Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense naps, present participle napping, past tense, past participle napped
1. countable noun
If you have a nap, you have a short sleep, usually during the day.
Use your lunch hour to have a nap in your chair.
I might take a little nap.
Synonyms: sleep, rest, kip [British, slang], siesta More Synonyms of nap
2. verb
If you nap, you sleep for a short period of time, usually during the day.
An elderly person may nap during the day and then sleep only five hours a night. [VERB]
Synonyms: sleep, rest, nod, drop off [informal] More Synonyms of nap
3. singular noun
The nap of a carpet or of a cloth such as velvet is the top layer of short threads, which usually lie smoothly in one direction.
4.
See catch sb napping
More Synonyms of nap
nap in British English1
(næp)
verbWord forms: naps, napping or napped(intransitive)
1.
to sleep for a short while; doze
2.
to be unaware or inattentive; be off guard (esp in the phrase catch someone napping)
noun
3.
a short light sleep; doze
Word origin
Old English hnappian; related to Middle High German napfen
nap in British English2
(næp)
noun
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. Australian informal
blankets, bedding
verbWord forms: naps, napping or napped
4. (transitive)
to raise the nap of (cloth, esp velvet) by brushing or similar treatment
Word origin
C15: probably from Middle Dutch noppe; related to Old English hnoppian to pluck
nap in British English3
(næp)
noun
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
5. not to go nap on
6. nap hand
verbWord forms: naps, napping or napped
7. (transitive) horse racing
to name (a horse) as likely to win a race
Word origin
C19: short for napoleon, the original name of the card game
nap in American English1
(næp)
verb intransitiveWord forms: napped or ˈnapping
1.
to doze or sleep lightly for a short time
2.
to be careless or unprepared
noun
3.
a brief, light sleep; doze
Word origin
ME nappen < OE hnappian, akin to OHG hnaffezan
nap in American English2
(næp)
noun
1.
the downy or hairy surface of cloth formed by short hairs or fibers, esp. when artificially raised by brushing, etc.; pile
2.
any such downy surface, as that raised on the flesh side of leather
verb transitiveWord forms: napped or ˈnapping
3.
to raise a nap on (fabric or leather), as by brushing
Derived forms
napless (ˈnapless)
adjective
Word origin
ME noppe < or akin to MDu & MLowG noppe (Ger & Dan hoppe) < IE *kenebh- < base *ken-, to scratch, rub > Ger nut, rabbet, Gr knaptein, to scratch, tear apart
nap in American English3
(næp)
noun
napoleon (sense 1) napoleon (sense 2)
-nap in American English
(næp)
to seize and carry away; steal
often in nonce combinations
dognap, petnap
Word origin
< kidnap
Examples of 'nap' in a sentence
nap
He looked about to take a nap on the halfhour.
The Sun (2016)
Enjoy a 15-minute nap or quiet time at lunch to reset.
The Sun (2016)
Those who took an hour 's nap did better than those who did not.
The Sun (2017)
I'll have a nana nap each day.
The Sun (2016)
Naturally, I was overcome by a childish urge to catch the system napping.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I nap during the day if I can.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But she really did catch us napping.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
She had not slept except for tiny little naps during all that time.
Tepper, Sheri S. A Plague of Angels (1993)
Other researchers suggest that shorter naps are beneficial.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
So two hour bursts of naps throughout the course of his day.
Christianity Today (2000)
The nap gives caffeine time to work its magic on the brain.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
He takes long naps in the afternoon.
Marius, Richard A Short Guide to Writing About History (1995)
My father says that he needs a nap.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Do not take naps in the afternoon.
Vera Peiffer POSITIVE THINKING: Everything you have always known about positive thinking but wereafraid to put into practice (2001)
They may refuse to eat and find it hard to settle down at night and for naps.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
She had a little nap and woke up suddenly feeling very cold.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The funfair and outdoor cinema might fill the time between naps.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Extra rest periods and naps are no longer needed.
Pantano, James A. (MD) Living with Angina (1991)
They return to the house around 11am for snacks and then take a nap before lunch.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The key is keeping fit - and a quick nap in the afternoon.
The Sun (2014)
The naps grew shorter, and one afternoon he joined me at the pool.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Most cats nap for 12 hours a day.
The Sun (2011)
If the idea was to catch Wolves napping, it nearly worked.
The Sun (2010)
In other languages
nap
British English: nap /næp/ NOUN
If you have a nap, you have a short sleep, usually during the day.
Use your lunch hour to have a nap in your chair.
American English: nap
Arabic: غَفْوَةٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: soneca
Chinese: 小睡
Croatian: drijemež
Czech: šlofík
Danish: lur
Dutch: dutje
European Spanish: siesta
Finnish: nokoset
French: somme sieste
German: Nickerchen
Greek: υπνάκος
Italian: sonnellino
Japanese: うたたね
Korean: 낮잠
Norwegian: lur
Polish: drzemka
European Portuguese: sesta
Romanian: pui de somn
Russian: дремота
Latin American Spanish: siesta
Swedish: tupplur
Thai: การงีบหลับ
Turkish: kestirme uyku
Ukrainian: короткий сон удень
Vietnamese: giấc ngủ ngắn
British English: nap VERB
If you nap, you sleep for a short period of time, usually during the day.
An elderly person may nap during the day and then sleep only five hours a night.
American English: nap
Brazilian Portuguese: tirar uma soneca
Chinese: 小睡通常指在白天
European Spanish: echar una cabezada
French: faire un petit somme
German: ein Nickerchen machen
Italian: fare un sonnellino
Japanese: うたた寝をする
Korean: 낮잠 자다
European Portuguese: fazer uma sesta
Latin American Spanish: sestear
Chinese translation of 'nap'
nap
(næp)
n
(c) (= sleep) 小睡 (xiǎoshuì)
(s)[of fabric]绒(絨)毛 (róngmáo) (根, gēn)
vi
(inf)
to be caught napping被察觉(覺)有失误(誤)之处(處) (bèi chájué yǒu shīwù zhī chù)
to have a nap小睡一会(會)儿(兒) (xiǎo shuì yīhuìr)
(verb)
Definition
to have a short sleep
I frequently nap during the day.
Synonyms
sleep
I've not been able to sleep for the last few nights.
rest
He has been advised to rest for two weeks.
nod
drop off (informal)
I was just dropping off.
doze
For a while she dozed fitfully.
kip (British, slang)
snooze (informal)
He snoozed in front of the television.
nod off (informal)
The judge appeared to nod off while the witness was being cross-examined.
catnap
drowse
She drowsed for a while.
zizz (British, informal)
(noun)
Definition
a short sleep
I think I'll take a little nap for an hour or so.
Synonyms
sleep
Try and get some sleep.
rest
Go home and have a rest.
kip (British, slang)
siesta
Many cultures have a siesta during the hottest part of the day.
catnap
forty winks (informal)
shuteye (slang)
zizz (British, informal)
nana nap (informal)
idiom
See catch someone napping
(noun)
Definition
the raised fibres of velvet or similar cloth
She buried her face in the towel's soft nap.
Synonyms
pile
the carpet's thick pile
down
ducklings covered in soft down
fibre
a variety of coloured fibres
weave
texture
It is used in moisturisers to give them a silky texture.
shag
grain
Brush the paint over the wood in the direction of the grain.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of catnap
Definition
to sleep or doze for a short time or intermittently
Synonyms
doze,
nap,
kip (British, slang),
snooze,
drowse,
take forty winks (informal)
in the sense of down
Definition
soft fine feathers
ducklings covered in soft down
Synonyms
fluff,
nap,
fuzz,
pile,
oose (Scottish)
in the sense of doze
Definition
to sleep lightly or for a short period
For a while she dozed fitfully.
Synonyms
nap,
sleep,
slumber,
nod,
kip (British, slang),
snooze (informal),
catnap,
drowse,
sleep lightly,
zizz (British, informal)
Nearby words of
nap
nameless
namely
nanny
nap
nape
napkin
nappy
Synonyms of 'nap'
nap
Explore 'nap' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of drop off
Definition
to fall asleep
I was just dropping off.
Synonyms
fall asleep,
nod (off),
doze (off),
go off,
snooze (informal),
drift off,
catnap,
drowse,
have forty winks (informal)
in the sense of drowse
Definition
to be sleepy, dull, or sluggish
She drowsed for a while.
Synonyms
sleep,
drop off (informal),
doze,
nap,
slumber,
kip (British, slang),
snooze (informal),
nod off,
get some shut-eye,
zizz (British, informal),
have or get forty winks,
catch some zeds (informal),
be sleepy,
be drowsy
in the sense of fibre
Definition
a threadlike animal or plant tissue
a variety of coloured fibres
Synonyms
thread,
strand,
filament,
tendril,
pile,
texture,
staple,
wisp,
fibril
in the sense of grain
Definition
the pattern or texture resulting from this
Brush the paint over the wood in the direction of the grain.
Synonyms
texture,
pattern,
surface,
fibre,
weave,
nap
in the sense of nod off
Definition
to fall asleep
The judge appeared to nod off while the witness was being cross-examined.
Synonyms
fall asleep,
sleep,
nap,
doze,
kip (British, slang),
drowse,
slump,
droop,
drop off,
zizz (British, informal)
in the sense of rest
Definition
to be at ease
He has been advised to rest for two weeks.
Synonyms
relax,
sleep,
take it easy,
lie down,
idle,
nap,
be calm,
doze,
sit down,
slumber,
kip (British, slang),
snooze (informal),
laze,
lie still,
be at ease,
put your feet up,
take a nap,
drowse,
mellow out (informal),
have a snooze (informal),
refresh yourself,
outspan (South Africa),
zizz (British, informal),
have forty winks (informal),
take your ease
in the sense of rest
Definition
a period of inactivity
Go home and have a rest.
Synonyms
sleep,
snooze (informal),
lie-down,
nap,
doze,
slumber,
kip (British, slang),
siesta,
forty winks (informal),
zizz (British, informal)
in the sense of siesta
Definition
an afternoon nap, taken in hot countries
Many cultures have a siesta during the hottest part of the day.
Synonyms
nap,
rest,
sleep,
doze,
kip (British, slang),
snooze (informal),
catnap,
forty winks (informal),
zizz (British, informal)
in the sense of snooze
Definition
to take a brief light sleep
He snoozed in front of the television.
Synonyms
doze,
drop off (informal),
nap,
kip (British, slang),
nod off (informal),
catnap,
drowse,
take forty winks (informal)
in the sense of texture
Definition
the structure, appearance, and feel of a substance
It is used in moisturisers to give them a silky texture.