Nap
/næp/noun
A short period of sleep, especially during the day.
Did you know?English nap is an old, ordinary word with no hidden demon or spell origin, but it likely grew from a Germanic root meaning a brief, sudden sleep-like state.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
hnappian
“to doze, sleep lightly”
Middle English
ME
nappe
“to sleep lightly; a brief sleep”
Early Modern English
English
nap
“a short sleep”
Modern English
English
nap
“a short period of sleep”