▪ I. † nap, n.1 Obs.
Forms: 1 hnæp(p, 2–3 nep, 2–4 nap.
[OE. hnæp(p, = OS. nap (MDu. and Du. nap), OHG. (h)napf (G. napf), of obscure origin. An OLG. *hnap is the source of OF. hanap (see hanap), and It. nappo may also be an adoption from Teutonic.]
A drinking-cup or bowl.
| c 1000 ælfric Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 123 Ciatus, hnæp. Anthlia, hnæp. c 1050 Vocab. ibid. 283 Patera, hnæpp. c 1070 in Earle Land Charters, etc. 250, vi mæsene sceala, & ii ᵹebonede hnæppas. a 1100 in Napier O.E. Glosses i. 1847 Poculi, i. calicis, steapes, hnæppes. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 163 Hire nap [is] of mazere. a 1225 Ancr. R. 344 Ibroken nep oðer disch. c 1250 Death 107 in O.E. Misc. 174 Hwer beoð þine dihsches?.. Hwer beoþ þine nappes? c 1350 Body & Soul (Camden) 343, I nam nouther furst ne last That schal drynken of that nap. |
▪ II. nap, n.2
(næp)
Also 4–7 nappe, (7 knap, 8 napp).
[f. nap v.1]
A short or light sleep, esp. one taken during the day; a doze.
| 13.. Cursor M. 7201 (Gött.), Bot sampson wakind of his nap, Of bandis he lete himseluen scap. c 1412 Hoccleve Min. Poems 63 It me reueth many a sleep & nap. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 7435 Þan I wakynd of my nappe. 1530 Palsgr. 247/2 Nappe a lytell slepe, repos. 1596 Spenser F.Q. iv. v. 42 If by fortune any litle nap Upon his heavie eye-lids chaunst to fall [etc.]. 1628 Ford Lover's Mel. ii. ii, In his naps he never looks in a glass. 1680 Otway Caius Marius iv. i, I'll swear it wak'd me out of a sweet Nap. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 112 ¶3 If by chance he has been surprized into a short Nap at Sermon. 1787 F. Burney Diary 16 Aug., I sat up all night,..not daring to trust to a nap for myself. 1848 Dickens Dombey xxiii, He refreshed his mind with a nap. 1863 ‘Ouida’ Held in Bondage (1870) 3 A suspicious appearance of having just tumbled out of a nap. |
b. In verbal phrases, esp. to take a nap.
| c 1400 Rom. Rose 4005 He slombred, & a nappe he toke. 1548 Udall Erasm. Par. Mark xiii. 88 Although the people doe sumtymes take a nappe. 1606 Holland Sueton. 171 Otherwhiles he would catch a nap in the day time, as he sat to minister iustice. 1653 Nissena 28 He slept but a little..though but for a very smal space he stole a nap. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 52 ¶4 [He] seems to take a Nap with his Eyes open. 1787 Jefferson Writ. (1859) II. 246 The genius of invention and improvement in Europe seems to be absolutely taking a nap. 1863 Geo. Eliot Romola i, You'll know better than to take your nap in street corners. |
▪ III. nap, n.3
(næp)
Also 5–6 noppe, 7 nappe, 8–9 knap.
[a. MDu. or MLG. noppe (mod.G. and Da. noppe; Du. nop, Sw. nopp, Norw. napp; also Walloon nope, † noppe), n. related to noppen nap v.2 There is no evidence for the OE. hnoppa given by Somner.]
1. a. Originally, the rough layer of projecting threads or fibres on the surface of a woollen or other textile fabric, requiring to be smoothed by shearing; in later use, a special surface given to cloth of various kinds by artificial raising of the short fibres, with subsequent cutting and smoothing; the pile.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 358/1 Noppe of a clothe, villus, tomentum. 1495 Act 11 Hen. VII, c. 27 They pull of both the noppe and the coton of the same Fustians. 1526 Skelton Magnyf. 453 Whan the noppe is rughe, it wolde be shorne. 1589 Fleming Virg. Georg. iv. 69 They bring towels with nap shorne off (The floow or roughness shorne away for feare to hurt his handes). 1617 Moryson Itin. iii. 165 The nap of the cloth (and that somewhat course) being worne off, the ground plainely appears. 1710 Swift Tatler No. 238 ¶5 His only Coat, where Dust confus'd with Rain Roughen the Nap, and leave a mingled Stain. 1727–38 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Teazel, To card, or draw out the wool or knap from the thread or ground of several kinds of cloths. 1805 J. Luccock Nat. Wool 124 The principal object is to procure a long and well formed knap. 1841 Borrow Zincali I. v. i. 90 It is very old, torn, and threadbare, with no nap upon it. 1882 Sala Amer. Revis. (1885) 232 To destroy the nap on gentlemen's coats. |
| attrib. 1875 Knight Dict. Mech. 1511/2 Nap-warp,..in fustian weaving, the upper warp covering the main warp or nap. |
| fig. 1591 Lyly Endym. v. ii, You haue worne the nappe of your witte quite off, and made it thredbare. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, iv. ii. 7 To dresse the Common-wealth, and turne it, and set a new nap vpon it. 1627 E. F. Hist. Edw. II (1686) 91 When the nap of this Project was fallen off. 1682 Lenten Prol. 1 in 3rd Collect. Poems (1689) 26/1 Our Prologue-Wit grows flat: the Naps worn off. |
b. The woolly substance removed from the surface of cloth by the process of shearing.
| 1780 A. Young Tour Irel. I. 181 Large quantities of knap are constantly taken out of the machine. |
c. With pl. A cloth having a nap on it.
| 1771 Pennsylv. Gaz. 26 Sept. 3/1 The Sale of a large Assortment of coarse and fine Broadcloths, Bearskins, Coatings, Naps. 1888 Daily News 3 Dec. 2/7 Some fair orders are being placed for the cheaper makes of tweeds, serges, naps, pilots, and curls. |
d. Blankets or other covering used by a person sleeping in the open air. Austral. slang.
| c 1905 in Stewart & Keesing Old Bush Songs (1957) 249 My nap is rather thin, But my rig is pretty good. 1918 C. Fetherstonhaugh After Many Days 279 That night he could not catch the donkey, and he had to camp without any ‘nap’ (blankets). 1926 L. C. E. Gee Bushtracks & Goldfields 41 The quarts were boiled and an after-dinner supply of coffee made, the ‘nap’ spread out on soft sandy spots, the two travellers reclined with pipes. 1933 R. B. Plowman Man from Oodnadatta 2 The blackboy's nap (blankets, underproof sheet, etc.) filled in the rear compartment. 1934 A. Russell Tramp-Royal in Wild Austral. vii. 54 Rolled in our ‘nap’ with the ‘break’ at our heads and the camp fire at our feet, we slept snug and comfortable. 1936 ― Gone Nomad iii. 15 Here I hobbled out my horse and built a fire, placing beside it my nap and sweat-soaked saddle for pillow. 1945 Coast to Coast 1944 157 If you carry enough nap, you goes hungry; if you carry enough tucker you sleeps cold. |
2. transf. A surface, esp. of a soft or downy nature, resembling the nap of cloth.
| 1591 Spenser Muiopot. 333 The velvet nap which on his wings doth lie. 1638 Ford Fancies v. ii, Frizzle or powder their hair, plain their eye-brows, set a nap on their cheeks. 1668 Culpepper & Cole Barthol. Anat. i. xiv. 33 The Liver in its hollow side, cloathed with its Coat and ragged Nap. 1776–96 Withering Brit. Plants IV. 165 In the young and unexpanded plants or buttons the pileus is covered with a knap or frize of a brown glutinous wool. 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. I. xxvii. 358 Feathers of young frosting gave a plush⁓like nap to its surface. 1891 T. Hardy Tess xliii, Every twig was covered with a white nap as of fur grown from the rind during the night. |
3. The smooth and glossy surface of a beaver, felt, or silk hat.
| 1727–38 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Hat, The hat..is..rubbed with pumice, to take off the coarser knap; then rubbed over afresh with seel-skin, to lay the knap still finer. 1838 Dickens Nich. Nick. xxix, Mr. Folair twirled his old hat round upon his hand, and affected the extremest agony lest any of the nap should have been knocked off. 1862 Thornbury Turner II. 319 A hat with the nap carefully brushed the wrong way. |
▪ IV. † nap, n.4 Obs. rare—1.
[Of obscure origin: cf. Norw. napp, a little tug or pull.]
A draught.
| 14.. Songs & Carols 15th C. (Warton Club) 48 He tok that maydyn be the pap, And tok thereof a ryȝt god nap. |
▪ V. nap, n.5
(næp)
[abbrev. of Napoleon.]
1. A twenty-franc piece; = Napoleon 1.
| 1820 Moore Mem. (1853) III. 99 Got forty pounds at the banker's and gave Mr. Lake his remaining three Naps. 1862 H. Marryat Year in Sweden II. 283 English sovereigns and French naps as common as halfpence. |
2. a. A card game, in which each player receives five cards, and calls the number of tricks he expects to win; one who calls five is said to go nap, and to make his nap if he succeeds in winning them all. nap hand, a hand which will probably take all five tricks in the game of nap; a strong hand; also fig. Cf. Napoleon 4.
The game is often called half-penny, sixpenny, etc. nap, according to the amount paid for each ‘point’ staked.
| 1862 C. C. Robinson Dial. Leeds 371 He's a nap hand at his traade! 1879 M. E. Braddon Vixen III. 194 The younger members of the house party played Nap. 1887 Black Sabina Zembra xxi, It was sixpenny ‘Nap’ they were going to play. 1894 Maskelyne Sharps & Flats 24 The dupe..being rendered suspicious by the eagerness of those about him to wager that he would not make his Nap. 1899 Captain I. 369/2 He showed me the way to deal myself a ‘nap’ hand, no matter who shuffled the cards. 1955 Radio Times 22 Apr. 9/2 Both these races (run over the Rowley Mile) test three-year-olds in the spring and complete the ‘nap hand’ of classics. |
b. Hence in phr. to go nap, to stake all one can, to speculate heavily; also fig. In Austral. also used neg.
| c 1884 Glover Racing Life 38 Look here, you go nap—now hear that? nap!—on Royal Angus. 1898 Westm. Gaz. 12 Feb. 6/1 The market is going nap on the British Tea Table. 1938 F. S. Anthony Me & Gus 8 That's why the girls go nap on you the way they do. 1955 P. White Tree of Man (1956) vii. 80, I never went nap on the priests meself. 1957 D. Niland Call me when Cross turns Over viii. 184 But he never went nap on the city, he said, and now he had done with it for good. 1959 Times 22 Dec. 3/2 That is the sort of thing that poses another problem within the selectors' main one—whether to go nap on the ability that they know a man has in him, or whether to go entirely on the evidence of trials. 1961 A. Upfield Bony & White Savage vii. 59 The woman who runs the bookshop knows we don't go nap on the sexy stuff. 1967 N. Marsh Death at Dolphin x. 256 When you get one of your hunches..I reckon it's safe to go nap on it. |
c. A tip that a horse or greyhound is the most likely to win; spec. (see quot. 1937). In full, nap selection. Also, the horse or greyhound so tipped; a bet on such a horse or greyhound. colloq.
| 1895 Starting Price 30 Mar. 1/2 Our ‘Outsider's’ nap of Docker for the Hainton Stakes. 1926 Westm. Gaz. 20 July 1/4 The Whip, who yesterday gave Lightstep, Nap (won 3–1),..continues to hold a strong lead in Naps over the selections of the other racing critics. 1927 W. E. Collinson Contemp. Eng. 30 He stars this one, and the horse so starred is the nap selection. 1937 E. Rickman On & off Racecourse ix. 195 Every racing writer gives a single ‘nap’ or starred selection each day. It is his idea of the most promising bet the programme affords. 1960 Which? Mar. 60/1 The figures in the table are based on the correspondent's ‘nap’ selection—the word comes from a card game—for each day's racing, the horse that he thinks is the best bet. 1971 Post (S. Afr., Cape ed.) 9 May 16/5 (Advt.), Information from ‘Horseman’ includes jackpots, naps, accumulators, duplas, quinellas, doubles. |
▪ VI. † nap, n.6 slang.
[f. nap v.3]
(See quots.)
| a 1700 B. E. Dict. Caut. Crew, Napper of Napps, a Sheep⁓stealer. c 1700 Street Robberies Consider'd, Nap, an arrest. |
▪ VII. nap, n.7 Theatr. slang.
(næp)
[? variant of knap n.2 1.]
A pretended blow; esp. in phr. to give or take the nap.
| 1851 Mayhew Lond. Labour III. 139 (Hoppe), Then Pantaloon comes up.., and I give him the ‘nap’, and knock him on his back. 1877 Era Almanack 49, I don't think, though, I shall be able to take the nap much longer. |
▪ VIII. nap, n.8
Variant of knap n.1 1.
| 1702 Tonkin in Carew's Cornwall (1811) 343 note, A large level piece of ground, which is higher than any other part of this fortification, it being the nap of the hill. |
▪ IX. nap, n.9 Sc.
[var. of knap knop n.1 3.]
A shin of beef.
| 1844 H. Stephens Bk. Farm II. 169 The nap or shin is analogous to the hough of the hind leg. |
▪ X. nap, n.10
Sc. Var. of knap knop, a tub.
| 1824 Mactaggart Gallovid. Encycl. 78. |
▪ XI. nap, v.1
(næp)
Forms: 1 hnapp-, hnæppian, (h)neap(p)-, 2–6 nappe, (3 nappi, 5 nappyn), (5) 6– nap, (8 knap).
[OE. hnappian, hnæppian, app. related to OHG. (h)naffez-, naphez-, naffizan ‘dormitare’.]
intr. To sleep lightly or for a brief time; to take a short sleep.
Formerly in more dignified use than at present, being frequently employed in renderings of Biblical passages.
| c 825 Vesp. Psalter iii. 6 Ic hneappade & slepan ongon. c 897 K. ælfred Gregory's Past. C. xxviii. 192 Ne slapiᵹe no ðin eaᵹan, ne ne hnappiᵹen ðine bræwas. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxv. 5 Ða se brydguma ylde, þa hnappudon hiᵹ ealle & slepun. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 201 Sume men slapeð faste, and sume nappeð. a 1225 Ancr. R. 324 Þe þet nappeð upon helle brerde, he torpleð ofte al in er he lest wene. c 1275 Lay. 1219 So he gon nappi [c 1205 slomnen], þar after to slepe. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. C. 465 Quen hit neȝed to naȝt nappe hym bihoued. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 393, ‘I most sitte’, seyde the segge ‘or elles shulde I nappe’. 1423 Jas. I Kingis Q. lx, Gif I hald my pes, than will sche nap. 1519 W. Horman Vulg. 88, I can not but nappe whyle he precheth. 1598 Marston Pygmal. v. 160 The boy did nap, Whereby bright Phœbus did great Mars intrap. 1647 Trapp Comm. Matt. xxv. 5 They slept but half-asleep, they napped and nodded. 1719 D'Urfey Pills (1872) III. 103 On whose fair Hills..The God of Love lay knapping. 1767 J. Penn Sleepy Serm. 23 It would, we think, be better for them to be found rather watching, than napping. 1819 Shelley Peter Bell 3rd ii. iv, He..On every side did perk and peer Till he saw Peter dead or napping. 1881 M. C. Hay Missing III. 118 Aunt Charlotte will nap a little. |
| fig. a 1050 Liber Scintill. (1889) 2 Hi hnappiað on ᵹewilnungum & ᵹelustfullungum flæsces. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 303 To þise sectis ceessiþ not þe iugement þat is now & bifore tymes, & here leesing nappiþ not. c 1449 Pecock Repr. v. i. 478 Doom..cesith not, and the perdicioun..nappith not. |
b. Phr. to take or catch (one) napping, to find (one) asleep; also fig., to take unawares or off one's guard, to surprise (a person).
| 1562 Pilkington Expos. Neh. (1585) 65 Our mortall enemie..hopeth to speede at length, and take thee napping. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. ii. 54 The most watchfull may sometimes bee taken napping. a 1659 Bp. Brownrig Serm. (1674) II. vi. 62 How much more unbecoming is it, that the Sun of righteousness should take us napping? 1743 Bulkeley & Cummins Voy. S. Seas. 92 The Captain said, Very well, Gentlemen, you have caught me Napping. 1844 Disraeli Coningsby viii. iii, The Tory party is organised now; they will not catch us napping again. 1884 Leeds Merc. 30 Apr. 4/6 The truth is that the Government whips were caught napping, as they too often are. |
c. nap-at-noon, a popular name for plants of the goat's-beard family (Tragopogon), the flowers of which close during the morning.
| 1865 Cornh. Mag. July 34 The peasant christens his flowers after their habits. In the Midland counties the common goatsbeard is his ‘nap-at-noon’. |
▪ XII. nap, v.2
(næp)
Also 5–6 noppe, 8 knap.
[a. MDu. or MLG. noppen (Du. and G. noppen, Da. noppe, Sw. noppa, Norw. nappa; also Walloon noper, † nopper), of uncertain origin.]
† 1. trans. To trim (cloth) by shearing the nap.
| c 1483 Caxton Dialogues 33 Clarisse the nopster can well her craft..cloth for to noppe. 1483 Cath. Angl. 256/1 To Noppe; detuberare. 1582 Bentley Mon. Matrones 72 They have so shorne, nopped and turned Christ's garment. |
2. To furnish with a nap; to raise a nap on.
| 1620 Shelton Quix. III. xxxviii. 264 Had the Bayz been napp'd, every Grain of it would have been as big as your biggest Peas. 1685 Lond. Gaz. No. 2009/8 For Beautifying of Cloth,..by Napping and Freezing the same without Honey, Mollosse, or any Moisture. 1727–38 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Cloth, The cloth thus woven, scoured, knapped, and shorn, is sent to the dyer. 1852 C. Morfit Tanning & Currying (1853) 534 To soften the fibres, and nap the surface without cutting the flesh off. |
▪ XIII. nap, v.3 Cant and slang.
(næp)
Also 7, 9 knap.
[Cf. Sw. and Norw. nappa, Da. nappe, to snatch, snap, etc. The precise source and relationship to nab v.1 are not clear.]
1. trans. To seize, catch, or lay hold of (a person or thing); to take into custody; to nab, steal.
| 1673 in R. Head Canting Acad. 11 If the Cully naps us, And the Lurries from us take. Ibid. 192 Though he tip them the piks, they nap him agen. a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Nap the Wiper, to Steal the Handkerchief. 1719 D'Urfey Pills (1872) IV. 320 But nap'd them in the Streets, By Dozens and Scores. 1812 J. H. Vaux Flash Dict. s.v. Knap, To knap a clout, is to steal a pocket-handkerchief. 1863 E. Farmer Scrap Book (ed. 3) 53 Hunting after sweets we nap some sours. |
b. to nap it, to ‘catch it’, to receive severe punishment, esp. in a boxing-match.
| a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew s.v., You have Napt it, you are Clapt, Sir. Ibid. s.v. Nask, He Napt it at the Nask, he was Lasht at Bridewell. 1820 Blackw. Mag. VIII. 81 Some entered the ring in a very bad condition..and knapped it every round. 1821 Sporting Mag. VII. 274 Josh as usual napt it in the first part of the round. |
† 2. (See latest quots.) Obs. rare—0.
| 1673 [see napping vbl. n.3]. 1680 Head & Kirkman Eng. Rogue iv. 210 Nothing could perswade him but that he was cheated of his Money, that he napt on him, and I know not what. 1688 Holme Armoury iii. xvi. (Roxb.) 64/2 Nap or Knap, or cog a die is the slurring it out of ones fingers. a 1700 B.E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Nap, by Cheating with the Dice to secure one Chance. |
▪ XIV. nap, v.4
(næp)
[f. nap n.5 2 c.]
trans. To recommend (a horse or greyhound) as a likely winner.
| 1927 Daily Express 22 June 17/7 Great Chum napped for White City Cup Final. 1973 Listener 28 June 864/3 You start napping odds-on chances, and they get beaten just as easily as the others. |
▪ XV. nap
variant of knap v.1
▪ XVI. nap
(in hap or nap): see hab adv. 2.