1
: a stroke with something broad : slap
2
obsolete
: something broad and flat used for striking
3
: something that is broad, limber, or flat and usually thin and that hangs loose or projects freely: such as
a
: a piece on a garment that hangs free
b
: a part of a book jacket that folds under the book's cover
c
: a piece of tissue partly severed from its place of origin for use in surgical grafting
d
: an extended part forming the closure (as of an envelope or carton)
4
: the motion of something broad and limber (such as a sail or wing)
5
: a movable auxiliary airfoil usually attached to an airplane wing's trailing edge to increase lift or drag see airplane illustration
7
: a consonant (such as the sound \d\ in ladder and \t\ in latter) characterized by a single rapid contact of the tongue or lower lip against another point in the mouth
called also tap
flapped; flapping
1
: to beat with or as if with a flap
2
: to toss sharply : fling
3
: to move or cause to move in flaps
1
: to sway loosely usually with a noise of striking and especially when moved by wind
2
a
: to beat or pulsate wings or something suggesting wings
b
: to progress by flapping
c
: to flutter ineffectively
3
: to talk foolishly and persistently
Synonyms
Examples of flap in a Sentence
Noun
She opened the tent flap and crawled outside.
the inside flap of a book's cover
a loose flap of skin
Verb
The breeze flapped the sails.
The flag flapped in the breeze.
The bird's wings were flapping.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2014
Though this beautiful beast can accommodate large sports equipment, the testing editors also loved that the zippered pockets on the two-divider flaps could be used for smaller items.
—Cassandra Brooklyn, Travel + Leisure, 29 May 2024
Becca Hensley, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2024
Their amazing speed that can reach 60 mph, and their agility is achieved through powerful wings that flap at a rate as high as 200 beats per second.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for flap 
Noun
The flap of the butterfly’s wings that set off the subsequent hurricanes came on June 28, 1914, when the Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the heir apparent to the Austro-Hungarian throne.
—Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2014
Though this beautiful beast can accommodate large sports equipment, the testing editors also loved that the zippered pockets on the two-divider flaps could be used for smaller items.
—Cassandra Brooklyn, Travel + Leisure, 29 May 2024
Verb
Revel in the views before docking at the hotel among a plethora of other boats and flapping sails.
—Becca Hensley, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2024
Their amazing speed that can reach 60 mph, and their agility is achieved through powerful wings that flap at a rate as high as 200 beats per second.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for flap
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near flap
Cite this Entry
“Flap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flap. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flap
1 of 2 noun2
: a broad, limber, or flat piece that hangs loose (as on a pocket or envelope)
3
: the motion or sound of a flap
4
: a movable part of an airplane wing that is attached to the trailing edge of the wing and that is used to increase lift or drag
flap
2 of 2 verb
flapped; flapping
2
: to move or cause to move with a beating motion
flapping its wings
Medical Definition
flap
noun
: a piece of tissue partly severed from its place of origin for use in surgical grafting
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