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NAP

[nap]

verb (used without object)

to sleep for a short time; doze.

to be off one's guard: The question caught him napping.

verb (used with object)

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.

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Nap is one of our favorite verbs.

So is lollygag. Does it mean:

to spend time idly; loaf.

to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax.

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noun

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.

Example Sentences

There is much difference of opinion concerning tha desirability of an after-dinner nap.

Typically, he only nurses at night and during nap time.

First the ability to nap disappears, then the ability to get a full night's sleep, until the patient cannot sleep at all.

EXPAND

There is much difference of opinion concerning tha desirability of an after-dinner nap.

Typically, he only nurses at night and during nap time.

First the ability to nap disappears, then the ability to get a full night's sleep, until the patient cannot sleep at all.

Each volunteer twice took an afternoon nap in a dark room on a custom-made bed that could rock.

Kays has seen an ocelot curl up for a nap and a vampire bat feed on a tapir's.

It's the perfect place for an afternoon nap or romantic outdoor dining.

Yes, there are better ways to fend off a nap than jamming a pen into your thigh under the table.

Many will be sleep-deprived and looking to pull over for a nap or a dose of caffeine.

If he wants to pay to take a nap in an uncomfortable chair in a stuffy room, fine by me.

Spaniards no longer live close enough to work to go home and nap.

In the fable, the tortoise wins the race because the hare takes a nap.

She then settles for a nap within a foot of the cup.

The pair of economists have been recording every diaper, feeding and nap since they became parents.

It turns out that toddlers are not the only ones who do better after an afternoon nap.

Even the tradition of the afternoon nap may contribute to such longevity.

After a few days on it, you tell the whole story in exchange of a candy or a nap.

Start with one of the reams of studies showing that a quick nap beats coffee as a way of boosting mental performance.

Health care workers who take a nap in the middle of a night shift perform their tasks are better off, a new study suggests.

Georgia was relaxed going up onto the stage and even took a little nap during the preparation session.

Let's pull back a moment to get clear on the tryptophan theory of needing a nap between dinner and dessert.

In other words, don't take a nap or make a phone call while the car is in motion, because any accident is your responsibility.

Uglydolls are the dolls that many boys are willing to nap with, be seen on the street with and take to sleep-away camp.

Once dry, vacuum the carpet again to fluff the nap and remove the last of any soap residues.

Great speech, but you should have let the dude take a nap first.

The conductor distributes bottles, nap time is on the itinerary, and the babies all get off at the right homes.

We nearly bumped into a sea lion taking his afternoon nap.

If he's tired, have him take a nap or go to sleep for the evening.

Their closeness is obvious as they nap in the shade of the same tree or bathe in the same mud hole alongside the river.

Johnson further suggests allowing the children a brief nap upon arrival.

Eventually the chick feasted on this sizable ballyhoo, and then settled in for a long nap.

The benches are divided by welded steel bars, which preclude a comfortable nap.

They checked the car out for about a second and slumped right back into their afternoon nap.

Zappos is considering a plan to revive them as nap rooms.

She is spayed, totally housebroken and was taught to sleep in a crate as well as nap there when her owner leaves.

Others are taking advantage of reduced day rates at some airport hotels to get a nap.

Yogi only had one accident from day one of the leash method, and it was my fault for not taking him outside after a nap.

The only response after a dose of mofongo is a long nap.

COLLAPSE

Dictionary.com Unabridged

noun

the short fuzzy ends of fibers on the surface of cloth, drawn up in napping.

any downy coating, as on plants.

verb (used with object)

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

nap·less, adjective

nap·less·ness, noun

noun

napoleon (defs. 2, 3).

Origin:
shortened form

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

noun

Napoleon (“Nap”), 1875–1959, U.S. baseball player.

Link To NAP

Collins

World English Dictionary

nap¹ (næp)

—vb , 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)

—n
3.	a short light sleep; doze

[Old English hnappian; related to Middle High German napfen]

nap² (næp)

—n
1.	a. the raised fibres of velvet or similar cloth
	b. the direction in which these fibres lie when smoothed down
2.	any similar downy coating
3.	informal (Austral) blankets, bedding

—vb , naps, napping, napped
4.	(tr) to raise the nap of (cloth, esp velvet) by brushing or similar treatment

[C15: probably from Middle Dutch noppe; related to Old English hnoppian to pluck]

nap³ (næp)

—n
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
	a. to undertake to win all five tricks at nap
	b. to risk everything on one chance
5.	slang (Austral) 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

—vb , naps, napping, napped
7.	(tr) horse racing to name (a horse) as likely to win a race

[C19: short for napoleon, the original name of the card game]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

nap

"downy surface of cloth," 1440, from M.Du. or M.L.G. noppe "nap, tuft of wool," probably introduced by Flem. cloth-workers. Cognate with O.E. hnappian "to pluck," ahneopan "pluck off," O.Swed. niupa "to pinch," Goth. dis-hniupan "to tear."

EXPAND

nap

O.E. hnappian "to doze, sleep lightly," of unknown origin, apparently related to O.H.G. hnaffezan. The noun is first attested c.1300.

COLLAPSE

American Heritage

Abbreviations & Acronyms

NAP

Napoli-Capodichino Airport
network access point
neutrophil activating protein

Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia

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.

Learn more about nap with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source

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Slang

take a dirt nap

Matching Quote

"Death eats up all things, both the young lamb and old sheep; and I have heard our parson say, death values a prince no more than a clown; all's fish that comes to his net; he throws at all, and sweeps stakes; he's no mower that takes a nap at noon- day, but drives on, fair weather or foul, and cuts down the green grass as well as the ripe corn: he's neither squeamish nor queesy-stomach'd, for he swallows without chewing, and crams down all things into his ungracious maw; and tho' you can see no belly he has, he has a confounded dropsy, and thirsts after men's lives, which he guggles down like mother's milk."

-Miguel De Cervantes

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