap display · doorflap · majestic flap flap · flappy · earflap · lip flap · alloflap · dog flap · flap gate · flip-flap · flapling · flappish · flap doodle · split-flap display · cowl flap · flaptrack · flaplike · beef flaps · flaps and seals · flap copy · fanny flaps · piss-flap · cat flap · Krueger flap · eyeflap · miniflap · piss flap · flap-doodle · mutton flaps · in a flap · flapless · mudflap · flaperon (aeroplane) · beflapped · flapjack · Zap flap · Gundersen flap · flap seat · majestic sea flap-flap · cellar flap · flap-jawed · Gurney flap · bookflap

Hyponyms

Fairey-Youngman flap · plain flap · Fowler flap · split flap · Gouge flap · slotted flap · blown flap · Junkers flap

Relateds

lappet · fold

Synonyms

bunfight · hobbleshaw · stir · hurly-burly · disturbance · outcry · uproar · clamour · quarrel · clatter · bust-up · commotion · stooshie · flap · rumpus · to-do · flutter · furor · disruption · upstir · three-ring circus · mayhem · ado · shindy · merry hell · foofaraw · palaver · fuss · hullabaloo · brouhaha · pandemonium · bangarang · tap · bobbery · tumult · trouble · hoo-ha · rowdydow · shemozzle · fracas · ruckus · turmoil · hoo-hah · bustle · tomfoolery · wing · chaos · unrest · kerfuffle · ferment · argy-bargy · riot · hubbub · pother · splatterdash

Translations (80)

fr rabat (furniture flap / hinged leaf) · af pant (flap of a garment) · de Bremsklappe (concerning an aeroplane) · fi napausäänne (phonetics) · de Landeklappe (concerning an aeroplane) · gl aba (flap of a garment) · ja 弾き音 (phonetics) · vi vạt áo (flap of a garment) · kk жалғасқанатша (concerning an aeroplane) · de Flügelschlag (flap of wings etc) · bg крило (furniture flap / hinged leaf) · it ipersostentatore (concerning an aeroplane) · de Hautfetzen (surgical tissue) · pl spółgłoska uderzeniowa (phonetics) · vi vạt (flap of a garment) · eo basko (flap of a garment) · mi heihei (upset / stir) · pt aba (furniture flap / hinged leaf) · es solapo (flap of a garment) · de Lappen (surgical tissue) · el κρημνός (surgical tissue) · de Krempe (flap of a garment) · ba ҡағыу (flap of wings etc) · ru лоску́т (surgical tissue) · es solapa (flap of a garment) · bg капак на джоб (flap of a garment) · fi laippa (concerning an aeroplane) · gu ફફડવું (flap of wings etc) · fi rintaevä (a side fin of a ray - also termed a flap) · eo klapo (furniture flap / hinged leaf) · de Patte (flap of a garment) · pt flape (concerning an aeroplane) · bg плющене (flap of wings etc) · es flap (concerning an aeroplane) · ba итәк (flap of a garment) · gl aba (furniture flap / hinged leaf) · mk закрилка (concerning an aeroplane) · fi häly (upset / stir) · it ribalta (furniture flap / hinged leaf) · fi siipi (a side fin of a ray - also termed a flap) · mi tīrepa (flap of a garment) · bg задкрилка (concerning an aeroplane) · fi läppä (flap of a garment) · de Aufregung (upset / stir) · cmn 閃音 /闪音 (phonetics) · ru закры́лок (concerning an aeroplane) · fi siivenisku (flap of wings etc) · es vibrante simple (phonetics) · bg елерон (concerning an aeroplane) · ru подо́л (flap of a garment) · ru пола́ (flap of a garment) · de Klappe (furniture flap / hinged leaf) · de Schlag (flap of wings etc) · fi laskusiiveke (concerning an aeroplane) · gl ciringallo (flap of a garment) · ko 탄음 (phonetics) · bg отзвук (upset / stir) · fi läppä (furniture flap / hinged leaf) · pt vibrante simples (phonetics) · fi läppä (surgical tissue) · ang ġeswing (flap of wings etc) · fr pan (flap of a garment) · ru хло́панье (flap of wings etc) · es percusiva (phonetics) · mi hopehope (a side fin of a ray - also termed a flap) · fr battement (flap of wings etc) · pt aba (flap of a garment) · ks ٹٲسؠ (phonetics) · ru возбужде́ние (upset / stir) · fr volet de bord de fuite (concerning an aeroplane) · fi yksitäryinen tremulantti (phonetics) · ru откидна́я доска́ (furniture flap / hinged leaf) · la lacinia (flap of a garment) · de Hutkrempe (flap of a garment) · bg плясък (flap of wings etc) · es colgajo (surgical tissue) · es solape (flap of a garment) · mk ма́втање (flap of wings etc) · de Hautlappen (surgical tissue) · el μονοπαλλόμενο (phonetics)

flap en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • /flap/ (British, Northern-England, Scotland, Southern, Standard, Wales)
  • /flɛp/ (New-Zealand)
  • /flæp/ (Australia, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
  • (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English flappen (“to flap, clap, slap, strike”), related to Dutch flappen (“to flap”), German Low German flappen (“to flap”), German flappen (“to flap”), Dutch flabberen (“to flit, flap”). Probably ultimately imitative.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To move (something broad and loose) up and down.
    • He could be flapping his tongue about you right this minute to anybody who'll bloody listen. 2004, Robert Jordan, New Spring, page 316:
    • The crow slowly flapped its wings.
    • Startled, the wood pigeon flew off, its wings flapping noisily.
  2. (intransitive) To move loosely back and forth.
    • The flag flapped in the breeze.
  3. (intransitive) For a goalkeeper to weakly attempt to play a flighted ball with the hands, failing to control it.
    • Former Turkey goalkeeper Rustu Recber flapped at his first Delap throw but was given a soft free-kick by referee Antony Gautier. 2011 September 29, Tom Rostance, “Stoke 2 - 1 Besiktas”, in BBC Sport:
  4. (transitive) To pronounce (something) as a flap consonant.
  5. (intransitive) To be pronounced with a flap consonant.
  6. (intransitive, of a resource or network destination) To be advertised as being available and then unavailable (or available by different routes) in rapid succession.
  7. (qualifier:African-American Vernacular) To talk, especially in a manner seen as excessive, nagging or annoying.
    • She stay flappin' at me.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
flaps Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
flapped Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
flapped Tense=Past lexicographic
flapping Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Deriveds

flapper · flap one's lips · flappingly · flap off · flap one's jaw · aflap · flapping hinge · flap one's jaws · flap one's gums · unflappable

Translations (50)

pl machać (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · fr battre (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · mi kapekapetau (to move loosely back and forth) · fi läpyttää (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · bg плющя (to move loosely back and forth) · ru помаха́ть (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · fi räpytellä (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · mi tīreparepa (to move loosely back and forth) · fi räpyttää (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · pl łopotać (to move loosely back and forth) · es batir (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · ru маха́ть (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · fi liehua (to move loosely back and forth) · mi tīrepa (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · mi kopekope (to move loosely back and forth) · tr dalgalanmak (to move loosely back and forth) · fi lepattaa (to move loosely back and forth) · it sventolare (to move loosely back and forth) · el τινάζω (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · sv fladdra (to move loosely back and forth) · uk помаха́ти (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · sv flaxa (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · sv flaxa (to move loosely back and forth) · pl machnąć (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · mi aroarowhaki (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · it battere (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · de flattern (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · es tremolar (to move loosely back and forth) · mi pīwari (to move loosely back and forth) · mi hāngengangenga (to move loosely back and forth) · pl trzepotać (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · mk ма́вта (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · ru развева́ться (to move loosely back and forth) · de klappern (to move loosely back and forth) · pt bater (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · eo flirti (to move loosely back and forth) · bg размахвам (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · ang swingan (to move loosely back and forth) · mi tīreparepa (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · ang swingan (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · tr çırpmak (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · it sbattere (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · ar رَفْرَف (to move loosely back and forth) · pl zatrzepotać (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · uk маха́ти (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · es flamear (to move loosely back and forth) · it sventolare (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · bg пляскам (to move (something broad and loose) up and down) · pt tremular (to move loosely back and forth) · ar رَفْرَف (to move (something broad and loose) up and down)