noun
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a member of a nomadic people living chiefly in N Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula of Russia
-
the language of this people, belonging to the Finno-Ugric family
adjective
Sensitive Note
Though Lapp, Laplander, and Lappish are still in use, the people themselves consider these terms to be offensive. They use the name Sami. The reason for the perceived offensiveness of these terms is their possible etymology from an Old Swedish word meaning “piece or patch,” alluding to the patched clothes that the impoverished Sami wore in the past. Lapland is still the acceptable name for the region inhabited by the Sami, though the Sami call it Sapmi.
Usage
The indigenous people of Lapland prefer to be called Sami , although Lapp is still in widespread use
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of Lapp
First recorded in 1855–60; origin uncertain; possibly from Old Swedish lapper “piece” (the Sami were so poor that they had to patch their clothes); or originally a term of contempt; compare Middle High German lappe “simpleton”; perhaps of Finnish origin; compare Finnish lappalainen “Lapp,” Lappi “Lapland” (meaning “northern wilderness”)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“This one-of-a-kind property features the country legend’s original, authentic ‘Wig Room,’” the listing for the home, which is being sold by its current owner, Chris Lapp, states.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
Lapp of Sunreef says what's really needed is a wider culture shift away from teak altogether.
From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2026
Peter Lapp, who oversaw FBI counterintelligence against Cuba between 1998 and 2005, and wrote a book on Montes, “Queen of Cuba,” said he was unaware whether Rocha had been on the bureau’s radar.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 15, 2024
Ms. Lapp said the wind farm site was a prime summer location for the squids that form much of her company’s business.
From New York Times ● Jun. 27, 2023
“That guy—” Emerson Lapp cast his eyes to the ceiling.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Formerly known as the Lapps, the Sami are believed to have originated in Central Asia and settled with their reindeer herds in Arctic Europe around 9,000 years ago.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 24, 2023
Raising herds of reindeer is almost the sole business of nomad Lapps.
From Time Magazine Archive
Life among the Swedish Lapps who roam the tundras above the Arctic Circle was a dolorous affair a century ago.
From Time Magazine Archive
Then, to promote reciprocity, the Lapps presented His Majesty with a local costume, a hand-carved spear for wolf-hunting, a wooden bucket for reindeer-milking, a purse for Queen Louise.
From Time Magazine Archive
Some other Eurasian societies, notably the Central Asian pastoralists and the reindeer-herding Lapps and Samoyeds of the Arctic, had domestic animals but little or no agriculture.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
