nap

1 of 6

verb (1)

napped; napping

intransitive verb

1
: to sleep briefly especially during the day : doze
2
: to be off guard

nap

2 of 6

noun (1)

: a short sleep especially during the day : snooze

nap

3 of 6

noun (2)

: a hairy, fuzzy, or downy surface (as on a fabric)
napless adjective
napped adjective

nap

4 of 6

verb (2)

napped; napping

transitive verb

: to raise a nap on (fabric or leather)

nap

5 of 6

noun (3)

British
: a pick or recommendation as a good bet to win a contest (such as a horse race)
also : one named in a nap

nap

6 of 6

verb (3)

napped; napping

transitive verb

British
: to pick or single out in a nap

Examples of nap in a Sentence

Verb (1) decided to let the kids nap for a few more minutes before waking them I'm just going to nap the entire afternoon Noun (1) so tired that she needed to take a refreshing nap before soccer practice Noun (2) high-quality suede has a good, even nap
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Their uncle was baby-sitting them while their mother was working, and they were supposed to be napping. Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 3 Nov. 2024 Green was convicted for the 1993 murder of James Jordan, who was gunned down while napping on the side of a North Carolina highway. Ryan Morik, Fox News, 21 Oct. 2024
Noun
The creature will eventually amble up to a house with a cracked attic window, slipping inside for an early afternoon nap. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024 And, for overnight guests, on-site staycations, or just taking an afternoon nap after a day at the beach, the one-bedroom, one-bath beachfront bungalow’s lounge spills onto a private patio. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nap 

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English nappen, from Old English hnappian; akin to Old High German hnaffezen to doze

Noun (2)

Middle English noppe, from Middle Dutch, flock of wool, nap

Noun (3)

from to go nap (to make all the points in the card game Napoleon)

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1608, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1895, in the meaning defined above

Verb (3)

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nap was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near nap

Cite this Entry

“Nap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nap. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

nap

1 of 4 verb
napped; napping
1
: to sleep briefly especially during the day
2
: to be off guard
was caught napping

nap

2 of 4 noun
: a short sleep especially during the day

nap

3 of 4 noun
: a hairy or downy surface on a woven fabric or leather
nappy
ˈnap-ē
adjective

nap

4 of 4 verb
napped; napping
: to raise a nap on fabric or leather
Etymology

Verb

Old English hnappian "to doze"

Noun

Middle English noppe "soft surface on a fabric," from early Dutch noppe "tuft of wool, nap"

More from Merriam-Webster on nap

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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