Yap  (y ăp, yäp)
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An island group and state of the Federated States of Micronesia in the western Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. Part of a Japanese mandate after 1920, it fell to US forces in 1945. Yap is noted for the large stone disks traditionally used as money by the native population. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
yap  (y ăp)
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v. yapped, yap·ping, yaps v.intr.1. To bark sharply or shrilly; yelp. 2. Slang To talk noisily or stupidly; jabber. v.tr. To utter by yapping. n.1. A sharp, shrill bark; a yelp. 2. Slang Noisy, stupid talk; jabber. 3. Slang The mouth: Shut your yap. 4. Slang A stupid, crude, or loud person.
[Probably imitative.]
yapper n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. 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.
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