knap
verb · noun
Simple meaning
To break into small pieces with a cracking sound.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
napIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈnæp
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
transitive
To break (something) into small pieces with a cracking sound; to fragment, to smash; also, to break (something) apart sharply; to snap.
transitivespecificallyespecially archaeology
To break away flakes from (a brittle material which fractures conchoidally ("with planar concentric curves"), usually a mineral such as chert, flint, or obsidian), often to form a tool with a sharp edge or point.
Break a small piece off from
transitive
To strike (something) sharply; to knock, to rap.
intransitive
To break or fracture suddenly; to snap.
transitivefigurative
To say (something) crisply or sharply.
noun
A sudden, sharp blow, knock, or slap; a rap, a whack.
The sound made by such a blow, knock, or slap.
A piece of raised ground or a short, steep slope; a small hill; a hillock, a knoll.
The crest or top of a hill.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To break (something) into small pieces with a cracking sound; to fragment, to smash; also, to break (something) apart sharply; to snap.
Used this way, knap is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.