1 [C] a quick sharp hit or knock:
There was a sharp rap on the door.
2 [U] a type of modern music with a fast strong rhythm and words which are spoken fast, not sung:
a rap song / artist
3 [C] a rap song
4 [C] (AmE, informal) a criminal CONVICTION (= the fact of being found guilty of a crime):
a police rap sheet (= a record of the crimes sb has committed)
5 [sing.] (AmE, informal) an unfair judgement on sth or sb:
He denounced the criticisms as 'just one bum rap after another.' * Wolves get a bad rap, says a woman who owns three.
IDIOMS
(give sb / get) a rap on / over / across the knuckles (informal) (to give sb/receive) strong criticism for sth:
We got a rap over the knuckles for being late.
take the rap (for sb/sth) (informal) to be blamed or punished, especially for sth you have not done:
She was prepared to take the rap for the shoplifting, though it had been her sister's idea.
moreatBEATv.
verb (-pp-)
1 to hit a hard object or surface several times quickly, making a noise:
[V] She rapped angrily on the door. * [VN] He rapped the table with his pen.
2 ~ sth (out) to say sth suddenly and quickly in a loud, angry way:
[VN] He walked through the store, rapping out orders to his staff. [also Vspeech]
3 [VN] ~ sb/sth (for sth / for doing sth) (used mainly in newspapers) to criticize sb severely, usually publicly:
Some of the teachers were rapped for poor performance.
4 [V, VN] (music) to say the words of a rap
seealsoRAPPER
IDIOMS
rap sb on / over the knuckles
