strap
Americannoun
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straps
plural
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a narrow strip of flexible material, especially leather, as for fastening or holding things together.
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a looped band by which an item may be held, pulled, lifted, etc., as a bootstrap or a ring that standing passengers may hold on to in a bus, subway, or the like.
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a strop for a razor.
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a long, narrow object or piece of something; strip; band.
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an ornamental strip or band.
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Machinery. a shallow metal fitting surrounding and retaining other parts, as on the end of a rod.
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Nautical, Machinery. strop.
verb (used with object)
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straps,
present (3rd person singular)
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strapped,
past participle, past
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strapping
present participle
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to fasten or secure with a strap or straps.
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to fasten (a thing) around something in the manner of a strap.
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to sharpen on a strap or strop.
to strap a razor.
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to beat or flog with a strap.
noun
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a long strip of leather or similar material, for binding trunks, baggage, or other objects
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a strip of leather or similar material used for carrying, lifting, or holding
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a loop of leather, rubber, etc, suspended from the roof in a bus or train for standing passengers to hold on to
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a razor strop
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commerce a triple option on a security or commodity consisting of one put option and two call options at the same price and for the same period Compare strip 2
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derogatory a shameless or promiscuous woman
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a beating with a strap as a punishment
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short for shoulder strap
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informal to achieve one's full potential or become fully effective
verb
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to tie or bind with a strap
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to beat with a strap
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to sharpen with a strap or strop
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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understrapnoun
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restrapverb (used with object)
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understrapverb (used with object)
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straplikeadjective
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strappableadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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strapsimple
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strapssimple
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have strappedperfect
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has strappedperfect
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am strappingprogressive
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are strappingprogressive
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is strappingprogressive
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have been strappingperfect progressive
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has been strappingperfect progressive
Past
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strappedsimple
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had strappedperfect
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was strappingprogressive
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were strappingprogressive
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had been strappingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of strap
First recorded in 1565–75; variant of strop
Explanation
A strip of material used to hold something in place is a strap, like your bathing suit's shoulder straps, the strap on your book bag, or the strap of your seatbelt. As a verb, strap means "to secure with straps": "Let me strap my backpack on before I climb on your motorcycle." Standing passengers on buses and subways are sometimes called straphangers, named for the habit of grabbing the leather or webbed straps that once commonly hung from above. Some modes of transportation still have these straps, though they've increasingly been replaced with poles and handles.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A camera strap dangles off George Rodriguez’s shoulder as he glances around the gallery in search of his favorite image.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
The timepieces have a sporty rubber strap, and the ability to switch between automatic and manual winding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
To my surprise, the electric backpack leaf blower I strap on is not much heavier than my normal rucksack.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Santner was convinced the ball hit his armguard, but Stokes pointed to the strap of the batter's glove - in the Laws enough for him to be given out - and the third umpire agreed.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
We might have watched her, hanging by a strap umpteen feet in the air, but, even worse, she had been forced to watch us.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
The looks are giving armor — not necessarily metal armor, but you have the fur, the leather, all the straps and headpieces, and it’s kind of like you’re protecting yourself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
As ever, Zendaya stole the show with a floor-length Tamara Ralph champagne silk crepe gown with spider webby straps, matching the white carpet in Leicester Square.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Called the Virtus Scalable Tactical Vest, the body armour system has adjustable straps and smaller flat plates.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Sargent later repainted Gautreau with both straps fixed to her shoulders — a needless compromise between the artist and those who wielded the power to dictate beauty.
From Salon ● May 6, 2026
“Ahem,” the salty woman says again, nudging one of my backpack straps with the pointed toe of her red patent high heel.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Neeleman also vocally refutes the idea of being a tradwife while, for example, showcasing the joys of making homemade cheese while an infant is strapped to her.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
Young Anakin’s podracer, a striped cockpit strapped to twin shuttlecock engines, stretches down one side of an aisle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Early Iranian drones, including some tested during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, were used for reconnaissance and air support, with antitank rockets strapped under the wings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
That promises to heap more pressure on an already strapped public — even if the full economic impact of higher energy prices might take a while to fully trickle down to the U.S. economy.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
Whistle in mouth, vest strapped on, altered only by the sling holding her shoulder in place.
From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds
I certainly haven’t noticed that modern television is overflowing with strapping, brawny men, some sporting magnificent beards or manly manes on their heads, atop bodies as smooth as Barbie dolls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
“If they had let us in sooner, we could have really helped save lives,” said Michael Saavedra, a strapping 6-foot-5-inch Miami Beach firefighter who is the team’s director.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Declan Rice, who left Boston Stadium after the Ghana draw with strapping on his left calf, was also absent from Thursday's session at England's training base in Kansas City.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
Grande chose up, strapping into a harness that lifted her high above the crowd as she sang “Supernatural” before she slipped through a small door in a structure suspended over the stage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
I seal up the huge cardboard box as securely as I can with strapping tape.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
