flap
/flæp/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.49 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Anything broad and flexible that hangs loose, or that is attached by one side or end and is easily moved.
noun
A hinged surface on the trailing edge of the wings of an aeroplane, used to increase lift and drag.
noun
A controversy, scandal, stir, or upset.
noun
A consonant sound made by a single muscle contraction, such as the sound /ɾ/ in the standard American English pronunciation of body.
noun
A piece of tissue incompletely detached from the body, as an intermediate stage of plastic surgery.
Example Sentences
- "a flap of a garment"
- "The envelope flap seemed curiously wrinkled."
- "Again, Beside these parts destin'd to divers offices, there is a peculiar provision for the wind-pipe, that is, a cartilagineous flap upon the opening of the Larynx or Throttle, which hath an open cavity for the admiffion of the air"
- "The hairs guide the pollinating insect to the base of the petal, where there is a purplish nectary covered by a flap of tissue."
- "the flaps of a table"
- "the flap of a shutter"
Etymology
From Middle English flap, flappe (“a slap; blow; buffet; fly-flap; something flexible or loose; flap”), related to Saterland Frisian Flappert (“wing, flipper”), Middle Dutch flabbe (“a blow; slap on the face; fly-flap; flap”) (modern Dutch flap (“flap”)), Middle Low German flabbe, vlabbe, flebbe, from the verb (see below). Related also to English flab and flabby.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: flap, flappen
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /flæp/
- British English: /flæp/