strap

American  

[strap] / stræp /

noun

1. a narrow strip of flexible material, especially leather, as for fastening or holding things together.

2. a looped band by which an item may be held, pulled, lifted, etc., as a bootstrap or a ring that standing passengers may hold on to in a bus, subway, or the like.

3. a strop for a razor.

4. a long, narrow object or piece of something; strip; band.

5. an ornamental strip or band.

6. shoulder strap.

7. watchband.

8. Machinery. a shallow metal fitting surrounding and retaining other parts, as on the end of a rod.

9. Nautical, Machinery. strop.

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verb (used with object)

strapped, strapping

1. to fasten or secure with a strap or straps.

2. to fasten (a thing) around something in the manner of a strap.

3. to sharpen on a strap or strop.

   to strap a razor.

4. to beat or flog with a strap.

strap British  

/ stræp /

noun

1. a long strip of leather or similar material, for binding trunks, baggage, or other objects

2. a strip of leather or similar material used for carrying, lifting, or holding

3. a loop of leather, rubber, etc, suspended from the roof in a bus or train for standing passengers to hold on to

4. a razor strop

5. commerce a triple option on a security or commodity consisting of one put option and two call options at the same price and for the same period Compare strip 2

6. derogatory a shameless or promiscuous woman

7. a beating with a strap as a punishment

8. short for shoulder strap

9. informal to achieve one's full potential or become fully effective

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verb

1. to tie or bind with a strap

2. to beat with a strap

3. to sharpen with a strap or strop

Other Word Forms

• restrap verb (used with object)
• straplike adjective
• strappable adjective
• understrap noun

Etymology

Origin of strap

First recorded in 1565–75; variant of strop

Explanation

A strip of material used to hold something in place is a strap, like your bathing suit's shoulder straps, the strap on your book bag, or the strap of your seatbelt. As a verb, strap means "to secure with straps": "Let me strap my backpack on before I climb on your motorcycle." Standing passengers on buses and subways are sometimes called straphangers, named for the habit of grabbing the leather or webbed straps that once commonly hung from above. Some modes of transportation still have these straps, though they've increasingly been replaced with poles and handles.

Example Sentences

If you’ve written to ask why I’m spending time on beef and Iran instead of AI, strap in.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

Instead, they did what football players do — button their chin strap and play as long as their name remained on a roster.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

The pop I’d felt was the strap of my backpack breaking.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

She was breaking her heart and I was screaming at her 'just strap in so you don't go through the windscreen'.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

The necklace of the whistle strap looped behind her neck.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

Related Words

• belt
• harness
• leash