Knap

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /næp/

Definitions

1. A brief, sharp sound resulting from a light hit or tap often made with the fingers, which can also denote a sudden, soft impact
2. The term refers to a quick, distinct noise generated by a light strike, indicating a fleeting touch or contact
3. A quick, sharp noise made by a light strike or tap, often brief and distinct

Etymology: The noun and verb "knap" are a case where the sound came first and the word followed it. Late Middle English speakers used "knap" for a sharp blow or tap, and the verb "knappen" meant to strike something. Their ancestry is probably onomatopoeic, imitating a quick crack or snap, and the closest relatives are Middle Dutch "knappen" and "cnappen," meaning to break with a sharp sound, to snap or crackle. Scandinavian cousins such as Danish "knep" and Swedish "knäpp," both meaning a flick or rap, point the same way. Here the word has a twin that looks identical and means something entirely different. "Knap" in Middle English could also mean a small knob or projection, or a hilltop. That word came from Old English "cnæp," meaning summit or top, and it is also linked to Old Norse "knappr," a button or the head of a stick, which gave English "knop." Whether the two "knaps" share a root is unresolved, so the hilltop sense and the tapping sense may simply have converged in spelling.