v. & n.
v. (past and past part. leaped or leapt) 1 intr. jump or spring forcefully. 2 tr. jump across. 3 intr. (of prices etc.) increase dramatically.
n. a forceful jump. by leaps and bounds with startlingly rapid progress. leap in the dark a daring step or enterprise whose consequences are unpredictable. leap to the eye be immediately apparent. leap year a year, occurring once in four, with 366 days (including 29th Feb. as an intercalary day). leaper n.
[ OE hlyp, hleapan f. Gmc: leap year prob. refers to the fact that feast-days after Feb. in such a year fall two days later (instead of the normal one day later) than in the previous year ]