I. ˈslap noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English slop, from Middle Dutch; akin to Middle High German slupf place to slip into, hiding place, sling, Old High German slupfen to slip, slide, Middle Dutch slippen to slip — more at slip
1. dialect Britain : a pass or notch between hills
2. dialect Britain : opening , breach
a slap in the fence
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Low German slapp, of imitative origin
1.
a. : a quick sharp blow with the open hand
a slap on the cheek
b. : a quick sharp blow : smack
used by hunters to protect their arm from the slap of the bowstring — J.H.Howard
2. : a sharp noise like that produced by a slap
listening … to the slap and plunge of people in the water — Nadine Gordimer
noise of construction — crashing slides of stone, whang of hammers, slap of plaster — Ruth Adams
specifically : a noise resulting from play or slackness between parts of a machine (as in transmission gears)
a bad piston slap
3.
a. : rebuff , insult
words of praise like this are generally preliminary to a slap — Erle Stanley Gardner
— often used with at
a slap not only at this country but at all Asia — Robert Trumbull
b. : a sudden calamity : blow
loyalty splintered under the slap of a moderate economic setback — Samuel Lubell
4. : a quick try : go — used with at
have a slap at the rabbits — F.E.Smedley
5. : an emphasized brush of the foot usually backward in tap dancing
•
- slap in the face
- slap on the wrist
III. verb
( slapped ; slapped ; slapping ; slaps )
Etymology: probably from slap (II)
transitive verb
1. : to strike usually quickly and sharply with the open hand
slap a child's face
he slaps his knee
slap the table
2.
a. : to strike with a motion or sound like that of a blow with the open hand
a pinch hitter slapped the ball — Vic Wall
clothes slapped warm and dry with wind and sun — Janet Frame
a slapped bull fiddle
b. : to cause to strike with a motion or sound like that of a blow with the open hand
slap your feet on the floor
women washing clothes in the canal slap them … against stones — Christopher Rand
c. : to actuate (a trigger) with a sudden sharp pull rather than a slow squeeze
3. : to place summarily and often carelessly
carved a … bun into three horizontal slices, slapped two beef patties between them — Time
little hats slapped against the back of the head — Lois Long
— often used with on
slap paint on a wall
slapping new taxes on farm cooperatives — G.E.Cruikshank
slap a quota restriction on foreign imports of fur — New Republic
slap an additional fine on the violator — J.M.Flagler
4. : censure , reprimand
slap certain academic critics — Dudley Fitts
slapped the workers who had gone on strike — Walter Sullivan
5. : to take legal action against : serve
slap him with a summons
intransitive verb
1. : to strike usually sharply with the open hand
he slaped with the palm of his hand on the table
2. : to make a motion or sound similar to that of a blow with the open hand
heelless slippers slapping on the stones — Claud Cockburn
rain slapped at the stained-glass window — Berton Roueché
the steady one, two, three, four beat of the slapping drums — New Yorker
Synonyms: see strike
•
- slap in the face
- slap on the back
- slap on the wrist
- slap together
IV. adverb
Etymology: probably from Low German slapp with a sudden blow, suddenly, instantly, of imitative origin
1. : directly , right , plump , smack
we hadn't sighted a thing … and then we ran slap into her — Hugh MacLennan
houses are slap on the street; no sidewalk — not so much as a curb — Faubion Bowers
2. dialect : completely , absolutely
she was slap out of black sewing cotton — Frances Gaither