nap

¹

[nap]

verb (used without object)

napped, napping 

1. to sleep for a short time; doze.

   Synonyms: catnap, rest, nod

2. to be off one's guard.

   The question caught him napping.

verb (used with object)

napped, napping 

1. to sleep or doze through (a period of time, an activity, etc.) (usually followed byaway ).

   I napped the afternoon away. He naps away most of his classes.

noun

1. a brief period of sleep, especially one taken during daytime.

   Has the baby had her nap?

nap

²

[nap]

noun

1. the short fuzzy ends of fibers on the surface of cloth, drawn up in napping.

2. any downy coating, as on plants.

verb (used with object)

napped, napping 

1. to raise a nap on.

nap

³

[nap]

noun

1. napoleon.

-nap

⁴

1. a combining form extracted from kidnap, with the general sense “abduct or steal in order to collect a ransom”.

   artnap; petnap; starnap.

nap

¹

/ næp /

noun

1. Also called: napoleon. a card game similar to whist, usually played for stakes

2. a call in this card game, undertaking to win all five tricks

3. horse racing a tipster's choice for an almost certain winner

4. 1. to undertake to win all five tricks at nap

   2. to risk everything on one chance

5. slang,  to hold in disfavour

6. a position in which there is a very good chance of success if a risk is taken

verb

1. (tr) horse racing to name (a horse) as likely to win a race

nap

²

/ næp /

noun

1. 1. the raised fibres of velvet or similar cloth

   2. the direction in which these fibres lie when smoothed down

2. any similar downy coating

3. informal,  blankets, bedding

verb

1. (tr) to raise the nap of (cloth, esp velvet) by brushing or similar treatment

nap

³

/ næp /

verb

1. to sleep for a short while; doze

2. to be unaware or inattentive; be off guard (esp in the phrase catch someone napping )

noun

1. a short light sleep; doze

Other Word Forms

• napless adjective
• naplessness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of nap¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English verb nappen, Old English hnappian, hnæppian “to sleep, slumber, doze”; cognate with Old High German (h)naffezen, Middle High German, German nafzen “to slumber”

Origin of nap²

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English noppe, nop(e); probably from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch, nop, noppe; possibly from Old English (wull)hnoppa “(wool) tuft, tuft”

Origin of nap³

First recorded in 1820–25; shortened form of napoleon

Word History and Origins

Origin of nap¹

C19: short for _napoleon , the original name of the card game

Origin of nap²

C15: probably from Middle Dutch noppe; related to Old English hnoppian to pluck

Origin of nap³

Old English hnappian; related to Middle High German napfen

Example Sentences

My body wanted to curl up and take a nap—that apparently I might never have woken up from.

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From dawn to dusk he suffered like an animal in a trap, drank coffee, smoked, begged meals from the kitchen, and napped.

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Penelope shooed them into the night nursery and ordered them to nap or read in their beds until Margaret arrived with the hot-water bottle.

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Penelope had implored the children to take naps in the afternoon so as not to be grouchy later, but their excitement made sleep impossible.

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She looked forward to a bit of poetry read aloud, some quiet work on the children’s journals, and possibly a nap, if the Incorrigibles could be persuaded.

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