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• dap
  dap

  verb (used without object)

  to fish by letting the bait fall lightly on the water.
• DAP
  DAP

  abbreviation

  distributed array processor

dap

¹ American  

[dap] / dæp /

verb (used without object)

dapped, dapping

1. to fish by letting the bait fall lightly on the water.

2. to dip lightly or suddenly into water.

   The bird dapped for the fish.

3. to bounce or skip, as on the surface of a body of water.

   The stone dapped along the surface of the pond.

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verb (used with object)

dapped, dapping

1. to cause to dip in and out of water.

   to dap one's bait.

2. to cause to skip along the surface of water.

   to dap stones across the river.

3. Carpentry. to notch (a timber) to receive part of another timber.

noun

1. Carpentry. a notch in a timber for receiving part of another timber.

dap ² American  

[dap] / dæp /

noun

1. a stylized gesture of greeting, congratulation, or solidarity in which two people join hands in a nontraditional handshake grip, bump fists, snap fingers, etc., often concluding with a one-armed hug.

   players giving dap and high-fives to fans after the game.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to greet, congratulate, or express solidarity with (a person) in this way (often followed byup ): Hey man, I haven’t seen you in ages—come over here and dap me up!

   When an old friend got assigned to my project at work, it was hard to know whether we should dap or shake hands.

   Hey man, I haven’t seen you in ages—come over here and dap me up!

dap ¹ British  

/ dæp /

verb

1. angling to fish with a natural or artificial fly on a floss silk line so that the wind makes the fly bob on and off the surface of the water

2. (intr) (as of a bird) to dip lightly into water

3. to bounce or cause to bounce

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DAP ² British  

abbreviation

1. distributed array processor

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dap ³ British  

/ dæp /

noun

1. dialect another word for plimsoll

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Etymology

Origin of dap¹

First recorded in 1575–85; probably variant of dab ¹

Origin of dap²

First recorded in 1970–75; originally African American Vernacular English and used by African American soldiers during the Vietnam War; further origin uncertain; perhaps a variant of dab ¹ ( def. ) or tap ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dap DAP dapped dapping

I know you have this other side of you that’s beautiful, with all that dap stuff I still can’t quite get.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026

They dap each other up as they criss-cross through the crowd and sing along to the music.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2025

Back at his familiar post, he had a chance to dap up old classmates from Lewiston High—Fazla had served as class president—as they came by for late-night snacks.

From Slate ● Dec. 4, 2024

I shout, walking from behind the wooden counter reserved for the facility’s law clerks to the front area designated for the general population so I can dap him up.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2024

Players gather at center circle, dap each other, pound each other.

From "The Crossover" by Kwame Alexander

"There are rumours we may not get DAP and urea," he said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026

That marks the first time DAP has declined since Meta started reporting the metric.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

Another Palm Springs project — a partnership between the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition and DAP Health, a local healthcare provider — received a $750,000 predevelopment loan that was repaid at the start of construction.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2025

Today, groups like The DAP Project celebrate dap as the love language that it is.

From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2024

You know the law Better, I think— DAP.

From The Alchemist by Ben Jonson

Was this the guy who just the other day had dapped me in the hallway?

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2025

Ford ran around the ring and dapped his homies in the crowd.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2023

It was the first time Wentz and McLaurin had run the fade in camp, McLaurin said, and they dapped excitedly multiple times walking back to the sideline.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 7, 2022

“He just dapped me up,” Murray said grinning.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 15, 2019

He dapped Sierra, blew a kiss at Nydia, and then posted up by the gate.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older

Nevertheless, Black soldiers defied the order because dapping saved Black lives.

From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2024

“Junior,” LeBron James said from his stall, and soon the boy was dapping up James and Anthony Davis.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2023

But instead of raising his hand for a sub as he hit his 25th minute in the third quarter, Beal was dapping up a fan sitting courtside.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 30, 2021

A photo of crips throwing up their gang sign sits above a photo and explanation of dapping and another of Michelle and Barack Obama fist-bumping.

From The New Yorker ● Oct. 24, 2019

They all swung their hands toward me, dapping me as Coach continued, "You proved that you can get it if you want it. Now get back on the line."

From "Ghost" by Jason Reynolds