yap

Everyday

1. (of a small dog) To give short, high, sharp barks: «The puppy yapped at the postman.» tree →
2. (informal) To talk a lot, loudly or in a silly way: «Stop yapping!» tree →
3. (slang, rude) Your mouth: «Shut your yap!» tree →
4. A short, sharp bark. tree →
5. Other animals, such as badgers, can also yap, not just small dogs. tree →

In the lessons

In stories, a small dog that yaps is usually noisy and annoying, but often brave. «Yapping» about someone is chatter that can turn into gossip. «Shut your yap» is rude; do not say it to teachers. Related: «yappy» (a yappy dog).

Examples

• The little dog next door yaps every time the doorbell rings. tree →
• Stop yapping and finish your homework! tree →
• The terrier gave a yap and ran after the ball. tree →
• «Shut your yap!» shouted the pirate. tree →
• They were yapping on the phone for an hour. tree →
• Our neighbour's yappy dog woke the whole street. tree →
• There was also the plunge and scurry of the deer, the yapping of badgers, and the whirr of birds driven into reluctant flight. tree →

Note

Double the p: yapped, yapping. «Yap» is for small dogs; big dogs «bark» or «woof». The «your yap» sense is rude slang, like «gob» or «trap». Do not confuse with «yep» (yes, informal).