knap

¹

[ nap ]

noun

, British Dialect.

1. a crest or summit of a small hill.

knap

²

[ nap ]

verb (used with or without object)

, Chiefly British Dialect.

, knapped, knap·ping.

1. to strike smartly; rap.
2. to break off abruptly.
3. to chip or become chipped, as a flint or stone.
4. to bite suddenly or quickly.

knap

¹

/ næp /

verb

1. dialect.
   tr to hit, hammer, or chip

knap

²

/ næp /

noun

1. dialect.
   the crest of a hill

Derived Forms

• ˈknapper, noun

Other Words From

• knapper noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of knap¹

before 1000; Middle English; Old English cnæpp top, summit; cognate with Old Norse knappr knob

Origin of knap²

First recorded in 1425–75; Late Middle English; cognate with Dutch knapen “to crack”; imitative of the sound

Word History and Origins

Origin of knap¹

C15 (in the sense: to strike with a sharp sound): of imitative origin; compare Dutch knappen to crack

Origin of knap²

Old English cnæpp top; compare Old Norse knappr knob

Example Sentences

It was easy to knap, or to flake off, pieces into utilitarian shapes and didn’t need to be tempered or treated with heat as some tool stones do.

From New York Times

By that time, toolmakers were already skilled at knapping.

From Science Magazine

Our Paleolithic ancestors learned to knap delicate blades from round stone cobbles, hunt large game and cook their food.

From Scientific American

The course was jointly led by Ojibwe elders, who taught him how to knap flint, tan hides and build wigwams.

From New York Times

It was there that he learned flint knapping, the shaping of stone to make tools.

From BBC