Meaning & use
a dap
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableinformalAmerican
A friendly hand gesture in which two people lightly hit their fists or open hands together, often followed by a handshake or snap.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a dap', 'two daps', or 'give someone a dap'.
Patterns
- give someone a dap
- exchange daps
- a dap with someone
The two players gave each other a dap after the game.
He offered me a dap, so I bumped his fist with mine.
They exchanged a quick dap before walking into the meeting.
Word forms
| plural | daps |
|---|
Common combinations
- give someone a dap
- My teammate gave me a dap when I scored.
- exchange daps
- The fans exchanged daps in the crowd.
- a dap with someone
- She had a dap with her coach before the race.
- offer a dap
- He offered a dap to the new kid.
- return a dap
- I smiled and returned his dap.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fist bump
- A fist bump is a specific type of dap where closed fists touch; a dap can also involve open hands or a handshake.
- handshake
- A handshake is a more formal greeting with clasped hands, while a dap is informal and often quicker.
- high five
- A high five is when palms slap above the head or at shoulder height; a dap is usually lower and can include a fist bump.
Commonly confused: a dap or dab? a dap or tap?
a dap vs dab
A dab is a dance move or a small amount of something, not a greeting gesture.
a dap vs tap
A tap is a light hit or touch, often on a surface, while a dap is a specific friendly hand gesture between people.
Practice
After the match, the two players _____ a dap.
Choose one answer.
The correct verb with 'a dap' is 'give' – you give someone a dap. 'Made', 'did', and 'took' do not collocate with 'a dap' in this context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a dap”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.