dap
dap Lexical Profile
dap Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An informal gesture of greeting, solidarity, or respect consisting of a fist bump or a stylized slapping and clasping of hands.
"The players exchanged a quick dap before stepping onto the basketball court."
A quick, light bounce or dip on a surface, especially of a stone skipping across water.
"With a flick of his wrist, the flat stone made three clean daps across the calm pond."
• verb
To greet or show respect to someone with a fist bump or a stylized clasping of hands (often followed by "up").
"He walked into the room and dapped his friends one by one."
To fish by letting the bait bob lightly on the surface of the water.
"The angler spent the afternoon dapping for trout along the shaded riverbank."
To bounce, skip, or dip lightly across a surface, such as a ball on the ground or a bird on water.
"Swallows dapped over the surface of the lake to catch insects."
• Rhymes for dap
Word Origin & Etymology
The greeting sense originated in the late 1960s among African American soldiers during the Vietnam War, often explained as an acronym for "dignity and pride." The older angling and bouncing senses date to the 16th century, likely related to "dab."