neap
1- designating tides midway between spring tides that attain the least height.
- neap tide.
Origin of neap
1neap
2- the pole or tongue of a cart, wagon, etc., drawn by two animals side by side.
Origin of neap
2Examples from the Web for neap
Historical Examples of neap
So we have spring tides regularly once a fortnight, with neap tides in between.
Pioneers of ScienceOliver Lodge
The spring tides occur at the syzygies: the neap tides at the quadratures.
Letters on AstronomyDenison Olmsted
A ship grounding in a very low tide (neap) is still said to be neaped.
The BruceJohn Barbour
Height of neap and spring tides, at full and change of the moon.
The Voyage Of Governor Phillip To Botany BayArthur Phillip
The spring tide is lunar plus solar; the neap tide is lunar minus solar.
Pioneers of ScienceOliver Lodge
neap
- of, relating to, or constituting a neap tide
- short for neap tide
Word Origin for neap
Word Origin and History for neap
Middle English, from Old English nepflod "neap flood," the tide occurring at the end of the first and third quarters of the lunar month, in which high waters are at their lowest, of unknown origin, with no known cognates (Danish niptid probably is from English). Original sense perhaps is "without power." As a noun from 1580s.