Meaning of leap in English

Table of contents

Verb
leap
Etymology
Old English hlēapan (verb), hlȳp (noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch lopen, German laufen (verb), and Dutch loop, German Lauf (noun), all meaning ‘run’, also to lope
Definitions
1. move forward by leaps and bounds
Examples
- « The horse bounded across the meadow »
- « The child leapt across the puddle »
- « Can you jump over the fence? »
Derived terms
2. pass abruptly from one state or topic to another
Examples
- « leap into fame »
- « jump to a conclusion »
Derived terms
- jump
- saltation
3. cause to jump or leap
Examples
- « the trainer jumped the tiger through the hoop »
Derived terms
Noun
leap
Definitions
1. a light springing movement upwards or forwards
Derived terms
2. an abrupt transition
Examples
- « a successful leap from college to the major leagues »
Derived terms
3. a sudden and decisive increase
Examples
- « a jump in attendance »
Derived terms
- jump
4. the distance leaped (or to be leaped)
Examples
- « a leap of 10 feet »
Derived terms

Famous quotes

« All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without benefit of experience. »
Henry Miller
« Life is a travelling to the edge of knowledge, then a leap taken. »
David Herbert Lawrence
« Every day the eye is subject to a thousand tiny shocks as a thousand industries compete for the eye-kick, the visual hook that will lock the consumer into product for that crucial second where the tiny - or not so tiny - leap of the imagination is made. »
Graham Joyce
« Things can fall apart, or threaten to, for many reasons, and then there's got to be a leap of faith. Ultimately, when you're at the edge, you have to go forward or backward if you go forward, you have to jump together. »
Yo-Yo Ma
« I honestly believe that the next big leap in immersive technology will be very much like Brainstorm. »
Douglas Trumbull