▪ I. knap, n.1
(næp)
Forms: α. 1 cnæpp, cnepp, 1–2 cnæp, 6 knappe, (knape), 7 knapp, 6– knap, (7, 9 nap). β. knop.
[OE. cnæp(p, top, summit (of a hill); perh. cognate with ON. knapp-r knob, head of a stick, button, etc. (see knop n.1). Irish, Gael., and Welsh cnap, knob, knop, boss, button, lump, knap, hillock, knoll, may be from Norse or Eng.]
1. The head, crest, or summit of a hill; a small hill, hillock, or knoll; a rising ground; a short steep ascent. Chiefly dial. (Cf. knob n.2, nab.)
| α c 1000 ælfric Exod. xix. 20 Drihten eode uppan þæs muntes cnæp. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke iv. 29 Hiᵹ..læddon hine ofer ðæs muntes cnæpp. 1538 Leland Itin. I. 109 The Castelle..standith..on the very Knape of an highe Hille, stepe up eche way. 1600 F. Walker Sp. Mandeville 102 b, Three men setting vp a poast, vpon a little knap close by the high-way. 1685 1st Cent. Hist. Springfield (1899) II. 176 To the first Pine Tree upon the knap or Hill by Stony Brooke side. 1778 Eng. Gazetteer (ed. 2) s.v. Knebworth, Its situation is on a hill or knap, from whence it has its name. 1876 T. Hardy Ethelberta II. xlvi. 235 ‘Now where's the inn?’ said Mountclere... ‘Just on the knap’, Sol answered. 1887 Cycl. Tour. Club Gaz. 215/2 With the exception of a steepish knap on leaving the Doubs Valley,..the road was good and nearly level. 1893 Q. [Couch] Delect. Duchy 19 A..pathway..winding..around the knap of a green hill. |
| β a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VI, 136 The toune of Auraunches, standyng upon the knop of an hill. 1623 Bingham Xenophon 62 There remained yet a little knop aboue them..where the enemies guards did sit. |
2. fig. knap of the case (obs. Rogues' Cant), the head or goodman of the house. [Doubtfully placed here.]
| c 1550 Dice-Play (Percy Soc.) 29 The knapp of the case, the goodman of the house calleth secretly unto him the third person. Ibid. 34 A reward unto her by knap of the case, & the cut-throats his accomplices. |
▪ II. knap, n.2 Obs. exc. dial.
Also 9 nap.
[Echoic: goes with knap v.1: cf. knack n. and v., and Sw. knäpp, Da. knep, a rap, fillip. Gael. cnap, a sharp blow, may be from Sc.]
1. An abrupt stroke or blow; a smart knock.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 6437 Mony strokes,..þo stithe men hym gefe, Till þe knight, vndur knappis, vppon knes fell. 14.. Sir Beues (MS. N) 1895 + 4, I wol fonde to ȝeue þe a knap. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. I. 143 At that counter wes mony crwell knap. 1575 Turberv. Faulconrie 100 You myght chaunce to catch a knappe of hir beake. 1603 Owen Pembrokeshire (1892) 280, I have by it gotten store of Knappes on my head and shoulders. 1737 Ramsay Scot. Prov. (1750) 109 When the lady lets a pap, the messan gets a knap. 1828 Craven Dial., Knap, a blow. |
b. The sound of a sharp blow.
| 1870 Lubbock Orig. Civiliz. ix. (1875) 408 Sounds..The collision of hard bodies..as clap, rap, tap, knap, snap. |
2. The clapper of a mill.
| 1622 J. Taylor (Water P.) A Thiefe Wks. (1630) ii. 119/2 A fellow..hearing neither noyse of knap or tiller, Laid downe his corne, and went to seeke the miller. |
† 3. A cheating trick with dice: see quots. s.v. knapping vbl. n. Obs.
| a 1658 Cleveland Wks. (1687) 200 Doublets? or Knap? The Cog? low Dice? or high? a 1680 Butler Rem. (1759) I. 83 Engages blind and senseless Hap 'Gainst High, and Low, and Slur, and Knap. |
▪ III. knap
variant form of knop n.1 and n.2
▪ IV. knap, v.1 Now dial.
(næp)
Forms: α. 5– knap, 5–6 knapp, 9 nap. β. 5–7 knop.
[Echoic, going with knap n.2; cf. Du. and G. (orig. LG.) knappen to crack, crackle, etc.; to break (a thing) with a sharp crack. Gael. cnap to strike, knock, is prob. from Sc. As in the case of other words that express an action by an imitation of its sound, the sense diverges in various directions, according as the sound or the action is prominent. In knack we think more of the sound, in knap of the stroke and its result.]
1. trans. To strike with a hard short sound; to knack, knock, rap.
| α c 1470 Henryson Mor. Fab. ix. (Wolf & Fox) iii, Thow can knap doun caponis on the nicht. 1550 Coverdale Spir. Perle vi. (1588) 63 The heuenly scholemaster knappeth vs on the fingers, til we apprehend and learne his will. 1626 Bacon Sylva §133 Knap a pair of Tongs some depth within the Water, and you shall hear the Sound of the Tongs well. 1895 Crockett Men of Moss Hags iii. 27 It was ever his wont..to knap his toes on the edge of the step. |
| β c 1460 Towneley Myst. xxi. 408, I can my hand vphefe and knop out the skalys. |
b. absol. or intr.
| 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 467 This Gregour gaif him feild,..knappit on quhill mony ane wes keild. 1676 Wiseman Surg. vii. v. (R.), The people standing by heard it knap in, and the patient declared it by the ease she felt. 1886 Gd. Words 86 The noise my crutches made knap, knapping up and down the deck. |
2. trans. To break into parts or pieces with a sharp cracking sound; to snap or break by a smart blow. Now used spec. of the breaking of flints or of stones for the roads: cf. knapper3.
| 1535 Coverdale Ps. xlv[i]. 9 He hath knapped the speare in sonder. a 1572 Knox Hist. Ref. Wks. 1846 I. 147 Rockettis war rent, typettis war torne, crounis war knapped. 1647 Fanshawe Pastor Fido (1676) 120 Pil'd in one heap dogs slain, spears knapt, men wounded. 1648 Herrick Hesper., Bracelet to Julia, 'Tis but silke that bindeth thee, Knap the thread and thou art free. 1820 J. Cleland Glasgow 107, 330 persons knapping stones for the road. 1862 Instructor i. 122 Picking up flints and knapping them, as the method of breaking them is called. |
| β 1675 Depos. Cast. York (Surtees) 218, 8 halfe crownes,..the said Auty clipt that night, for she heard the knoping of them, being in the next room. |
b. intr. To break off short; to snap.
| 1545 R. Ascham Toxoph. ii. (Arb.) 111 The string..beynge sore twined must nedes knap in sunder. 1623 Gouge Serm. Extent God's Provid. §15 The Summier..being over⁓burdened..knapt suddenly asunder in the midst. |
3. trans. To break off by a smart blow, stroke, or tap; to strike or knock off.
| 1600 Holland Livy i. liv. 38 With his rod..he knapt of the uppermost heads and tops of the poppies. 1710 T. Fuller Pharm. Extemp. 170 A Scorbutic Foment..knappeth off the sharp points of the Salt. 1830 Galt Lawrie T. iv. i. (1849) 143 He took the cigar from his lips, and knapped off the ashes. |
4. To utter smartly; to talk, chatter (a language): = crack v. 5. Also intr. Sc. and north. dial.
In quot. 1886 said of the stonechat, ‘so called from the similarity between its alarm note and the striking together of two pebbles’ (Swainson Prov. Names Brit. Birds 1885).
| 1581 J. Hamilton Facile Treat., Quest. Ministers xiii, King James the fyft,..hering ane of his subjectis knap suddrone, declarit him ane traiteur. 1681 S. Colvil Whigs Supplic. i. (1695) 56 Like Highland Lady's knoping speeches. c 1690 Lintoun Addr. to Prince of Orange in Watson Coll. Sc. Poems (1706) i. 20 English Andrew, who has Skill, To knap at every word so well. 1812 Scott Let. to Morritt 29 Nov. in Lockhart, He answered..that he could knap English with any one. 1816 ― Old Mort. vii, Ilka auld wife in the chimley-neuk will be for knapping doctrine wi' doctors o' divinity. 1886 M. Linskill Haven under Hill II. xi. 147 There was a stone-chat knapping out its song. |
▪ V. knap, v.2 Now dial.
(næp)
[Cf. gnap v. and knab v.; also Du. and G. (orig.LG.) knappen to crack, snap, bite, which unites the senses of this and the prec. In Eng. also, the sense ‘snap’ seems to unite this with sense 2 of knap v.1 See also knep v.]
intr. and trans. To bite in a short or abrupt way; to snap; to nibble.
| 1575 Turberv. Faulconrie 141 If she chaunce to knappe or byte at the sticke let hir bite hardly. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. iii. i. 10 As lying a gossip..as euer knapt ginger. 1611 Cotgr., Brouter, to brouze; to knap, or nible off the sprigs, buds, barke &c., of plants. 1617 Janua Linguarum 22 Mules knap one another. 1721 Strype Eccl. Mem. I. i. xxxi. 222 These Elyot compared to a galled horse..always knapping and kicking at such examples and sentences as they felt sharp. 1819 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd (1827) 52 Some knapp'd awa' at kebbuck-stumps. 1821 Clare Vill. Minstr. II. 106 Horses..turn'd to knap each other at their ease. |
▪ VI. knap
obs. form of nap n. and v.