flap

[ flap ]

/ flæp /

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See synonyms for: flap / flapped / flapping / flaps on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), flapped, flap·ping.

to swing or sway back and forth loosely, especially with noise: A loose shutter flapped outside the window.

to move up and down, as wings; flap the wings, or make similar movements.

to strike a blow with something broad and flexible.

Slang. to become excited or confused, especially under stress: a seasoned diplomat who doesn't flap easily.

verb (used with object), flapped, flap·ping.

to move (wings, arms, etc.) up and down.

to cause to swing or sway loosely, especially with noise.

to strike with something broad and flat.

to toss, fold, shut, etc., smartly, roughly, or noisily.

Phonetics. to pronounce (a sound) with articulation resembling that of a flap: The British often flap their r's.

noun

something flat and broad that is attached at one side only and hangs loosely or covers an opening: the flap of an envelope; the flap of a pocket.

either of the two segments of a book jacket folding under the book's front and back covers.

one leaf of a folding door, shutter, or the like.

a flapping motion.

the noise produced by something that flaps.

a blow given with something broad and flat.

Slang.

a state of nervous excitement, commotion, or disorganization.
an emergency situation.
scandal; trouble.

Surgery. a portion of skin or flesh that is partially separated from the body and may subsequently be transposed by grafting.

Aeronautics. a movable surface used for increasing the lift or drag of an airplane.

Phonetics.

a rapid flip of the tongue tip against the upper teeth or alveolar ridge, as in the r-sound in a common British pronunciation of very, or the t-sound in the common American pronunciation of water.
a trill.
a flipping out of the lower lip from a position of pressure against the upper teeth so as to produce an audible pop, as in emphatic utterances containing f-sounds or v-sounds.

Building Trades.

Also called back·flap hinge [bak-flap hinj], /ˈbækˌflæp ˈhɪndʒ/, flap hinge . a hinge having a strap or plate for screwing to the face of a door, shutter, or the like.
one leaf of a hinge.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of flap

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English flappe “a blow, slap,” flappen “to hit, slap”; compare Dutch flap, flappen

OTHER WORDS FROM flap

flap·less, adjectiveun·flap·ping, adjective

Words nearby flap

flannelmouth sucker, Flanner, Flannery, flanning, flanny, flap, flapdoodle, flap door, flapdragon, flaperon, flapjack

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use flap in a sentence

You can wear them as mittens when it’s excruciatingly cold, and if you need to use your fingers, one tuck of a flap or pull of a zipper can turn them into fingerless gloves.
Best mittens: Keep your hands cozy|PopSci Commerce Team|February 8, 2021|Popular-Science
That’s right, we’re talking ear flaps also known as trapper hats.
Best winter hats: Comfortable hats to keep you warm|Carsen Joenk|January 20, 2021|Popular-Science
“It sounds like a sharp thunderclap,” said Darden, who published more than 50 papers on high-lift wing design in supersonic flow, flap design and sonic boom prediction and minimization.
The NASA Engineer Who’s a Mathematician at Heart|Susan D'Agostino|January 19, 2021|Quanta Magazine
Beanies and hats with ear flaps always ride up, especially under my helmet.
The Gear Our Editors Loved in December|The Editors|January 6, 2021|Outside Online

We can see in the videos released by SpaceX that the flaps are under good control.
SpaceX Starship Prototype Exploded, but It’s Still a Giant Leap Towards Mars|Hugh Hunt|December 17, 2020|Singularity Hub
My editor called and said, “Do a column on this Lena Dunham flap!”
Up to a Point: They Made Me Write About Lena Dunham|P. J. O’Rourke|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yet, after flipping through Not That Kind of Girl, I do begin to understand what “this Lena Dunham flap” is about.
Up to a Point: They Made Me Write About Lena Dunham|P. J. O’Rourke|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If you flap your arms hard enough, a pair of vast feathered wings appears to grow out from your shoulders.
Frickin’ Laser Beams Run by Eyeballs: The Next Art Revolution Is Here|Nico Hines|July 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Take my former boss, Mitt Romney, and the flap over a Jeep plant in Ohio.
When Campaign Spin Becomes Fact|Stuart Stevens|March 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Songs that the Hyades shall sing, Where flap the tatters of the King, Must die unheard in Dim Carcosa.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He shifted across to the mouth of the tent and raised the flap, fastening it against the pole so that he could see out.
Three More John Silence Stories|Algernon Blackwood
"That's the wind rising," whispered the clergyman, and pulled the flap open as far as it would go.
Three More John Silence Stories|Algernon Blackwood
And as I watched the canvas shake and heard it boom and flap I heartily welcomed it.
Three More John Silence Stories|Algernon Blackwood
The flap was wide open and any ordinary animal would have been out and away without the least trouble.
Three More John Silence Stories|Algernon Blackwood
Mother thinks a dash-churn, stand and flap the dasher straight up and down till your arms and legs give out, is the best kind.
Dorothy at Skyrie|Evelyn Raymond

British Dictionary definitions for flap

flap

/ (flæp) /

verb flaps, flapping or flapped

to move (wings or arms) up and down, esp in or as if in flying, or (of wings or arms) to move in this way

to move or cause to move noisily back and forth or up and downthe curtains flapped in the breeze

(intr) informal to become agitated or flustered; panic

to deal (a person or thing) a blow with a broad flexible object

(tr sometimes foll by down) to toss, fling, slam, etc, abruptly or noisily

(tr) phonetics to pronounce (an (r) sound) by allowing the tongue to give a single light tap against the alveolar ridge or uvula

noun

the action, motion, or noise made by flappingwith one flap of its wings the bird was off

a piece of material, etc, attached at one edge and usually used to cover an opening, as on a tent, envelope, or pocket

a blow dealt with a flat object; slap

a movable surface fixed to the trailing edge of an aircraft wing that increases lift during takeoff and drag during landing

surgery a piece of tissue partially connected to the body, either following an amputation or to be used as a graft

informal a state of panic, distress, or agitation

phonetics an (r) produced by allowing the tongue to give a single light tap against the alveolar ridge or uvula

Word Origin for flap

C14: probably of imitative origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

flap

Origin of flap

OTHER WORDS FROM flap

Words nearby flap

Words related to flap

How to use flap in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for flap

Word Origin for flap