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• nap
  nap

  verb (used without object)

  to sleep for a short time; doze.
• -nap
  -nap

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

nap

¹ American  

[nap] / næp /

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.

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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 American  

[nap] / næp /

noun

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

2. any downy coating, as on plants.

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verb (used with object)

napped, napping

1. to raise a nap on.

nap ³ American  

[nap] / næp /

noun

1. napoleon.

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-nap ⁴ American  

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

   artnap; petnap; starnap.

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nap ¹ British  

/ 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

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verb

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

nap ² British  

/ 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

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verb

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

nap ³ British  

/ 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 )

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noun

1. a short light sleep; doze

Other Word Forms

• naplessness
  noun
• napless
  adjective

Etymology

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

Explanation

If you’re really tired during the day, go ahead and take a nap, even if you have to hide under your desk. A nap is a brief sleep. Good night. When you take a nap, you rest, usually during the daytime. In some cultures, everybody naps after lunch, while in other places naps are only for young children and elderly people. Sigh. A second meaning of nap is "slightly fuzzy texture," like the nap of a jacket or the nap of a rug. This kind of nap stems from the Middle Low German noppe, "tuft of wool."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nap napped napping

In this candid scene, a man hunches forward in an attempt at a nap.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

As soon as it hits 9ish, my son needs a nap, so while he sleeps, Nakano and I go to a little playground, and I just let her run off some of her morning energy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

As he spoke, mothers in the back rows swayed from side to side, hugging exhausted toddlers who had missed nap time.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

"I take a nap and the world changes," says Chen Tianyu.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

Through the strange furless hide that smelt more of not-wolf than wolf, he could hear a comforting thump-thump, like the sound he heard when he clambered on top of his father for a nap.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Some napped on a beach with their faces shielded from the sun by plastic bags or T-shirts, while others rested with backpacks tucked beneath their heads.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

A few times, she has napped outside in the snow.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026

When Meyers’ children were young, they napped in a crib in the shop as she zipped around, tidying up and taking inventory.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2025

“I love this place,” Marion said in the space where a half-dozen other people napped and charged their phones.

From Seattle Times ● May 27, 2024

Babies napped in the tall grass, their blankets covering the wildflowers with embroidered flowers.

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston

“With Finch, I improved most with eating, napping, and taking breaks. I was excited to check things off—and felt guilty when I didn’t.”

From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2026

To get airport transportation running normally again, the Lobito company hired a worker whose sole job is to physically check beneath parked buses for napping iguanas before drivers start their engines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

Strategic napping is also a power move to help refresh the brain for the afternoon.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

The boy was supposed to be napping but escaped his parents' supervision for at least 45 minutes, and climbed into the car.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

When it was cool enough, we’d sit out there after dinner, but usually Grampa liked sitting in the living room in his big wing-back chair napping or reading the paper.

From "Mississippi Trial, 1955" by Chris Crowe