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rap 1 (răp)
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v. rapped, rap·ping, raps
v.tr.
1. To hit sharply and swiftly; strike: rapped the table with his fist.
2. To utter sharply: rap out a complaint.
3. To criticize or blame.
v.intr.
To strike a quick light blow: rapped on the door.
n.
1. A quick light blow or knock.
2. A knocking or tapping sound.
3. Slang
a. A reprimand.
b. A sentence to serve time in prison.
4. Slang A negative quality or characteristic associated with a person or an object.
Idioms:
beat the rap Slang
To escape punishment or be acquitted of a charge.
take the rap Slang
To accept punishment or take the blame for an offense or error.

[Middle English rappen, possibly of imitative origin.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
rap 3 (răp)
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n.
1. Slang A talk, conversation, or discussion.
2.
a. A form of popular music developed especially in African American urban communities and characterized by spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics with a strong rhythmic accompaniment.
b. A composition or performance of such music.
v. rapped, rap·ping, raps
v. intr.
1. Slang To discuss something freely and at length.
2. To perform rap music.
v. tr.
To perform as rap music: lyrics that were rapped; rapped the chorus of the song.

[Possibly from RAP1.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.