- luck; chance
- an occurrence
- (intransitive)
an archaic word for happen
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
hap1
(hap),USA pronunciation n., v., happed, hap•ping.
n.
v.i.
hap2 (hap, ap),USA pronunciation [Chiefly Pennsylvania.]
n.
v.t.
Hap (häp, khäp),USA pronunciation n.
n.
- one's luck or lot.
- an occurrence, happening, or accident.
v.i.
- to happen:if it so hap.
- Old Norse happ luck, chance; akin to Old English gehæp fit, convenient; probably akin to Old Church Slavonic kobù auspice, Old Irish cob victory
- Middle English 1150–1200
hap2 (hap, ap),USA pronunciation [Chiefly Pennsylvania.]
n.
- Dialect Termsa comforter or quilt.
v.t.
- Dialect Termsto cover with or as with a comforter or quilt.
- 1350–1400; Middle English happen to cover; perh. blend of, blended lappen lap2 and Old French happer to seize
Hap (häp, khäp),USA pronunciation n.
- Eastern ReligionsApis (def. 1).
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
hap /hæp/ n archaic
-hap-, root.
- -hap- comes from Old Norse, where it has the meaning "luck;
chance.'' This meaning is found in such words as: haphazard, hapless, happen, happening, happenstance, mishap, perhaps.
'hap' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
happen
- happy
- heap
- mayhap
- perhaps
- Apis
- apsis
- Arnold
- haphazard
- hapless
- haply
- happi coat
- happy camper
- happy dust
- happy hour
- happy hunting ground
- Happy Valley-Goose Bay
- happy warrior
- haptics
- mishap
- quasi-happy
- temerity
- timing