[a. OF. fraper (mod.F. frapper) = Pr. frapar, It. frappare to strike; of obscure origin, but perh. f. the Teut. root flap-: see FLAP.
It has been conjectured that the ONorthumb. (ȝe)fræpȝiȝa meant ‘to strike’; it renders (re)verebuntur (which the glossator may have mistaken for verberantur!) and accusarent. The two ostensible senses are so irreconcilable that the supposition of a blunder seems justifiable; possibly the ONorthumb. may preserve the Teut. root of the Rom. word.]
1. a. trans. To strike; to beat; also fig. Obs. exc. dial. † b. intr. To strike (at, on). Obs.
a. 13[?]. Coer de L., 2513.
| With myn ax I schal hem frape, | |
| Ther schal no Sarezyn ascape! |
a. 1330. Syr Degarre, 13. He … frapte his tail with gret miȝt Upon Degarres side.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 10513.
| Kepis you in couer, cleane out of sight, | |
| Tyll the kyng and his company by comyn within; | |
| ffallys on hym fuersly, frap hym to dethe. |
1566. Painter, Pal. Pleas., Rhom. & Jul. (1575), II. 197. Lord Antonio, whose heart was frapped with sutch surpassing woe, as neither teare nor word could issue forth.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, III. (Arb.), 88.
| And a seabelch grounting on rough rocks rapfulye frapping | |
| Was hard. |
1727. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Bread.… You may know that the Oven is hot enough, when frapping a Pole against the Hearth, &c. small Sparks arise.
1892. Northumbld. Gloss., Frap, to strike, to rap.
b. 13[?]. Coer de L., 4546. The Crystene on hem gan fast to frape.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 1115. He … frappez faste at hys face fersely þer-aftyr!
1750. Ellis, Mod. Husbandm., IV. iii. 65 (E.D.S.). If [the calf’s tail] do not bleed to your desire, frap about it with the handle of a knife, or otherways, and let it go without Searing.
2. Naut. To bind tightly. [So also in Fr.]
1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 22 b. Thei frapped together xxiiii. greate Hulkes, that came to the Baye for salt, and set theim on a rowe, to the intent that if the Englishe menne would haue assaulted theim, thei would haue set theim on a fire, and let theim driue with the streme emongest the Englishe Nauie.
1578. Bourne, Inventions, No. 14. 10. The caske beine layd close vnto the ballest, and fraped down close, that it doth not stirre, then the ship will not sincke for any leake, for the caske will make her swim, and the ballest will make her beare saile.
1703. [see FRAPE2.]
1756. Gentl. Mag., XXVI. Jan., 15/1. Who finding that it was [well grounded], caused the stern-post and standard to be frapped together, and both of them to be frapped to the mizzen-mast.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1789), Ceintrer, to frap a ship, or pass turns of a cable round the middle of the hull of a ship, to support her in a storm.
1835. Sir J. Ross, Narr. 2nd Voy., iii. 32. We found the mast broken so close to the rigging, that it was only held in place by the splinters; yet it seemed possible to frapp the shrouds and stays in such a way as to secure it from going overboard.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, xxv. 82. He … succeeded … in smothering it and frapping it [the sail] with long pieces of sinnet.
1857. S. Osborn, Quedah, xii. 151. All superfluous branches were lopped off, and the whole well frapped together with cords, so that the cutting away of one tree alone would not endanger the structure.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Frap.… To secure the falls of a tackle together by means of spun yarn, rope yarn, or any lashing wound round them.
1879. Farrar, St. Paul (1883), 713, note. They could not help in such technical tasks as frapping the vessel.
1882. Nares, Seamanship (ed. 6), 45. The end [is] frapped round all parts up towards the bowsprit.
b. To brace the cords of a drum by pulling them together.
1874. Knight, Dict. Mech., I. 914/1. Frapping.
