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dap 1 (dăp)
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intr.v. dapped, dap·ping, daps
1. To fish by letting a baited hook fall gently onto the water.
2. To dip lightly or quickly into water, as a bird does.
3. To skip or bounce, especially over the surface of water.
[Probably alteration of DAB1.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 
dap 2 (dăp)
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n.
1. An elaborate gesture of greeting developed by African American soldiers during the Vietnam War, usually consisting of a handshake and other maneuvers such as hand slaps and a fist bump.
2. A fist bump.
tr.v. dapped, dap·ping, daps
To greet by means of a dap.
[African American Vernacular English, of unknown origin.]
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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