Wiktionary:Word of the day/2024/October 19

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knap v (UK, dialectal, except for sense 1.1.1)

(transitive) To break (something) into small pieces with a cracking sound; to fragment, to smash; also, to break (something) apart sharply; to snap. (specifically, especially archaeology) To break away flakes from (a brittle material which fractures conchoidally (“with planar concentric curves”), usually a mineral such as chert, flint, or obsidian), often to form a tool with a sharp edge or point. To strike (something) sharply; to knock, to rap. Followed by off: to break (something) away from another thing by striking or tapping sharply. (figurative) To say (something) crisply or sharply. (intransitive) To break or fracture suddenly; to snap. To make a cracking or snapping sound; to crack, to snap. To strike sharply. (figurative) To speak crisply or sharply. (gambling, chiefly dice games, obsolete) To cheat while gambling, especially at a dice game. knap n (chiefly archaic or obsolete except UK, dialectal) A sudden, sharp blow, knock, or slap; a rap, a whack. The sound made by such a blow, knock, or slap. (agriculture) Synonym of chattering damsel (“a component of a traditional mill which creates a vibratory motion to impel portions of grain toward the millstone; a clapper”) (figurative, gambling, chiefly dice games, obsolete) A method of cheating at a dice game. [...] Today, the third Saturday of October in 2024, was established by the Archaeological Institute of America as International Archaeology Day to celebrate archaeology and its contributions to society.

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