Library / English Dictionary

LEAP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: leapt   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards

Synonyms:

bounce; bound; leap; leaping; saltation; spring

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("leap" is a kind of...):

jump; jumping (the act of jumping; propelling yourself off the ground)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "leap"):

caper; capriole (a playful leap or hop)

pounce (the act of pouncing)

Derivation:

leap (move forward by leaps and bounds)

leap (cause to jump or leap)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The distance leaped (or to be leaped)

Example:

a leap of 10 feet

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("leap" is a kind of...):

distance (the property created by the space between two objects or points)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "leap"):

elevation ((ballet) the height of a dancer's leap or jump)

Derivation:

leap (move forward by leaps and bounds)

leap (cause to jump or leap)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An abrupt transition

Example:

a successful leap from college to the major leagues

Synonyms:

jump; leap; saltation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("leap" is a kind of...):

transition (a change from one place or state or subject or stage to another)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "leap"):

quantum jump ((physics) an abrupt transition of an electron or atom or molecule from one quantum state to another with the emission or absorption of a quantum)

Derivation:

leap (pass abruptly from one state or topic to another)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A sudden and decisive increase

Example:

a jump in attendance

Synonyms:

jump; leap

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("leap" is a kind of...):

increase (a change resulting in an increase)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "leap"):

quantum jump; quantum leap (a sudden large increase or advance)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Pass abruptly from one state or topic to another

Example:

jump from one thing to another

Synonyms:

jump; leap

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "leap" is one way to...):

change; shift; switch (lay aside, abandon, or leave for another)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

leap (an abrupt transition)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Move forward by leaps and bounds

Example:

Can you jump over the fence?

Synonyms:

bound; jump; leap; spring

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "leap" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "leap"):

hop (make a jump forward or upward)

caper (jump about playfully)

hop; hop-skip; skip (jump lightly)

curvet (perform a leap where both hind legs come off the ground, of a horse)

overleap; vault (jump across or leap over (an obstacle))

leapfrog (jump across)

vault (bound vigorously)

saltate (leap or skip, often in dancing)

ski jump (jump on skis)

galumph (move around heavily and clumsily)

capriole (perform a capriole, of horses in dressage)

bounce (leap suddenly)

burst (move suddenly, energetically, or violently)

bounce; bound; rebound; recoil; resile; reverberate; ricochet; spring; take a hop (spring back; spring away from an impact)

pronk (jump straight up)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

The horses leap across the field

Also:

leap out (be highly noticeable)

Derivation:

leap (a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards)

leap (the distance leaped (or to be leaped))

leaper (someone who bounds or leaps (as in competition))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Cause to jump or leap

Example:

the trainer jumped the tiger through the hoop

Synonyms:

jump; leap

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Cause:

bound; jump; leap; spring (move forward by leaps and bounds)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

The men leap the horses across the field

Derivation:

leap (a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards)

leap (the distance leaped (or to be leaped))

Sense 4

Meaning:

Jump down from an elevated point

Example:

the widow leapt into the funeral pyre

Synonyms:

jump; jump off; leap

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "leap" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Credits

 Context examples: 

As I touched the lever my heart leaped within me.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"I like good strong words that mean something," replied Jo, catching her hat as it took a leap off her head preparatory to flying away altogether.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

“Hola!” yelled Aylward, leaping suddenly into the air with waving hands and joyous face.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The man went to the ground sidewise, leaped to his feet, and made a mad rush.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Poole swung the axe over his shoulder; the blow shook the building, and the red baize door leaped against the lock and hinges.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

They would often spring, and bound, and leap, with prodigious agility.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

One bonus will be that these two planets will encourage your imagination to grow by leaps and bounds in ways you’ve not seen before.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Then he struck gold, invested it, and came up by leaps and bounds.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"The LSST will be leaps and bounds beyond any other survey we have in terms of capability to find small interstellar visitors," Knight said.

('Oumuamua interstellar object was not an alien spacecraft, National Science Foundation)

I rushed towards the window, and drawing a pistol from my bosom, fired; but he eluded me, leaped from his station, and running with the swiftness of lightning, plunged into the lake.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)