English

Verb

knap ‎(third-person singular simple present knaps, present participle knapping, simple past and past participle knapped)

1. (transitive) To shape a vitreous mineral (flint, obsidian, chert etc.) by breaking away flakes, often forming a sharp edge or point.
2. (transitive) To rap or strike sharply.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Francis Bacon to this entry?)

   • 1820, The Edinburgh Monthly Magazine, volume 8, no.43, page 81, October 1820.

     Some entered the ring in very bad condition, and immediately got a-piping, like hot mutton pies - fell on their own blows, and knapped it every round, till they shewed the white feather and bolted.

   • 1977, Marilynne K. Roach, Encounters with the Invisible World, page 10, ISBN 0690012772.

     "That will be sixpence," he said without looking up. She knapped her lips together and turned on her heel without another word.

3. (obsolete, Britain, dialect) To bite; to bite off; to break short.
   • Dr. H. More:

     He will knap the spears apieces with his teeth.

   • Psalms xlvi. 9 (Book of Common Prayer):

     He breaketh the bow, and knappeth the spear in sunder.

   • 1821, John Clare, "The Village Minstrel":

     "Horses..turn'd to knap each other at their ease."

4. To make a sound of snapping.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Wiseman to this entry?)

Usage notes

(to shape a vitreous mineral) In modern usage knap is restricted to the specific technique of percussion flaking whereby flakes are removed across an entire face or facet leaving a conchoidal fracture. It is distinguished from the more general verb chip and is different from "carve" (removing only part of a face), and "cleave" (breaking along a natural plane). The term is used in archaeology for the production of flaked stone tools and in gunsmithing for the production of gunflints. Knap is rarely used in stonemasonry except to denote fine chipping done with smaller hammers but without the chisel.

Synonyms

• (break flakes from a mineral): chip

Derived terms

• knapper

Related terms

• knapsack

See also

• conchoidal
• flake
• hinge
• pressure flaking

Noun

knap ‎(plural knaps)

1. A sharp blow or slap.
   • 2012, Andrew Ashenden, Basics of Stage Combat: Unarmed, ISBN 1612330711.

     It tells the audience the punch was thrown, they hear a knap, and the victim is 'injured'.

Etymology 2

Middle English, from Old English cnæp, akin to cnotta 'knot'

Noun

knap ‎(plural knaps) (chiefly dialect)

1. A protuberance; a swelling; a knob.
2. The crest of a hill
3. A small hill
   • Holland

     the highest part and knap of the same island

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /knap/, [kʰnɑb̥]

Adjective

knap

1. scanty, scarce
2. brief, concise

Inflection

Adverb

knap

1. hardly, scarcely
2. just under
3. barely

Noun

knap c (singular definite knappen, plural indefinite knapper)

1. button
2. knob
3. controls

Inflection

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /knɑp/

Adjective

knap ‎(comparative knapper, superlative knapst)

1. smart, intelligent, gifted, talented, clever

   Oh, das best knap. - Oh, that's pretty clever.

2. attractive, beautiful, handsome

Inflection

Synonyms

• begaafd, slim
• netjes
• aantrekkelijk

Derived terms

• knappe kop
• knapperd

Adverb

knap

1. quite/rather ... (reinforces what follows)

Verb

knap

1. first-person singular present indicative of knappen
2. imperative of knappen

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From German knapp

Adjective

knap ‎(Cyrillic spelling кнап)

1. (colloquial) tight

Adverb

knap ‎(Cyrillic spelling кнап)

1. (colloquial) tightly, barely

Related terms

• jedva, tijesno

Swedish

Noun

knap

1. A cleat