▪ I. strop, n.
(strɒp)
Forms: 4–5 stroppe, 5–6 strope, 1, 8– strop.
[OE. strop (once only) = (M)Du., (M)LG. strop, OHG. strupf masc. (a derivative of the same meaning is MHG., mod.G. strüpfe fem., LG. strippe: see strip n.2), prob. a WGer. adoption of L. struppus, stroppus, strap, band (? a. Gr. στρόϕος), whence OF. estrope (mod.F. estrope, étrope), Pr. estrop-s, Catal. estrop, Pg. estropo rowlock-strap, It. stroppa strap, band.
In the 17th c. the dial. form strap n. appears beside the original form; subsequently it appears in all senses, and in some of them is now the usual form.]
† 1. A band, thong; a loop or noose of leather, etc. Obs. (Cf. strap n. 1.)
In quot. c 1050, a thong or line for lashing an oar to a thole-pin.
| c 1050 Suppl. ælfric's Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 181/42 Struppus, strop, uel arwiððe. 1481 Caxton Reynard (Arb.) 33 Bynde the corde faste to the lynde, and make a rydyng knotte or a strope. 15.. Ld. Fergus' Gaist 83 in Bannatyne MS. (Hunter. Club) I. 326 And it wald play and hop, Abowt the heid ane stre strop. 1552 Elyot's Dict., Amentum, a thonge, or that whiche is bounden to the middes of a darte or iavelyn wherwith it is throwen, a strope or a loupe. 1723 Pres. St. Russia II. 378 A Strop of Leather tied about the Beast's Head like a Halter. |
† b. Surg. A band used in setting a fractured limb. (Cf. strap n. 7 a.) Obs.
| 1741 Ettrick Mach. for reducing Fractures of Thigh in Phil. Trans. XLI. 565 The Leg is suspended by Bands, one of which is placed at the Ancle, from the Sides of which pass Two Strops, to join the inferior Knee-band. |
2. A ring or band of hide or of rope with its ends spliced together, used upon a mast, yard, rope, etc., as a fastening or as a purchase for tackle; esp. a band of rope, iron, or chain fastened round a pulley or block. Chiefly Naut. (Cf. strap n. 2.)
| 1357 in Pipe Roll 32 Edw. III m. 34/2, j. poleancre rope cum le stroppe. 1409 Acc. Exch. K.R. 44/11 (3) m. 3 In .xxij. lb. et di. de cordis..expenditis in factura del stroppes infra bargiam. 1417 in For. Acc. 8 Hen. V, G/1, ij Bowlynes j Stroppe..j Tooppe. 1485 Naval Acc. Hen. VII (1896) 36 Poleis with Stroppes..iiij. Ibid. 38 Stroppes of Russewale, ij. 1744 J. Philips Jrnl. Exped. Anson 139 We also had one of the Strops of our Bobstay broke. 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1780) Strop, a piece of rope spliced into a circular wreath, and used to surround the body of a block; so that the latter may be hung to any particular station about the masts, yards, or rigging... Strops are also used occasionally to fasten upon any large rope, for the purpose of hooking a tackle to the eye, or double part of the strop. 1789 Trans. Soc. Arts VII. 177 The line was fixed [to the harpoon] by a strop, made of fore⁓ganger, our wire-shackles being all broke. 1846 A. Young Naut. Dict. 329 Any short piece of rope, with its ends spliced together, gets the name of a strop. Such strops are used for various purposes, as, for hooking a tackle to. 1860 G. S. Nares Naval Cadet's Guide 27 A single strop with a thimble seized in. 1875 Clark Russell Wreck of Grosvenor xvii, Clapping on strops to the collar of the mainstay. 1883 Man. Seamanship for Boys 32, Q. What are masthead pendants? A. Strops or short pieces of rope, fitted..upon the heads of the lower masts, for applying tackles for staying the masts or setting up lower rigging. 1912 J. Masefield in Engl. Rev. Oct. 340 The noisy half⁓deck rang with mirth, For two ship's boys were putting on the strop. |
b. (See quot.)
| 1875 Knight Dict. Mech., Strop (Rope-making), a rope with an eye at each end, used in twisting strands. |
3. A strip of leather (or of a special textile), or a strip of wood covered with leather or other suitable material, used for sharpening a razor; a razor-strop. (Cf. strap n. 8 dial.)
| 1702 Post Man 3–5 Feb. 2/1 Strops for setting Razors, Pen-knives, &c. upon. 1822 Scott Nigel viii, You are wanted more than a strop for a blunt razor. 1844 Dickens Mart. Chuz. xxix, He happened to have been sharpening his razors,..a huge strop dangled from the wall. 1887 F. Francis Jun. Saddle & Mocassin 64 Three various strops were necessary to put an edge on the razor that was to execute me. |
† 4. A narrow band of metal; = strap n. 9.
| 1573–4 in Swayne Sarum Church-w. Acc. (1896) 122 Mendinge of the stropes of iij belles, xij d. 1603–4 Ibid. 152 Iron stroppes and bolts and kayes for the belles. |
5. Comb., as strop-maker; strop-bound adj.
| 1736 Gentl. Mag. VI. 607/2 Soap-boilers, Razor-makers, Hone-makers, Strop-makers, &c. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Strop-bound block, a single block used in the clue of square-sails for the clue-lines to lead through. |
▪ II. strop, n.2 Brit. colloq.
Brit. /strɒp/, U.S. /strɑp/
[Back-formation <stroppy adj.]
As a mass noun: belligerence, peevishness (rare). As a count noun: a fit of temper; a sulk.
| 1970 M. Tripp Man without Friends xii. 124 ‘What about Nanny?’ I said with a touch of strop in my voice. 1990 Smash Hits 31 Oct. 55/4 We see them when they're being spiteful, when they're funny, when they're in unspeakable strops. 1993 Empire Aug. 50/2 Big sis has caused him to go into a right strop by taunting him about his ‘girlfriend’. 2004 Company Mar. 73/1 By the time this so-called ‘Jamie’ phoned to ask Becky out for a drink, I had worked myself up into a mammoth strop and refused to speak to her. |
▪ III. strop, a. dial. ? Obs.
[Cf. strop v.2]
strop milch cow = strapper2, stropper.
| 1781 in Hist. Chesterfield (1839) 339 For every strop milch cow, one penny. |
▪ IV. strop, v.1
(strɒp)
[f. strop n.]
1. trans. To sharpen or smooth the edge of (a razor) with a strop. Also transf. and fig.
| 1841 Dickens Barn. Rudge xxv. The raven..after a long inspection of an epitaph, would strop his beak upon the grave to which it referred. 1850 Holtzapffel Turning III. 1155 The razor is always stropped backwards, and usually from heel to point. 1853 Lytton My Novel ii. ix, ‘Well?’ cried the Squire, suspending the operation of stropping his razor. 1944 ‘Palinurus’ Unquiet Grave iii. 72 The parrot stropping its beak on the bars of the cage. 1957 C. Day Lewis Pegasus 25 The river endlessly stropping its tides against the embankment. 1974 ‘J. Herriot’ Vet in Harness vii. 51 ‘I think a beef sandwich would go down rather nicely, Jim,’ he murmured, as he stropped his carving knife on a steel. |
2. Naut. To furnish (a block) with a strop. Cf. strap v.1 1.
| c 1860 H. Stuart Seaman's Catech. 29 How do you strop a block with a short splice? |
Hence stropped ppl. a.; ˈstropping vbl. n., (a) the action of the verb; (b) concr. (Naut.) rope for making strops.
| 1850 Holtzapffel Turning III. 1156 A razor from continued use and stropping, has become dull. 1875 Bedford Sailor's Pocket Bk. x. (ed. 2) 362 Table of Size of Rope Stropping. 1882 Nares Seamanship (ed. 6) 75 An iron-stropped block. Ibid. 81 The..blocks..are iron stropped. 1883 Fisheries Exhib. Catal. 8 Internal Iron Stropped: External Iron Stropped: Wire Stropped: Rope Stropped. 1893 W. Forbes-Mitchell Gt. Mutiny 287 As keen an edge as a well-stropped razor. |
▪ V. strop, v.2 dial.
(strɒp)
[Cf. strap v.2, strip v.3]
trans. = strap v.2
| 1884 G. S. Streatfeild Linc. & Danes 367 Strop, to draw the last milk from the teats of a cow; Stroppings, the last milk that comes before the udder is empty. |