riprap

[ rip-rap ]

/ ˈrɪpˌræp /

Save This Word!

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.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of riprap

First recorded in 1570–80; gradational reduplication of rap¹

Words nearby riprap

ripplegrass, ripple mark, rippler, ripplet, ripply, riprap, rip-roaring, ripsaw, ripsnorter, ripstop nylon, riptide

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use riprap in a sentence

If you’re looking to hike, visit the Riprap area, which has three trails with stunning views of Old Rag Mountain.
The Best Scenic Drive in Every State|eriley|August 26, 2021|Outside Online
The outer slope is protected with riprap, composed of large bowlders.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 384, May 12, 1883|Various
The shore below the landing is a line of broken, ragged, slimy rocks, as if they had been dumped there for a riprap wall.
Their Pilgrimage|Charles Dudley Warner
Riprap holds dissolving banks, and overhanging trees are cut away.
Old Times on the Upper Mississippi|George Byron Merrick

The riprap was merely a skin on each face, with loose spawls mixed with the earth.
The Complete Story of the Galveston Horror|Various

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