bop

¹

[ bop ]

noun

1. Also called bebop. early modern jazz developed in the early 1940s and characterized by often dissonant triadic and chromatic chords, fast tempos and eccentric rhythms, intricate melodic lines punctuated by pop-tune phrases, and emphasizing the inventiveness of soloists. Compare cool jazz, hard bop, modern jazz, progressive jazz.

verb (used without object)

, bopped, bop·ping.

1. Slang. to move, go, or proceed (often followed by on down ):

   Let's bop on down to the party.

bop

²

[ bop ]

verb (used with object)

, bopped, bop·ping.

1. to strike, as with the fist or a stick; hit.

noun

1. a blow.

bop

¹

/ bɒp /

verb

1. tr to strike; hit

noun

1. a blow

bop

²

/ bɒp /

noun

1. a form of jazz originating in the 1940s, characterized by rhythmic and harmonic complexity and instrumental virtuosity Originally calledbebop
2. informal.
   a session of dancing to pop music

verb

1. informal.
   intr to dance to pop music

Derived Forms

• ˈbopper, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bop¹

1945–50, Americanism; (be)bop

Origin of bop²

First recorded in 1935–40; variant of bob ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of bop¹

C19: of imitative origin

Origin of bop²

C20: shortened from bebop

Example Sentences

Now, the once ubiquitous bop is back, interpolated into “Energy,” the fifth track on Renaissance.

From Time

After debuting in 2017, ONF has consistently released theatrical, dramatic bops.

From Time

The queens of the early aughts linked up in separate locations to bring bops that brought us back to Jansport backpacks and Jersey dresses.

From Essence.com

These people that work for the BOP are not rocket scientists.

From The Daily Beast

Bop had produced self-conscious artists who refused to bow to conventional assumptions of what was entertaining.

From The Daily Beast

He would do a harried married man or an old horse on its last legs or a bop musician named Cool Cees or a whole Italian movie.

From The Daily Beast

Kayleigh Roberts, the online editor of Bop and Tiger Beat, had her own take on the phenomenon.

From The Daily Beast

He gave her permission later in the trial to slap/wallop/hit/punch/smack/bop him again and the result was fantastic.

From The Daily Beast

Once in a while to be sure a head grows a bit too big and then we all take a bop at it!

From Project Gutenberg

Strange to say this was not my first linguistic effort, which was, as a matter of fact, the Romany word "bop."

From Project Gutenberg

The quota is supposed to be used only in extreme BOP distress.

From Project Gutenberg

There is another "p" and an "e" tacked on to Bop, but I have eliminated the unnecessary and call him "Bob" for short.

From Project Gutenberg

To “bop” means in the Suffolk dialect “to stoop or bow the head.”

From Project Gutenberg