strap

[strap]

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.

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

/ 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

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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of strap¹

First recorded in 1565–75; variant of strop

Word History and Origins

Origin of strap¹

C16: variant of _strop

Example Sentences

Several CEOs across the dining, retail, fashion and airline industries have said their middle-class customers are increasingly strapped, even as high earners keep on buying.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

They were standing in broad daylight in a Brooklyn park playing the “ping pong shake,” a game in which they were to shake ping-pong balls out of an empty Kleenex box strapped to their waist.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

The stopwatch featured in the introduction to “60 Minutes” is strapped to a bomb when it appears on “South Park.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Players are weighed every morning and those who return overweight after holidays are forced to train with extra kilograms strapped to their bodies.

Read more on BBC

For days, huge columns of Palestinians have streamed southwards from Gaza City in donkey carts, rickshaws, vehicles strapped high with belongings, and on foot.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• belt 
• harness 
• leash