flap

1 of 2

noun

1
: a stroke with something broad : slap
2
obsolete : something broad and flat used for striking
3
: something that is broad, limber, or flat and usually thin and that hangs loose or projects freely: such as
a
: a piece on a garment that hangs free
b
: a part of a book jacket that folds under the book's cover
c
: a piece of tissue partly severed from its place of origin for use in surgical grafting
d
: an extended part forming the closure (as of an envelope or carton)
4
: the motion of something broad and limber (such as a sail or wing)
5
: a movable auxiliary airfoil usually attached to an airplane wing's trailing edge to increase lift or drag see airplane illustration
6
a
: a state of excitement or agitation : tizzy, uproar
b
: something that generates an uproar
7
: a consonant (such as the sound \d\ in ladder and \t\ in latter) characterized by a single rapid contact of the tongue or lower lip against another point in the mouth

called also tap

flap

2 of 2

verb

flapped; flapping

transitive verb

1
: to beat with or as if with a flap
2
: to toss sharply : fling
3
: to move or cause to move in flaps

intransitive verb

1
: to sway loosely usually with a noise of striking and especially when moved by wind
2
a
: to beat or pulsate wings or something suggesting wings
b
: to progress by flapping
c
: to flutter ineffectively
3
: to talk foolishly and persistently

Examples of flap in a Sentence

Noun She opened the tent flap and crawled outside. the inside flap of a book's cover a loose flap of skin Verb The breeze flapped the sails. The flag flapped in the breeze. The bird's wings were flapping.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
There are neat tags on the side of the seat for the baby’s tactile exploration, and a convenient flap over the harness buckle keeps it out of their reach. Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 7 Mar. 2024 So why the flap over Tucker Carlson interviewing Vladimir Putin? Letters To The Editor, Orange County Register, 19 Feb. 2024 Right Now Following the flap, Demna offered penance for his misdeeds. Nathan Taylor Pemberton, Rolling Stone, 20 Jan. 2024 Among followers of paranormal news, there’s even a name for such events: flaps. Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 18 Jan. 2024 Track Small Flap Crossbody In Signature Canvas Not your average crossbody, this flap purse has a bucket-style silhouette and a buckle closure. Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 12 Jan. 2024 There should be 2 open flaps on the square that was just folded.. Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 4 Feb. 2024 Compared with other aircraft, the spinning drone is simpler to produce, requires less maintenance, and is less complex to control because its only control surface is the trailing-edge flap. IEEE Spectrum, 1 Feb. 2024 Someone must be stuck being gangly and awkward, with stubby little dodo wings that never fly, only flap. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 25 Jan. 2024
Verb
Aside from the ultra-intricate helicopter with flapping propellers and a retractable ramp and feet, the kit comes with eight recognizable faces in Minifigure form, including Paul Atreides, Chani Kynes, and Duncan Idaho. Melissa Epifano, EW.com, 1 Mar. 2024 In it, he is seen greeting Robbie as Barbie and her friends with his fin flapping out of the water. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024 Performers flap their elbows and seesaw their hips. Celia Wren, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024 On several balconies, laundry hung out to dry was still flapping in the winter breeze. Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 7 Feb. 2024 The game is all about strategy, as the height of your character relative to the others determines who survives a collision, leading to much frantic button-mashing to flap your ostrich's magnificent wings. Aaron Morales, EW.com, 23 Feb. 2024 Supply Chain’s Butterfly Effect A butterfly flaps its wings in the Amazon AMZN and a hurricane makes landfall in Texas. Kevin O'Marah, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Start flapping your arms again (if only to try and wave the elusive Internet signal toward your phone). Alex Watt, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023 The sound of umbrellas being rapidly opened and shut stands in for the flapping wings of birds; the sharp report of a snare drum indicates a rifle shot. Chris Klimek, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English flappe

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flap was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near flap

Cite this Entry

“Flap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flap. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

flap

1 of 2 noun
1
2
: a broad, limber, or flat piece that hangs loose (as on a pocket or envelope)
3
: the motion or sound of a flap
4
: a movable part of an airplane wing that is attached to the trailing edge of the wing and that is used to increase lift or drag

flap

2 of 2 verb
flapped; flapping
1
2
: to move or cause to move with a beating motion
flapping its wings

Medical Definition

flap

noun
: a piece of tissue partly severed from its place of origin for use in surgical grafting

More from Merriam-Webster on flap

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