See Also: Leap(medicine)
leap(1)(dictionary)
leap(2)(dictionary)
leap(dictionary)
Leap Castle(tourism)
quantum leap(dictionary)
leap year(dictionary)
leap 2, noun(dictionary)
leap 1, verb(dictionary)
LEAP YEAR(law)

leap (iou)



leap verb. , pa. t. & pple lept, pres. pple lepping.
[Old English hleapan = Old Frisian (h)lapa, Old Saxon -hlopan (Dutch loopen), Old High German loufan (German laufen run), Old Norse hlaupa (whence LOUP verb), Gothic -hlaupan, from Germanic. Cf. WALLOP verb.]
verb intrans.
a. Rise with both (or all) feet suddenly from a standing-place, alighting in some other position; jump, spring. Freq. foll. by aside, down, in, etc. OE.
M. Scammell They would leap naked into the Volga to swim. Proverb: Look before you leap.
b. Spring to one's seat upon a horse, into the saddle. (Foll. by up.) OE.
c. Of a fish: spring from the water. LME.
J. McPhee A salmon..leaps into the air..ten pounds of fish jumping..high into the air.
verb intrans. Spring sportively up and down; jump, esp. with joy, mirth, etc.; dance, skip. OE.
M. Piercy I leap and twirl and prance.
verb intrans. Run; rush, throw oneself. Also foll. by forth, out, etc. Long rare. LOE.
verb intrans. Spring suddenly to or upon one's feet; rise with a bound from a sitting or recumbent position. Freq. foll. by up. ME.
G. Vidal Burden leapt to his feet.
verb intrans.
a. transf. & fig. Of a thing: spring, move with a leap or bound; esp. fly, by explosive or other force. ME.
P. Abrahams The high ceiling collapsed..sending massive tongues of fire leaping at the sky.
b. Of the heart, (rare) the pulse: beat vigorously, bound, throb. E16.
H. Roth David's heart leaped in secret joy.
c. Mining. Of a vein of ore: be dislocated. M18.
d. Of frost: melt or thaw suddenly. colloq. M19.
fig.
a. verb intrans. Pass abruptly from one condition or position to another. Also foll. by back, down, up. ME.
H. Keller The fire leaped into life. Private Eye Sir Michael..leapt into the Press denouncing the sentences.
b. verb intrans. Pass over without pausing. L16.
A. Hamilton I can perceive several Things worth noticing, they have neglected or leapt over.
c. verb intrans. & trans. Music. Pass from one note to another (by an interval greater than one degree of the scale). L19.
verb trans. Spring over; pass from one side to the other by leaping (lit. & fig.); spec. (of a bridge) span, extend across. LME.
New Yorker A railroad bridge and two highway bridges leap the Atchafalaya.
verb trans. & intrans. Spring on (a female) in copulation; copulate with (a female). Now rare. LME.
J. Barth Confronted with that battery of eager bosoms and delicious behinds,..the urge to..leap those fine girls was terrific.
verb trans. Cause (an animal) to take a leap. L17.
W. H. Russell [He] had leaped his horse across a deep nullah.
Phrases: be ready to leap out of one's skin be delighted, eager, or surprised. leap at make a spring at in order to seize; fig. exhibit eagerness for. leap out of one's skin be extremely delighted, eager, or surprised. leap to the eye be immediately apparent.
leapable adjective E20.