nap1

[nap] /næp/
verb (used without object), napped, napping.
1.
to sleep for a short time; doze.
2.
to be off one's guard:
The question caught him napping.
verb (used with object), napped, napping.
3.
to sleep or doze through (a period of time, an activity, etc.) (usually followed by away):
I napped the afternoon away. He naps away most of his classes.
noun
4.
a brief period of sleep, especially one taken during daytime:
Has the baby had her nap?
Origin
before 900; Middle English nappen (v.), nap (noun), Old English hnappian to sleep; cognate with Middle High German napfen
Synonyms
1. nod, rest, catnap.

nap2

[nap] /næp/
noun
1.
the short fuzzy ends of fibers on the surface of cloth, drawn up in napping.
2.
any downy coating, as on plants.
verb (used with object), napped, napping.
3.
to raise a nap on.
Origin
1400-50; late Middle English noppe, Old English -hnoppa (as in wullknoppa, mistake for *wullhnoppa tuft of wool), cognate with Middle Dutch, Middle Low German noppe; akin to Old English hnoppian to pluck
Related forms
napless, adjective
naplessness, noun

nap3

[nap] /næp/
noun
1.
napoleon (defs 2, 3).
Origin
shortened form

-nap

1.
a combining form extracted from kidnap, with the general sense “abduct or steal in order to collect a ransom”:
artnap; petnap; starnap.

Lajoie

[lash-uh-wey] /ˈlæʃ əˌweɪ/
noun
1.
Napoleon ("Nap") 1875–1959, U.S. baseball player.
Examples from the web for nap
  • Many will be sleep-deprived and looking to pull over for a nap or a dose of caffeine.
  • If he's tired, have him take a nap or go to sleep for the evening.
  • Following a short and welcome nap, a small group of us met for lunch.
  • Each of the nap files starts with the same opening sounds which serves mostly as a brain trigger to start your sleep cycle.
  • When you sleep for a short time, especially in the daytime, it is called a nap.
  • Researchers tested sleep-deprived subjects in driving simulators to explore the effectiveness of nap-and-coffee therapy.
  • There is much difference of opinion concerning tha desirability of an after-dinner nap.
  • Typically, he only nurses at night and during nap time.
  • Each volunteer twice took an afternoon nap in a dark room on a custom-made bed that could rock.
  • Yes, there are better ways to fend off a nap than jamming a pen into your thigh under the table.
British Dictionary definitions for nap

nap1

/næp/
verb (intransitive) naps, napping, napped
1.
to sleep for a short while; doze
2.
to be unaware or inattentive; be off guard (esp in the phrase catch someone napping)
noun
3.
a short light sleep; doze
Word Origin
Old English hnappian; related to Middle High German napfen

nap2

/næp/
noun
1.
  1. the raised fibres of velvet or similar cloth
  2. the direction in which these fibres lie when smoothed down
2.
any similar downy coating
3.
(Austral, informal) blankets, bedding
verb naps, napping, napped
4.
(transitive) to raise the nap of (cloth, esp velvet) by brushing or similar treatment
Word Origin
C15: probably from Middle Dutch noppe; related to Old English hnoppian to pluck

nap3

/næp/
noun
1.
Also called napoleon. a card game similar to whist, usually played for stakes
2.
a call in this card game, undertaking to win all five tricks
3.
(horse racing) a tipster's choice for an almost certain winner
4.
go nap
  1. to undertake to win all five tricks at nap
  2. to risk everything on one chance
5.
(Austral, slang) not to go nap on, to hold in disfavour
6.
nap hand, a position in which there is a very good chance of success if a risk is taken
verb naps, napping, napped
7.
(transitive) (horse racing) to name (a horse) as likely to win a race
Word Origin
C19: short for napoleon, the original name of the card game
Word Origin and History for nap
n.

"downy surface of cloth," mid-15c., from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German noppe "nap, tuft of wool," probably introduced by Flemish cloth-workers. Cognate with Old English hnoppian "to pluck," ahneopan "pluck off," Old Swedish niupa "to pinch," Gothic dis-hniupan "to tear."

"short spell of sleep," c.1300, from nap (v.). With take (v.) from c.1400.

v.

Old English hnappian "to doze, sleep lightly," of unknown origin, apparently related to Old High German hnaffezan, German dialectal nafzen, Norwegian napp. Related: Napped; napping.

"to furnish with a nap, raise the nap of," 1610s, from nap (n.1).

Related Abbreviations for nap

NAP

  1. Napoli-Capodichino Airport
  2. network access point
  3. neutrophil activating protein
Encyclopedia Article for nap

gambling card game played throughout northern Europe under various names and guises. It reached England in the 1880s. Its title may commemorate the deposed Napoleon III.

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