Old English, as in nēpflōd neap tide, of uncertain origin
neap in American English1
(nip)
adjective
1.
designating a type of tide that occurs after the first and third quarters of the lunar month: at these times the high tides are lower and the low tides are higher than the corresponding tides during spring tide because of the gravitational effects of the right-angled alignment of the moon, earth, and sun
noun
2.
neap tide
Word origin
ME neep < OE nep- in nepflod, neap tide
neap in American English2
(nip)
noun
Dialectal
the tongue of a wagon drawn by two animals
Word origin
prob. < ON, as in Norw dial. neip, forked pole
Examples of 'neap' in a sentence
neap
Now wait... but you continue, limping as you walk, while darkness filters into the saucer of land like a neap tide.
Aldiss, Brian SOMEWHERE EAST OF LIFE (1999)
At neap tides, in stormy weather, I've known the water come just a couple of inches below my wall.
Fay Weldon NOTHING TO WEAR AND NOWHERE TO HIDE: A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES (1999)
Springs alternate with neap tides which rise and fall much less.