rap
Translingual
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɹæp/
Audio (Southern England) (file) - Rhymes: -æp
- Homophone: wrap
Etymology 1
From Middle English rap, rappe, of North Germanic 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.
Noun
rap (countable and uncountable, plural raps)
- (countable) A sharp blow with something hard.
- 1847 March 30, Herman Melville, Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas; […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC:
- The teacher sat at one end of the bench, with a meek little fellow by his side. When the others were disorderly, this young martyr received a rap; intended, probably, as a sample of what the rest might expect, if they didn't amend.
- 1900, Charles W[addell] Chesnutt, chapter II, in The House Behind the Cedars, Boston, Mass., New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […], →OCLC:
- 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.
- 1950 March, Eric S. Tonks, “The Whitacre—Hampton-in-Arden Line, L.M.R.”, in Railway Magazine, page 187:
- The author (obviously a naturalist of no mean order) received an official rap over the knuckles for trespassing, and for encouraging others to do so. Evidently the instigator of this reprimand had not visited the railway in blackberry time!
- (slang) Blame for something.
- You can't act irresponsibly and then expect me to take the rap.
- (informal) A casual talk.
- 1979 April 14, “Calendar”, in Gay Community News, page 16:
- Clearspace is holding a bisexuality rap at the center, 485 Mass Ave. 7:30pm. Topic of discussion will be femininity and masculinity.
- (music, uncountable) Rap music.
- A song, verse, or instance of singing in the style of rap music.
- (Australia, informal) An appraisal.
- a good/great/bad rap
- (Australia, informal) A positive appraisal; a recommendation.
- He gave the novel quite a rap.
Synonyms
- (blame): fall
Derived terms
Etymology 2
From Middle English rappen, of North Germanic origin, related to Swedish rappa (“to strike, beat, rap”), German rappeln (“to rattle”).
Verb
rap (third-person singular simple present raps, present participle rapping, simple past and past participle rapped)
- (intransitive) To strike something sharply with one's knuckles; knock.
- 1845 February, — Quarles [pseudonym; Edgar Allan Poe], “The Raven”, in The American Review, volume I, number II, New York, N.Y., London: Wiley & Putnam, […], →OCLC:
- While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, / As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
- 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, chapter II, in The House Behind the Cedars:
- 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.
- (transitive, dated) To strike with a quick blow; to knock on.
- 1717, Matthew Prior, The Dove:
- With one great peal they rap the door.
- (metalworking) To free (a pattern) in a mould by light blows on the pattern, so as to facilitate its removal.
- To utter quickly and sharply.
- The sergeant rapped out a word of command to the troops.
- (transitive, intransitive) To speak (lyrics) in the style of rap music.
- He started to rap after listening to Tupac.
- He rapped a song to his girlfriend.
- 2012 April 19, Josh Halliday, “Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised?”, in the Guardian:
- 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.
- (informal, intransitive) To talk casually; to engage in conversation.
- 1956, Anthony Burgess, Time for a Tiger (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 129:
- Three languages rapped, fumbled or rumblingly oozed all the while.
- 1976 September, Saul Bellow, Humboldt’s Gift, New York, N.Y.: Avon Books, →ISBN, page 432:
- Louie said, "I dig this Theo. I'm gonna learn Swahili and rap with him."
- 1980 April 12, Mike Sassin, “Personal advertisement”, in Gay Community News, page 19:
- Got your address from NGTF, I could dig some mail and friends. I'll be released in July of '80, am 24, and like chess, body building, people and of course letters. Nice rapping to you.
Derived terms
- rap and rend
- rap at
- rap on
- rapper
Translations
Etymology 3
Uncertain.
Noun
rap (plural raps)
- A lea or skein of yarn that forms the standard length taken from the reel, 80 yards of worsted or 120 yards of silk or cotton.
- 1762, The Statutes at Large (Great Britain), page 386:
- […] and that every hank or skein that shall be used as a binder to tie up or bind together any pound or parcel of yarn shall contain the same number of threads in a rap or lea, and the same number of raps or leas as the other hanks or skeins in the said pound or parcel.
- 1881, Alfred Spitzli, A Manual for Managers, Designers, Weavers, and All Others, page 22:
- At each rap the reel was moved slightly to one side, so that the next rap was wound separately, and so on until seven raps had been made, then the seven raps were made up into one hank, […]
- 1885, Thomas Rotherforth Ashenhurst, A practical treatise on weaving and designing of textile fabrics:
- Thus, a rap may be reeled (of cotton or silk 120 yards, of worsted 80 yards), then as one rap is equal to one-seventh of a hank, 1000 grains will be equal to the one-seventh of a pound, so that whatever part of 1000 grains one rap weighs, or whatever number of raps are required to weigh1000 grains, that number of hanks will weigh one pound.
- 1888, British Association for the Advancement of Science, Manchester Meeting, 1887 on the Regulation of Wages by Means of Lists in the Cotton Industry., page 19:
- The yarn rap reel is 1½ yard in circumference; 80 rounds or 120 yards make one rap; 7 raps or 840 yards one bank. In 1 lb. of cotton yarn there are 7,000 grains. When one rap weighs 1,000 grains, or seven raps 7,000 grains, the yarn is one hank to the pound, and when ten raps weigh 350 grains it is 28.57 hanks to the pound.
- 1913, How to Build, Equip and Operate a Cotton Mill in the United States, page 408:
- Rule to find constant for beams: Multiply the number of yards in one rap by the number of ends in the beam, and by the number of raps on the beam and divide by 840.
Etymology 4
Perhaps contracted from rapparee.
Noun
rap (plural raps)
- (historical) 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.
- 1724, Jonathan Swift, “Drapier's Letters”, in 1:
- Many counterfeits passed about under the name of raps.
- 1886, Mrs. Alexander, Beaton's Bargain:
- Tie it [her money] up so tight that you can't touch a rap, save with her consent.
- A whit; a jot.
- I don't care a rap.
- That's not worth a rap.
Etymology 5
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Scand., as Ice. hrapa, to rush headlong, cog. with Ger. raffen, to snatch.”)
Verb
rap (third-person singular simple present raps, present participle rapping, simple past and past participle rapped or rapt)
- (transitive) To seize and carry off.
- (transitive) To transport out of oneself; to affect with rapture.
Etymology 6
From RAP (“record of arrest and prosecution”).
Noun
rap (plural raps)
- (US, law enforcement) Acronym of record of arrest and prosecution.
- Synonym: RAP
- (countable, slang) A charge, whether or not it results in a conviction.
- 2014, James Neal Harvey, Mental Case:
- We got one maybe ID, but when we checked, we found out the suspect's been in Rikers for a year on a drug rap.
Derived terms
Verb
rap (third-person singular simple present raps, present participle rapping, simple past and past participle rapped)
- to rappel
Derived terms
See also
- rap-full (etymologically unrelated)
Acehnese
References
- 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.
Basque
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /rap/, [rap]
Declension
indefinite | singular | plural | |
---|---|---|---|
absolutive | rap | rapa | rapak |
ergative | rapek | rapak | rapek |
dative | rapi | rapari | rapei |
genitive | rapen | raparen | rapen |
comitative | rapekin | raparekin | rapekin |
causative | rapengatik | raparengatik | rapengatik |
benefactive | rapentzat | raparentzat | rapentzat |
instrumental | rapez | rapaz | rapez |
inessive | rapetan | rapean | rapetan |
locative | rapetako | rapeko | rapetako |
allative | rapetara | rapera | rapetara |
terminative | rapetaraino | raperaino | rapetaraino |
directive | rapetarantz | raperantz | rapetarantz |
destinative | rapetarako | raperako | rapetarako |
ablative | rapetatik | rapetik | rapetatik |
partitive | rapik | — | — |
prolative | raptzat | — | — |
Further reading
- "rap" in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy], euskaltzaindia.eus
Catalan
Etymology
Uncertain.
Further reading
- “rap” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
Cebuano
Etymology
Borrowed from English rap, from Middle English rap, rappe, of North Germanic origin.
Danish
Etymology 2
Of North Germanic and ultimately imitative origin; compare with Swedish rappa (“drub, beat, hit”).
Noun
rap n (indefinite plural rap)
- a strike intended to motivate someone to do something (e.g. for punishment or to spur on an animal)
- 2008, Bitten Clausen - historier fra et liv, Gyldendal A/S, →ISBN, page 14:
- Hvis man ikke kunne sit stof, fik man et rap med stokken.
- If one did not know the material, one was given a strike with the cane.
- 1841, Frederik Barfod, Brage og idun: et nordisk fjærdingårsskrift, page 346:
- Skriftefaderen giver den Skriftende et Par Rap med sin Stok for hans Synders Skyld.
- The confessor gives the confessing one a couple of strikes with his cane for the sake of his sins.
- 2016, Orla Narvedsen, Kaptajnens Åse, Lindhardt og Ringhof, →ISBN:
- Kusken svarede med et Grynt, tog Pisken og gav Hestene et Par Rap af den.
- The coachdriver replied with a grunt, seized the whip and gave the horses a couple of strikes with it.
Adjective
rap (neuter rapt, plural and definite singular attributive rappe, comparative rappere, superlative (predicative) rappest, superlative (attributive) rappeste)
- quick, rapid
- 2010, Jette A. Kaarsbøl, Din næstes hus: roman, Gyldendal A/S, →ISBN, page 332:
- Et øjeblik stod jeg og ledte efter et rapt svar.
- For a moment, I stood searching for a quick reply.
- 2016, Kåre Johannessen, Kejserhøgen, Lindhardt og Ringhof, →ISBN:
- “Motorcykler, der kan man bare se. Det er ellers nogle rappe maskiner. Har du kørt selv?“
- “Motor bikes, will you look at that. Those are indeed some fast machines. Have you driven them yourself?“
- 2016, Kenneth Bøgh Andersen, Himmelherren, Rosinante & Co, →ISBN:
- Han var også tyveknægten, der ikke ejede andet end en skarpsleben lommekniv, nogle rappe fingre, en god portion vovemod og et frækt sindelag.
- He was also the thief-boy, who owned nothing but a sharply-ground pocket-knife, some quick fingers, a large portion of daring and a mischievous disposition.
Inflection
Inflection of rap | |||
---|---|---|---|
Positive | Comparative | Superlative | |
Indefinte common singular | rap | rappere | rappest2 |
Indefinite neuter singular | rapt | rappere | rappest2 |
Plural | rappe | rappere | rappest2 |
Definite attributive1 | rappe | rappere | rappeste |
1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used. 2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively. |
Etymology 4
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Dutch
Etymology 1
From Middle Dutch rap, probably derived from rapen (Dutch rapen) which originally also meant "to make haste"; compare reppen and also Old Norse hrapa.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /rɑp/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -ɑp
Adjective
rap (comparative rapper, superlative rapst)
Inflection
Inflection of rap | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
uninflected | rap | |||
inflected | rappe | |||
comparative | rapper | |||
positive | comparative | superlative | ||
predicative/adverbial | rap | rapper | het rapst het rapste | |
indefinite | m./f. sing. | rappe | rappere | rapste |
n. sing. | rap | rapper | rapste | |
plural | rappe | rappere | rapste | |
definite | rappe | rappere | rapste | |
partitive | raps | rappers | — |
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /rɛp/ (Netherlands), IPA(key): /rɑp/ (Belgium) or as in English
(Netherlands),Audio (file)
(Belgium)Audio (file) - Rhymes: -ɛp (Netherlands), Rhymes: -ɑp (Belgium)
Finnish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈrɑp/, [ˈrɑ̝p]
- IPA(key): /ˈræp/, [ˈræp]
- Rhymes: -ɑp
- Syllabification(key): rap
Usage notes
As the word "rap" does not sit well in Finnish grammatic structure, the term räppi is widely used. Also the compound form rap-musiikki is quite common.
Declension
Inflection of rap (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
nominative | rap | rapit | ||
genitive | rapin | rapien | ||
partitive | rapia | rapeja | ||
illative | rapiin | rapeihin | ||
singular | plural | |||
nominative | rap | rapit | ||
accusative | nom. | rap | rapit | |
gen. | rapin | |||
genitive | rapin | rapien | ||
partitive | rapia | rapeja | ||
inessive | rapissa | rapeissa | ||
elative | rapista | rapeista | ||
illative | rapiin | rapeihin | ||
adessive | rapilla | rapeilla | ||
ablative | rapilta | rapeilta | ||
allative | rapille | rapeille | ||
essive | rapina | rapeina | ||
translative | rapiksi | rapeiksi | ||
abessive | rapitta | rapeitta | ||
instructive | — | rapein | ||
comitative | See the possessive forms below. |
Possessive forms of rap (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Inflection of rap (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
nominative | rap | rapit | ||
genitive | rapin | rapien | ||
partitive | rapiä | rapejä | ||
illative | rapiin | rapeihin | ||
singular | plural | |||
nominative | rap | rapit | ||
accusative | nom. | rap | rapit | |
gen. | rapin | |||
genitive | rapin | rapien | ||
partitive | rapiä | rapejä | ||
inessive | rapissä | rapeissä | ||
elative | rapistä | rapeistä | ||
illative | rapiin | rapeihin | ||
adessive | rapillä | rapeillä | ||
ablative | rapiltä | rapeiltä | ||
allative | rapille | rapeille | ||
essive | rapinä | rapeinä | ||
translative | rapiksi | rapeiksi | ||
abessive | rapittä | rapeittä | ||
instructive | — | rapein | ||
comitative | See the possessive forms below. |
Possessive forms of rap (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Synonyms
Further reading
- “rap”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-03
French
Anagrams
Hungarian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈrɛp]
- Rhymes: -ɛp
Declension
Inflection (stem in -e-, front unrounded harmony) | ||
---|---|---|
singular | plural | |
nominative | rap | rapek |
accusative | rapet | rapeket |
dative | rapnek | rapeknek |
instrumental | rappel | rapekkel |
causal-final | rapért | rapekért |
translative | rappé | rapekké |
terminative | rapig | rapekig |
essive-formal | rapként | rapekként |
essive-modal | — | — |
inessive | rapben | rapekben |
superessive | rapen | rapeken |
adessive | rapnél | rapeknél |
illative | rapbe | rapekbe |
sublative | rapre | rapekre |
allative | raphez | rapekhez |
elative | rapből | rapekből |
delative | rapről | rapekről |
ablative | raptől | rapektől |
non-attributive possessive - singular |
rapé | rapeké |
non-attributive possessive - plural |
rapéi | rapekéi |
Possessive forms of rap | ||
---|---|---|
possessor | single possession | multiple possessions |
1st person sing. | rapem | rapjeim |
2nd person sing. | raped | rapjeid |
3rd person sing. | rapje | rapjei |
1st person plural | rapünk | rapjeink |
2nd person plural | rapetek | rapjeitek |
3rd person plural | rapjük | rapjeik |
Middle English
Norwegian Bokmål
Related terms
Old English
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *raip, from Proto-Germanic *raipaz, *raipą (“rope, cord, band, ringlet”), from Proto-Indo-European *roypnós (“strap, band, rope”). Compare Old Frisian rāp (West Frisian reap), Old Dutch reip, rēp (Dutch reep), Old High German reif (German Reif).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /rɑːp/
Declension
Old French
Noun
rap oblique singular, m (oblique plural ras, nominative singular ras, nominative plural rap) (Anglo-Norman)
Descendants
- English: rape
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Early Middle English rap, from Old English rāp.
Noun
rap oblique singular, m (oblique plural ras, nominative singular ras, nominative plural rap) (Anglo-Norman)
References
- rap on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub
Old Frisian

Alternative forms
- *rēp
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *raip. Cognates include Old English rāp and Old Saxon *rēp.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈraːp/
Descendants
References
- Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN
Polish
Pronunciation
Declension
Declension
Etymology 3
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Portuguese
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈʁɛ.pi/ [ˈhɛ.pi], /ˈʁɛp/ [ˈhɛp]
- (Rio de Janeiro) IPA(key): /ˈʁɛ.pi/ [ˈχɛ.pi], /ˈʁɛp/ [ˈχɛp]
- (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈʁɛp/ [ˈhɛp], /ˈʁɛ.pi/ [ˈhɛ.pi]
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /ˈʁɛp/
Romanian
Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈrap/ [ˈrap]
- Rhymes: -ap
- Syllabification: rap
Further reading
- “rap”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
Swedish
Etymology 1
Back-formation of rapa (“to belch”), from Old Swedish rapa. Cognate with Norwegian rape (“to belch”).
Declension
Declension of rap 1 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | rap | rapen | rapar | raparna |
Genitive | raps | rapens | rapars | raparnas |
See also
Declension
Declension of rap 2 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Uncountable | ||||
Indefinite | Definite | |||
Nominative | rap | rapen | — | — |
Genitive | raps | rapens | — | — |