rap

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A style of music in which words are spoken rhythmically over a beat.

   They like listening to rap.

2. 2
   verb

   To hit something quickly and sharply.

   She rapped on the door three times.

3. 3
   noun

   A quick, sharp hit or knock.

   He gave a sharp rap on the window to get her attention.

4. 4
   noun

   The blame for something, especially a crime.

   You can't act badly and then expect me to take the rap.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Rap meaning “a blow” is of Scandinavian origin and probably imitates the sound of a strike. From the late 18th century it became associated with rebuke or punishment, and in American English it later developed the senses “criminal charge” and “prison sentence.” The name of rap music instead comes from a late 18th-century northern English sense meaning “conversation” or “chat”; the musical use is first recorded in 1979.

From Middle English rap, rappe, of North Germanic origin, related to Norwegian rapp (“a blow, strike, lash”), Swedish rapp (“a blow, lash, crack”), Danish rap (“a tap, smart, blow”). Compare Old English hreppan (“to touch, treat”). More at rape.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary