- to sleep for a short while; doze
- to be unaware or inattentive; be off guard (esp in the phrase catch someone napping)
- a short light sleep; doze
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
nap1 /næp/USA pronunciation
v., napped, nap•ping, n.
v. [no object]
n. [countable]
nap2 /næp/USA pronunciation n., v., napped, nap•ping.
n. [countable]
v. [~ + object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026v. [no object]
- to sleep for a short time;
doze. - to be off one's guard:The question caught him napping.
n. [countable]
- a brief period of sleep, esp. one taken during daytime.
nap2 /næp/USA pronunciation n., v., napped, nap•ping.
n. [countable]
- the short fuzzy ends of fibers on the surface of cloth.
v. [~ + object]
- to raise a nap on.
nap1
(nap),USA pronunciation v., napped, nap•ping, n.
v.i.
v.t.
n.
nap2 (nap),USA pronunciation n., v., napped, nap•ping.
n.
v.t.
nap′less, adj.
nap′less•ness, n.
nap3 (nap),USA pronunciation n.
-nap,
v.i.
- to sleep for a short time;
doze. - to be off one's guard:The question caught him napping.
v.t.
- to sleep or doze through (a period of time, an activity, etc.) (usually fol. by away):I napped the afternoon away. He naps away most of his classes.
n.
- a brief period of sleep, esp. one taken during daytime:Has the baby had her nap?
- bef. 900; Middle English nappen (verb, verbal), nap (noun, nominal), Old English hnappian to sleep; cognate with Middle High German napfen
- 1. nod, rest, catnap.
nap2 (nap),USA pronunciation n., v., napped, nap•ping.
n.
- the short fuzzy ends of fibers on the surface of cloth, drawn up in napping.
- Botanyany downy coating, as on plants.
v.t.
- to raise a nap on.
- 1400–50; late Middle English noppe, Old English -hnoppa (as in wullknoppa, mistake for *wullhnoppa tuft of wool), cognate with Middle Dutch, Middle Low German noppe; akin to Old English hnoppian to pluck
nap′less•ness, n.
nap3 (nap),USA pronunciation n.
- Games, Currencynapoleon (defs. 2, 3).
- shortened form
-nap,
- a combining form extracted from kidnap, with the general sense "abduct or steal in order to collect a ransom'':artnap;petnap;starnap.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
nap /næp/ vb (naps, napping, napped) (intransitive)
nap /næp/ n
- the raised fibres of velvet or similar cloth
- any similar downy coating
- Austral informal blankets, bedding
- (transitive) to raise the nap of (cloth, esp velvet) by brushing or similar treatment
nap /næp/ n
- Also called: napoleon a card game similar to whist, usually played for stakes
- a call in this card game, undertaking to win all five tricks
- a tipster's choice for an almost certain winner
- nap hand ⇒ a position in which there is a very good chance of success if a risk is taken
- (transitive) to name (a horse) as likely to win a race
'nap' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
brushed
- card
- double-faced
- duffel
- flannel
- fleece
- fluff
- forty winks
- frieze
- frizz
- fustian
- kidnap
- kip
- lay
- lint
- melton
- nana nap
- napoleon
- nappy
- nod
- siesta
- snooze
- suede
- swan's-down
- tease
- threadbare
- towelling
- winceyette
- worsted
- zibeline
- albatross
- beaver
- blunder
- camlet
- Canton flannel
- catnap
- catnapper
- clarify
- cottony
- crocidolite
- decating
- dognap
- doze
- emerize
- flake
- gig
- hard
- kerseymere
- Lajoie
- lie-down