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Definition of jap

jap

/ˈdʒæp/
jap
Plural:japs
•
Past Simple:japped
•
Past Participle:japped
•
Present Participle:japping
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jap Lexical Profile

jap Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

(Usually capitalized, offensive, ethnic slur) A person of Japanese birth or descent.

Example

"Historians have documented how wartime propaganda popularized the derogatory term across Allied media."

2

American (Usually capitalized as JAP, derogatory slang) Acronym for Jewish American Princess, a stereotypical characterization of an affluent, materialistic, or spoiled Jewish woman.

Example

"Sociologists have critiqued the acronym as a harmful intersection of gender and ethnic stereotyping."

• adjective

1

(Usually capitalized, offensive, derogatory) Relating to Japan, its people, or its culture; Japanese.

Example

"Wartime newspapers frequently printed the slur in headlines referring to enemy forces in the Pacific."

• verb

1

British To play a sudden trick or prank on someone, or to catch someone off guard with a surprise ambush (slang, derived from historical references to surprise attacks).

Example

"His classmates tried to jap him with water balloons as soon as he walked out the door."

2

To coat or varnish an object with a hard black lacquer (clipping of 'japan').

Example

"The craftsman carefully prepared the metal tin before proceeding to jap the surface with dark lacquer."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for jap

Word Nuance & Usage

When capitalized as 'Jap', this clipping of 'Japanese' is strongly derogatory and offensive, especially due to its hostile usage during World War II; the standard three-letter code 'JPN' is used instead in sports and international contexts. In lowercase British slang ('to jap'), it refers to a sudden prank or ambush, and as an acronym ('JAP') it is a derogatory stereotype for 'Jewish American Princess'.

• Rhymes for jap

• Nearby Words

janitorial
janitrix
jank
jap
japan
japanese
japanese anemone

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Jap. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/jap
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