nap
nap Lexical Profile
nap Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A short sleep, especially one taken during the day.
"She took a quick afternoon nap on the sofa before starting her evening shift."
The raised, fuzzy surface of fuzzy or pile-woven fabrics such as velvet, flannel, or corduroy, consisting of short fibers lying in one direction.
"When sewing velvet, you must cut all pattern pieces in the same direction so the nap reflects light evenly."
• verb
To sleep lightly or briefly, especially during the day.
"The cat usually naps on the sunny windowsill throughout the afternoon."
To raise a soft, fibrous surface on (fabric or leather) by brushing or teasing the fibers.
"After weaving the wool, the mill workers napped the cloth to give the blankets a warm, plush finish."
• Rhymes for nap
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
In the sense of a short sleep, the word derives from the Old English verb 'hnappian', meaning to doze or slumber lightly. The textile sense referring to the raised surface of cloth is a separate homograph borrowed in the late Middle Ages from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German 'noppe', meaning a tuft of wool.