knap

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /næp/
• Rhymes: -æp
• Homophone: nap

Etymology 1

From Middle English knappen, an onomatopeia

Verb

knap (third-person singular simple present knaps, present participle knapping, simple past and past participle knapped)

1. (transitive) To shape a hard, brittle material (such as flint, obsidian, chert etc.) by breaking away sections or flakes, often forming a sharp edge or point. Distinguished from "carve" because each fracture goes across one entire face or facet, and from "cleave" because breaking (knapping) vitreous, brittle homogeneous (i.e., not crystalline) materials inevitably results in curved, conchoidal fractures.

Usage notes

The verb chip is often used as a synonym of the more specific word knap. The term knap is used in archaeology for the production of flaked stone tools and in gunsmithing for the production of gunflints. Knap is often used in more formal discourse for the general term percussion flaking. Knap is rarely used in stonemasonry except to denote fine chipping done with smaller hammers but without the chisel. Knapping is indeed percussion flaking but rarely is used to describe the production of gunflints.

Synonyms

• chip

Derived terms

• knapper

Related terms

• knapsack

See also

• concho'''id'''al
• flake
• hinge
• pressure flaking

Etymology 2

Middle English, from Old English cnæp, akin to cnotta 'knot'

Noun

knap (plural knaps) (chiefly dialect)

1. The crest of a hill
2. A small hill
3. A sharp blow or slap.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.

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Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA: /knap/, [kʰnɑb̥]

Adjective

knap (neuter knapt, definite and plural knappe)

1. scanty, scarce
2. brief, concise

Adverb

knap

1. hardly, scarcely
2. just under
3. barely

Noun

knap c. (singular definite knappen, plural indefinite knapper)

1. button
2. knob
3. controls

Inflection

    Inflection of knap

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative, dative and accusative	knap	knappen	knapper	knapperne
genitive	knaps	knappens	knappers	knappernes

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA: /knɑp/

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

knap (comparative knapper, superlative knapst)

1. smart, intelligent, gifted, talented, clever

   Oh, das best knap. - Oh, that's pretty clever.

2. attractive, beautiful, handsome

Declension

Declension of knap

		positive	comparative	superlative
				attributive	predicative/adverbial
predicative/adverbial		knap	knapper
neuter singular	indefinite	knap	knapper
	definite	knappe	knappere	knapste	het knapst(e)
common singular		knappe	knappere	knapste	de knapste
plural		knappe	knappere	knapste	de knapste
partitive		knaps	knappers

Derived terms

• knappe kop
• knapperd

Synonyms

• begaafd, slim
• netjes
• aantrekkelijk

Adverb

knap (not comparable)

1. quite/rather ... (reinforces what follows)

Verb

knap

1. first-person singular present indicative of knappen.
2. imperative of knappen.

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Swedish

Noun

knap

1. A cleat