knap

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈnap 

1

chiefly dialectal : a crest of a hill : summit

2

chiefly dialectal : a small hill

knap

2 of 3

verb

knapped; knapping

transitive verb

1

: to break with a quick blow

especially : to shape (something, such as flints) by breaking off pieces

2

dialectal British : rap entry 2 sense 1

3

dialectal British : snap, crop

4

dialectal British : chatter

knapper noun

knapper

3 of 3

noun (2)

knap·​per

variants or less commonly napper

-pə(r)

plural -s

: one that knaps

especially : one that dresses flints or other stone by knapping

Examples of knap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Rocks could be knapped, or shaped, into knife blades, spear points, ax heads, and more, allowing hunter-gatherers to take on new prey and use animal remains for clothing and other things. — Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2024

Our Paleolithic ancestors learned to knap delicate blades from round stone cobbles, hunt large game and cook their food. — Herman Pontzer, Scientific American, 12 Dec. 2022

The course was jointly led by Ojibwe elders, who taught him how to knap flint, tan hides and build wigwams. — Franz Lidz Meghan Dhaliwal, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2022

Knowing how to make a friction fire, or how to whittle a paddle out of a log, or how to knap stone arrowheads all have their place in a survival situation (particularly fire making). — Jim Baird, Field & Stream, 3 Aug. 2020

There was the first time someone knapped and hafted a rock onto a spear shaft, and the first time someone strung up a bow. — Tyler Freel, Outdoor Life, 19 Mar. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

Verb

Middle English knappen, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2