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Definition of nap noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

nap

noun
 
/næp/
 
/næp/
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  1. [countable] a short sleep, especially during the day synonym snooze
    • to take/have a nap
    • I had a short nap after lunch.
    Synonyms sleepsleepdoze ▪ nap ▪ snoozeThese words all mean to rest with your eyes closed and your mind and body not active.sleep to rest with your eyes shut and your mind and body not active:
    • Did you sleep well?
    • I couldn’t sleep last night.
    It is more usual to say that somebody is asleep than that they are sleeping; but if you use an adverb to say how they are sleeping, use sleeping: ‘What’s Ashley doing?’ ‘Sh! She’s asleep.’ • The baby was sleeping peacefully. • The baby was asleep peacefully.     doze to sleep lightly, waking up easily, often when you are not in bed:
    • He was dozing in front of the TV.
    nap to sleep for a short time, especially during the day.snooze (informal) to sleep lightly for a short time, especially during the day and usually not in bed:
    • My brother was snoozing on the sofa.
    Patterns
    • to sleep/​doze lightly/​fitfully
    • to doze/​snooze gently
    compare siesta see also catnap, power nap
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • brief
    • little
    • quick
    • …
    verb + nap
    • have
    • take
    See full entry
  2. [singular] the short fine threads on the surface of some types of cloth, usually lying in the same direction
  3. [countable] (British English) advice given by an expert on which horse is most likely to win a race
    4. Word Originnoun sense 1 Old English hnappian, probably of Germanic origin. noun sense 2 late Middle English noppe, from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German noppe ‘nap’, noppen ‘trim the nap from’. noun sense 3 early 19th cent.: abbreviation of napoleon, the original name of the card game.
See nap in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: nap

Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
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