colloq. Also 8–9 dial. trapse, 9 traaps; traapess, trapas, trapass, trapess, trapez, trapus, traipass, traipess, traaypess, etc. [Known a. 1600. Evidently related to TRAPE v., but the nature of their relation is not clear. In literary use, the spelling traipse and Pope’s metrical use show the word as a monosyllable; but many modern dialects have it as two syllables.
If trappe c. 1400 really belongs to TRAPE v., that would appear to be the earliest word of the group, although trapes as vb. would be a deriv. of unusual form; but if not, trapesing of 1593 would be the earliest form recorded. The dialect forms trapass, traipass strongly recall OF. trapasser, trapesser, trepasser (still in Cotgr.), to pass over or beyond (see TRESPASS v.), though the senses do not exactly fit.]
1. intr. To walk in a trailing or untidy way; e.g., to walk or ‘trail’ through the mud; to walk with the dress trailing or bedraggled; to walk about aimlessly or needlessly. (Usually said of a woman or child.)
1593. [see TRAPESING vbl. sb.].
1647. in Verney Mem. (1907), I. 368. What soever wether comes I must goe trapesing a foote to ye end of ye lane.
1710. Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 13 Dec. I am to go trapesing with Lady Kerry and Mrs. Pratt to see sights all this day. Ibid. (1710–1), 2 March. I was traipsing to-day with your Mr. Sterne.
1728. (ed. 1) Pope, Dunc., III. 141. See next two slip-shod Muses traipse along.
1732. Sir C. Wogan, Lett. to Swift, 27 Feb. Ireland is left to trapes in her old draggle-tailed weeds by her own children.
1742. Mrs. Delany, in Life & Corr. (1861), II. 189. We trapesed all over Babylon garden.
1824. Mrs. Cameron, Pink Tippet, II. 35. I would not go trapsing to school as she does.
1864. Mrs. Gaskell, Wives & Dau., ii. I’ve been out for these three hours trapesing about the grounds till I’m as tired as can be.
1869. Punch, 16 Oct., 154/1. Draggletails trapseing along the street.
1884. L. F. Allen, New Amer. Farm-Bk., 313. The frog, traipsing over the dewy fields.
1892. G. H. Billington, in Times, 1 Jan., 11/3. I only wish the children of the members of the Board … had to traipse a mile and a half to school.
b. To trail along the ground; to hang untidily.
1774. Foote, Cozeners, III. Wks. 1799, II. 184. These … skirts of the boy’s are so light and genteel…: those we got made in the country trapes and dangle like a parcel of petticoats.
1887. S. Cheshire Gloss., s.v., Ah dait [= I doubt] it’ll trapes, if yo han it made so long.
2. trans. To walk or tramp over; to tread, tramp (the fields, streets, etc.). dial.
1885. Hall Caine, Shadow of Crime, xxiii. It’s bad weather to trapes the fells.
1901. D. C. Murray, Ch. Humanity, v. So If you’re to begin trapesing the streets again without a farthing in your pocket.
1902. Monthly Rev., Aug., 181. I’ll gar you trapse the stone-floor bare-fit!
b. To tread (a dance) in a trailing way. rare.
1835. Clouds of Aristophanes, ii., in Blackw. Mag., Oct., 526. She’s not appearing Drest out Like the rest in filthy guise … nor trapesing [printed trapering] forth a dirty minuet.
Hence Trapesed ppl. a., trampled, bedraggled.
1834. G. H. Boughton, in Harper’s Mag., Oct., 706/2. The town … looked messy and ‘traipsed.’
1887. S. Cheshire Gloss., s.v., A woman with dirty garments was called ‘a poor, trapes’t thing.’
