Definition
n. a flat piece of something that is attached on one side and can move up and down or back and forth. You often see these on pockets, boxes, or even on the wings of an airplane.
n. a flat, flexible piece of material attached at one edge, allowing it to hang loose or cover an opening. Often refers to mechanical surfaces on aircraft wings used to control lift.
Examples
“He closed the flap of the envelope before mailing it.”
“The pilot adjusted the wing flaps to increase lift during the final approach to the runway.”
“A loose flap of canvas on the tent rattled incessantly against the poles as the wind picked up during the night.”
Examples
simple
“He closed the flap of the envelope before mailing it.”
contextual
“The pilot adjusted the wing flaps to increase lift during the final approach to the runway.”
complex
“A loose flap of canvas on the tent rattled incessantly against the poles as the wind picked up during the night.”
Usage
Commonly used to describe parts of clothing, packaging, or anatomical structures in medical contexts.
Etymology
From Middle English flap, flappe (“a slap; blow; buffet; fly-flap; something flexible or loose; flap”), related to Saterland Frisian Flappert (“wing, flipper”), Middle Dutch flabbe (“a blow; slap on the face; fly-flap; flap”) (modern Dutch flap (“flap”)), Middle Low German flabbe, vlabbe, flebbe, from the verb (see below). Related also to English flab and flabby.
From Middle English flappen (“to flap, clap, slap, strike”), related to Dutch flappen (“to flap”), German Low German flappen (“to flap”), German flappen (“to flap”), Dutch flabberen (“to flit, flap”). Probably ultimately imitative.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Idioms
01. flap one's gums
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/flap
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0