Definitions for: Leap


[n] a light springing movement upwards or forwards
[n] the distance leaped (or to be leaped); "a leap of 10 feet"
[n] an abrupt transition; "a successful leap from college to the major leagues"
[n] a sudden and decisive increase; "a jump in attendance"
[v] pass abruptly from one state or topic to another; "leap into fame"; "jump to a conclusion"
[v] move forward by leaps and bounds; "The horse bounded across the meadow"; "The child leapt across the puddle"; "Can you jump over the fence?"
[v] cause to jump or leap, as of a trained animal



Webster (1913) Definition: Leap, n. [AS. le['a]p.]
1. A basket. [Obs.] --Wyclif.

2. A weel or wicker trap for fish. [Prov. Eng.]


Leap, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Leaped, rarely Leapt; p.
pr. & vb. n. Leaping.] [OE. lepen, leapen, AS. hle['a]pan
to leap, jump, run; akin to OS. [=a]hl?pan, OFries. hlapa, D.
loopen, G. laufen, OHG. louffan, hlauffan, Icel. hlaupa, Sw.
l["o]pa, Dan. l["o]be, Goth. ushlaupan. Cf. Elope, Lope,
Lapwing, Loaf to loiter.]
1. To spring clear of the ground, with the feet; to jump; to
vault; as, a man leaps over a fence, or leaps upon a
horse. --Bacon.

Leap in with me into this angry flood. --Shak.

2. To spring or move suddenly, as by a jump or by jumps; to
bound; to move swiftly. Also Fig.

My heart leaps up when I behold A rainbow in the
sky. --Wordsworth.


Leap, v. t.
1. To pass over by a leap or jump; as, to leap a wall, or a
ditch.

2. To copulate with (a female beast); to cover.

3. To cause to leap; as, to leap a horse across a ditch.


Leap, n.
1. The act of leaping, or the space passed by leaping; a
jump; a spring; a bound.

Wickedness comes on by degrees, . . . and sudden
leaps from one extreme to another are unnatural.
--L'Estrange.

Changes of tone may proceed either by leaps or
glides. --H. Sweet.

2. Copulation with, or coverture of, a female beast.

3. (Mining) A fault.

4. (Mus.) A passing from one note to another by an interval,
especially by a long one, or by one including several
other and intermediate intervals.

Synonyms: bounce, bound, bound, jump, jump, jump, leaping, saltation, saltation, spring, spring

See Also: bestride, bounce, burst, caper, capriole, change, climb on, curvet, distance, elevation, galumph, get on, hop, hop on, hop-skip, increase, jump, jump on, jump out, jumping, leap, leap out, leapfrog, mount, mount up, move, overleap, pounce, pronk, quantum jump, quantum leap, rebound, recoil, resile, reverberate, ricochet, saltate, shift, ski jump, skip, stand out, stick out, switch, take a hop, transition, vault

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