Flapping
//ˈflæpɪŋ// adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An instance where one, or something, flaps. countable, uncountable
"The farmyard was dark and he tiptoed across it so that the turkeys wouldn't set up their gobbling and flapping."
- 2 the motion made by flapping up and down wordnet
- 3 A phonological process found in many dialects of English, especially American English and Canadian English, by which intervocalic /t/ and /d/ surface as the alveolar flap [ɾ] before an unstressed syllable, so that words such as "metal" and "medal" are pronounced similarly or identically. countable, uncountable
- 4 The situation where a resource, a network destination, etc., is advertised as being available and then unavailable (or available by different routes) in rapid succession. countable, uncountable
- 5 The unlicensed racing of horses or greyhounds. uncountable
"Greyhound racing had its origins in whippet racing, which was derived in turn from hare coursing. By the early twentieth century, however, a form of dog racing held in 'flapping tracks' was a common pastime in the wastelands near working-class areas of industrial cities."
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of flap form-of, gerund, participle, present
Adjective
- 1 that flaps or flap not-comparable
"flapping sails"
Example
More examples"The birds fly by flapping their wings."
Related phrases
More for "flapping"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.