riprap

[ rip-rap ]

/ ˈrɪpˌræp /

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noun

a quantity of broken stone for foundations, revetments of embankments, etc.

a foundation or wall of stones thrown together irregularly.

verb (used with object), rip·rapped, rip·rap·ping.

to construct with or strengthen by stones, either loose or fastened with mortar.

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Origin of riprap

First recorded in 1570–80; gradational reduplication of rap¹

How to use riprap in a sentence

Pitchfork called him a “a rap-obsessed misfit from a summer camp who freestyles poorly” who is “ridiculous without knowing it.”
The Cult of Yung Lean: ‘I’m Building An Anarchistic Society From the Ground Up’|Marlow Stern|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The last band I was in was kind of a Sonic Youth rip-off band, and I thought that that was my calling.
Deer Tick's John McCauley on Ten Years in Rock and Roll|James Joiner|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Instead of decorating every face on the street, Google Glass hit a contrarian rip tide.
You Were Wrong About Miley & Bitcoin: 2014’s Failed Predictions|Nina Strochlic|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Poor Steve Scalise is getting a bad rap,” Knight, a long-time aide to former KKK leader David Duke, told The Daily Beast.
GOP Boss Gets Help From ‘White Hate’ Pal|Tim Mak|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And there are those who still have misgivings about exactly what “Christian rap” means.
Down With the King: Christianity Isn’t Hiding in Rap’s Closet|Stereo Williams|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was in the midst of his reflections when there came a rap at his door, which the next moment was flung open.
Confidence|Henry James
They ain't got such a rip-roarin' start of us—an' I'm the boy can foller that track from hell t' breakfast an' back again.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
"All they can rap and run for" is the more frequent colloquial version of this quaint phrase.
Notes and Queries, Number 177, March 19, 1853|Various
He gave to every syllable the value of a rap and certain words he terminated with an audible snap of his teeth.
Dope|Sax Rohmer
Another rap, louder and more importunate, echoed through the large room.
The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie

British Dictionary definitions for riprap

rip-rap

noun

civil engineering broken stones loosely deposited in water or on a soft bottom to provide a foundation and protect a riverbed or river banks from scour: used for revetments, embankments, breakwaters, etc

Word Origin for rip-rap

C19: reduplication of rap 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012