Reep

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A rope or strong cord, a term used mainly in Scottish dialect for a length of twisted line
2. Chiefly Scots word for a rope or cord, especially one made of twisted fibres or strands
3. A dialect term, found mainly in Scotland, for a rope or stout cord used for binding or hauling

Etymology: Three unrelated trades produced the surname Reep, each by a different route. The most direct comes from Dutch, where "reep" means "rope." A Reep was originally a ropemaker, and the name sits beside the English surname Roper, which has the same meaning. A second Reep came from Middle English "hrip," meaning "basket," which entered English from Old Norse "hrip." The name was given to a porter or a basket maker, so the trade was named after the object it handled. The Old Norse word goes back to a Proto-Germanic form, and further still to a root meaning "to bend," which fits a basket woven from pliant material. The third origin is simply the verb "reap." Surnames like this one named a harvester, and the name is related to Ripper.