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Yap

//jæp// name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    An island in the Caroline Islands of western Micronesia.
  2. 2
    A Chinese surname from Hokkien or Hakka.
Noun
  1. 1
    The high-pitched bark of a small dog, or similar. countable
  2. 2
    informal terms for the mouth wordnet
  3. 3
    Casual talk; chatter. slang, uncountable

    "Had I taken his accusations seriously I might have recommended a change in my under-managership, but I never could translate our jammy products into gas or explosives or even poison. Still yap, at least as concerned Beldite's."

  4. 4
    The mouth, which produces speech. countable, derogatory, slang

    "Shut your yap!"

  5. 5
    A badly behaved person, especially a child. Geordie, countable
Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    A fool. countable, dated, slang, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    Of a small dog, to bark. intransitive
  2. 2
    bark in a high-pitched tone wordnet
  3. 3
    To talk, especially excessively; to chatter. intransitive, slang

    "You’re always yapping, I wish you’d shut up."

  4. 4
    To rob or steal from (someone). slang, transitive

    "Ante up! Yap that fool!"

Etymology

Etymology 1

Probably of imitative origin. Alternatively, from dialectal yap, yaup, yalp (“to yap, yelp”), from Middle English ȝælpen, variant of yelpen (“to yelp”). More at yelp.

Etymology 2

Probably of imitative origin. Alternatively, from dialectal yap, yaup, yalp (“to yap, yelp”), from Middle English ȝælpen, variant of yelpen (“to yelp”). More at yelp.

Etymology 3

From Hokkien 葉 /叶 (Ia̍p) and Hakka 葉 /叶 (Ya̍p).

See also for "yap"

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