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jap

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Jap¹

  • /d͡ʒæp/

Rhymes with -æp

Where it comes from

Clipping of Japanese, attested as a noun since 1872, and adjectivally since 1878. Compare Nip (shortened from Nipponese).

proper noun

  1. dated, ethnic, offensive, slang, slur The Japanese language. He petered out under Pitty's savage look: Do you speak Jap? Do you understand the world from inside those bastards' slanty-eyed little head-lopping poem-writing minds?
  2. Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, abbreviation, clipping, informal Clipping of Japanese

noun Japs

  1. US, derogatory, ethnic, slur A Japanese person. Among our Japs on board are two returning from Italy, where they have been with silk-worms' eggs, on cards, to sell. This has become a great speculation, and the Japs are going into it with zeal. The Japs almost always—always when they can—take cabin passages ; the Chinese seldom, or never.

    Similar: Japanese, Nip

  2. derogatory, historical An Imperial Japanese Army soldier. The Japs had been confident that this first and sudden land grab could be accomplished without their becoming involved in a major war, and they were right.

adjective

  1. derogatory, ethnic, not comparable, slur Japanese; of or pertaining to Japan or its people. A soldier might grab his rifle and batter his way to the heart of some Jap position. Back home they gave him all sorts of medals but his companions dismissed him as the poor bastard who finally went Asiatic.

verb Japs · Japping · Japped

  1. Alternative letter-case form of jap

jap²

  • /d͡ʒæp/

Rhymes with -æp

Where it comes from

Shortening of Japanese, in reference to the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

verb japs · japping · japped · Jap

  1. Canada, US, ethnic, slang, slur, transitive To carry out a sneak attack upon (something or somebody).

jap³

Where it comes from

From or related to Scots jaup, jap (“of liquid: dash, splash”).

verb japs · japping · japped · Jap

  1. Northern Ireland, Scotland, transitive (of a liquid) To spatter or splash over a surface. […] the yelp of the girl as the hot water japped her legs. I The big fellow bore me across the kitchen.

JAP⁴

  • /d͡ʒæp/

Rhymes with -æp

noun J.A.P. · jap

  1. abbreviation, initialism Initialism of Jewish-American/Jewish-Australian princess: overly materialistic and selfish young Jewish American or Australian woman. Eww, you've got to check out her creepy friends.. It's like these JAP actress sluts and some American Gladiators reject lunkhead!

    Similar: kugel

  2. abbreviation, initialism Initialism of Jewish-American/Jewish-Australian prince: overly materialistic and selfish young Jewish American or Australian man.

    Similar: bagel

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: nip, japanese, yen, japan, pare, cap, yap, acan, jaap, hai, maru, nec, tsunami, asshole, ballet, bloke

Translations

Every language

noun offensive term for a Japanese person

Españoljapo, japa
한국어쪽발이 jjokbari, 왜놈 waenom, 왜족 waejok, 짜개발 jjagaebal, 잽스 jaepseu
日本語ジャップ jappu, チョッパリ choppari
中文日本鬼子 Rìběn guǐzi, 小日本兒 /小日本儿 xiǎorìběnr, 小日本 xiǎorìběn, 倭寇 wōkòu, 本子 běnzi, 小日子 xiǎorìzi
Portuguêsjapa
FrançaisJap
DeutschJapse
Русскийяпо́шка japóška, яп jap, джап džap

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Cite this
MLA

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

APA

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

Chicago

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

BibTeX
@misc{jap_2026,
  title = {jap},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/jap},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}