to be off one's guard: The question caught him napping.
verb (used with object),napped,nap·ping.
to sleep or doze through (a period of time, an activity, etc.) (usually followed by away): I napped the afternoon away. He naps away most of his classes.
noun
a brief period of sleep, especially one taken during daytime: Has the baby had her nap?
Origin of nap
1
before 900;Middle Englishnappen (v.), nap (noun), Old Englishhnappian to sleep; cognate with Middle High Germannapfen
the short fuzzy ends of fibers on the surface of cloth, drawn up in napping.
any downy coating, as on plants.
verb (used with object),napped,nap·ping.
to raise a nap on.
Origin of nap
2
1400–50;late Middle Englishnoppe,Old English-hnoppa (as in wullknoppa, mistake for *wullhnoppa tuft of wool), cognate with Middle Dutch,Middle Low Germannoppe; akin to Old Englishhnoppian to pluck
Related formsnap·less, adjectivenap·less·ness, noun
"action of sleeping," Old English hneappunge, verbal noun from nap (v.).
nap
n.1
"downy surface of cloth," mid-15c., from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German noppe "nap, tuft of wool," probably introduced by Flemish cloth-workers. Cognate with Old English hnoppian "to pluck," ahneopan "pluck off," Old Swedish niupa "to pinch," Gothic dis-hniupan "to tear."
nap
v.1
Old English hnappian "to doze, sleep lightly," of unknown origin, apparently related to Old High German hnaffezan, German dialectal nafzen, Norwegian napp. Related: Napped; napping.
nap
n.2
"short spell of sleep," c.1300, from nap (v.). With take (v.) from c.1400.
nap
v.2
"to furnish with a nap, raise the nap of," 1610s, from nap (n.1).
