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
Cassandra Brooklyn, Travel + Leisure, 29 May 2024
The Sunday strike in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood reportedly killed at least 50 people, mostly women and children, and resulted in flaps catching fire and tents being turned into infernos, likely burning some of their long-suffering occupants alive.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2024
Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 21 May 2024
These massive mammals greet each other with a mix of gestures and sounds—by flapping their ears, making rumbling noises, waggling their tails and reaching out their trunks, scientists reported last week in the journal Communications Biology.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for flap 
Noun
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
The Sunday strike in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood reportedly killed at least 50 people, mostly women and children, and resulted in flaps catching fire and tents being turned into infernos, likely burning some of their long-suffering occupants alive.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2024
Verb
Ahead of her, a kite flew over the park, flapping between gray rain clouds and the emerging sun.
—Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 21 May 2024
These massive mammals greet each other with a mix of gestures and sounds—by flapping their ears, making rumbling noises, waggling their tails and reaching out their trunks, scientists reported last week in the journal Communications Biology.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 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 5 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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