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Webster 1913 Edition


Knap

Knap

(năp)
,
Noun.
[AS.
cnæp
,
cnæpp
, top, knob, button; cf. Icel.
knappr
knob, Sw.
knapp
, Dan.
knap
button, W., Gael., & Ir.
cnap
knob, button, and E.
knop
.]
A protuberance; a swelling; a knob; a button; hence, rising ground; a summit. See
Knob
, and
Knop
.
The highest part and
knap
of the same island.
Holland.

Knap

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Knapped
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Knapping
.]
[D.
knappen
to chew, bite, crack, take hold of; prob. of imitative origin.]
1.
To bite; to bite off; to break short.
[Obs. or Prov. Eng. ]
He will
knap
the spears apieces with his teeth.
Dr. H. More.
He breaketh the bow, and
knappeth
the spear in sunder.
Ps. xlvi. 9 (Book of Common Prayer.)
2.
To strike smartly; to rap; to snap.
[Chiefly Brit.]
Bacon.

Knap

,
Verb.
I.
To make a sound of snapping.
Wiseman.

Knap

,
Noun.
A sharp blow or slap.
Halliwell.

Webster 1828 Edition


Knap

KNAP

,
Noun.
nap.
A protuberance; a swelling. [Little used. See Knob.]

KNAP

,
Verb.
T.
nap.
[See Knab.]
1.
To bite; to bite off; to break short. [Little used.]
2.
To strike with a sharp noise. [Little used.]

KNAP

,
Verb.
I.
nap.
To make a short, sharp sound.

Definition 2024


knap

knap

English

Verb

knap (third-person singular simple present knaps, present participle knapping, simple past and past participle knapped)

  1. (transitive) To shape a vitreous mineral (flint, obsidian, chert etc.) by breaking away flakes, often forming a sharp edge or point.
  2. (transitive) To rap or strike sharply.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Francis Bacon to this entry?)
    • 1820, The Edinburgh Monthly Magazine, volume 8, no.43, page 81, October 1820.
      Some entered the ring in very bad condition, and immediately got a-piping, like hot mutton pies - fell on their own blows, and knapped it every round, till they shewed the white feather and bolted.
    • 1977, Marilynne K. Roach, Encounters with the Invisible World, page 10, ISBN 0690012772.
      "That will be sixpence," he said without looking up. She knapped her lips together and turned on her heel without another word.
  3. (obsolete, Britain, dialect) To bite; to bite off; to break short.
    • Dr. H. More:
      He will knap the spears apieces with his teeth.
    • Psalms xlvi. 9 (Book of Common Prayer):
      He breaketh the bow, and knappeth the spear in sunder.
    • 1821, John Clare, "The Village Minstrel":
      "Horses..turn'd to knap each other at their ease."
  4. To make a sound of snapping.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Wiseman to this entry?)
Usage notes

(to shape a vitreous mineral) In modern usage knap is restricted to the specific technique of percussion flaking whereby flakes are removed across an entire face or facet leaving a conchoidal fracture. It is distinguished from the more general verb chip and is different from "carve" (removing only part of a face), and "cleave" (breaking along a natural plane). The term is used in archaeology for the production of flaked stone tools and in gunsmithing for the production of gunflints. Knap is rarely used in stonemasonry except to denote fine chipping done with smaller hammers but without the chisel.

Synonyms
  • (break flakes from a mineral): chip
Derived terms
Related terms

See also

Noun

knap (plural knaps)

  1. A sharp blow or slap.
    • 2012, Andrew Ashenden, Basics of Stage Combat: Unarmed, ISBN 1612330711.
      It tells the audience the punch was thrown, they hear a knap, and the victim is 'injured'.

Etymology 2

Middle English, from Old English cnæp, akin to cnotta 'knot'

Noun

knap (plural knaps) (chiefly dialect)

  1. A protuberance; a swelling; a knob.
  2. The crest of a hill
  3. A small hill
    • Holland
      the highest part and knap of the same island


Danish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /knap/, [kʰnɑb̥]

Adjective

knap

  1. scanty, scarce
  2. brief, concise

Inflection

Inflection of knap
Positive Comparative Superlative
Common singular knap 2
Neuter singular knapt 2
Plural knappe 2
Definite attributive1 knappe
1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

Adverb

knap

  1. hardly, scarcely
  2. just under
  3. barely

Noun

knap c (singular definite knappen, plural indefinite knapper)

  1. button
  2. knob
  3. controls

Inflection


Dutch

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /knɑp/

Adjective

knap (comparative knapper, superlative knapst)

  1. smart, intelligent, gifted, talented, clever
    Oh, das best knap. - Oh, that's pretty clever.
  2. attractive, beautiful, handsome

Inflection

Inflection of knap
uninflected knap
inflected knappe
comparative knapper
positive comparative superlative
predicative/adverbial knap knapper het knapst
het knapste
indefinite m./f. sing. knappe knappere knapste
n. sing. knap knapper knapste
plural knappe knappere knapste
definite knappe knappere knapste
partitive knaps knappers

Synonyms

Derived terms

Adverb

knap

  1. quite/rather ... (reinforces what follows)

Verb

knap

  1. first-person singular present indicative of knappen
  2. imperative of knappen

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From German knapp

Adjective

knap (Cyrillic spelling кнап)

  1. (colloquial) tight

Adverb

knap (Cyrillic spelling кнап)

  1. (colloquial) tightly, barely

Related terms


Swedish

Noun

knap

  1. A cleat