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hep

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hep¹

  • /hɛp/

Rhymes with -ɛp

Where it comes from

Shortening.

noun

  1. informal, uncountable hepatitis.
  2. abbreviation, uncountable Abbreviation of high-energy physics

hep²

  • /hɛp/

Rhymes with -ɛp

Where it comes from

Alteration of hip.

noun heps

  1. obsolete A hip of a rose; a rosehip.

hep³

  • /hɛp/

Rhymes with -ɛp

Where it comes from

US slang of unknown or disputed origin, first recorded 1903. Robert Gold suggested that it is a variant of hip, from white jazz fans’ mishearing African American musicians. Jonathon Green suggests a connection to a 19th century interjection used to drive horses; compare gee up. Compare also happening.

adjective more hep · most hep

  1. dated, slang Aware, up-to-date. I was pleased, as I put him hep on the Wilbert-Phyllis situation and revealed the part he was expected to play in it, to note that he showed no signs of being about to issue the presidential veto.
  2. dated, slang Cool, hip, sophisticated. And I was struck to notice that though the band was only Jumble imitation of our style, it was quite a hep combination, with some feel of the beat, not like those dreadful records of the English bands I'd heard back home which never can play slow, and never can play easy to the limbs.

verb heps · hepping · hepped

  1. US, dated, slang To make aware of. I hepped him to the situation.

hep⁴

  • /hɛp/

Rhymes with -ɛp

interjection

  1. alternative Alternative form of hup (“part of marching cadence”). Hep, two, three four! Hep, two, three four!

hep⁵

  • /hɛp/

Rhymes with -ɛp

Where it comes from

From German hep or Hepp-Hepp, an interjection used to attack Jewish people. The origin of the German source is unknown, but may come from a goatherd’s call.

interjection

  1. historical A rallying cry in attacks on the Jewish people. Let us hope that the modern “Hep-Hep” cry of Antisemitism of to-day will be accompanied by a similar level of Judaism.

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MLA

"hep." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/hep. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

hep. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/hep

Chicago

"hep." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/hep.

BibTeX
@misc{hep_2026,
  title = {hep},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/hep},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}