to fish by letting the bait fall lightly on the water.
to dip lightly or suddenly into water.
The bird dapped for the fish.
to bounce or skip, as on the surface of a body of water.
The stone dapped along the surface of the pond.
to cause to dip in and out of water.
to dap one's bait.
to cause to skip along the surface of water.
to dap stones across the river.
Carpentry. to notch (a timber) to receive part of another timber.
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
(intr) (as of a bird) to dip lightly into water
to bounce or cause to bounce
First recorded in 1575–85; probably variant of dab 1
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. )
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
I’ve personally even seen white people giving dap to each other.
From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2024
“Ooh,” a couple of the guys say, and one or two give me dap as they crack up.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
"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 Jonson, Ben
Was this the guy who just the other day had dapped me in the hallway?
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2025
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
I thought just by looking at him he was a quiet person, and when he dapped me up, we was talking and I was like, “I thought you was a quiet person.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2022
Soon afterward, the two dapped each other up and embraced; McVay then tapped Stafford on the helmet as the team jogged to the sideline before the formal player introductions.
From New York Times ● Jan. 18, 2022
They all hugged my mom and Berry, and dapped up Spoony.
From "All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds
He said in the post that the incident stemmed from Lanez taking offense to him walking by and not dapping him as they passed each other in a hallway backstage after the show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2022
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
“It’s been like ten years, duke!” he replied, dapping me twice and then pulling me in for a bear hug.
From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2017
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
