Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense bops, present participle bopping, past tense, past participle bopped
1. countable noun
A bop is a dance.
[British, informal]
People just want a good tune and a good bop.
Synonyms: dance, hop [informal], knees-up [British, informal] More Synonyms of bop
2. verb
If you bop, you dance.
[British, informal]
He was bopping around, snapping his fingers. [VERB adverb/preposition]
Guests bopped and jigged the night away to the disco beat. [VERB]
Synonyms: dance, rock, trip, hop More Synonyms of bop
3. See also bebop
bop in British English1
(bɒp)
noun
1.
a form of jazz originating in the 1940s, characterized by rhythmic and harmonic complexity and instrumental virtuosity
Originally called: bebop
2. informal
a session of dancing to pop music
verbWord forms: bops, bopping or bopped
3. (intransitive) informal
to dance to pop music
Derived forms
bopper (ˈbopper)
noun
Word origin
C20: shortened from bebop
bop in British English2
(bɒp) informal
verbWord forms: bops, bopping or bopped
1. (transitive)
to strike; hit
noun
2.
a blow
Word origin
C19: of imitative origin
BOP in American English
basic oxygen process
bop in American English1
(bɑp)
US
verb transitiveWord forms: bopped or ˈbopping
1. Informal
to hit or punch, as with a short, sharp blow
noun
2. Informal
a blow
Word origin
echoic
bop in American English2
(bɑp)
US
noun
1.
a style of jazz, esp. in its development from about 1945 to 1955, characterized by complex rhythms, experimental harmonic structures, and instrumental virtuosity
verb intransitiveWord forms: bopped or ˈbopping
2. Slang
to walk, esp. in an easy but strutting way
3.
to go
Word origin
shortening of bebop
bop in American English1
(bɑp)
Word forms: verbbopped, bopping
noun
1. Also called: bebop
early modern jazz developed in the early 1940s and characterized by often dissonant triadic and chromatic chords, fast tempos and eccentric rhythms, intricate melodic lines punctuated by pop-tune phrases, and emphasizing the inventiveness of soloists
Compare cool jazz, hard bop, modern jazz, progressive jazz
intransitive verb
2. slang
to move, go, or proceed
(often fol. by on down)
Let's bop on down to the party
Word origin
[1945–50, Amer.; (be)bop]
bop in American English2
(bɑp)
Word forms: verbbopped, bopping slang
transitive verb
1.
to strike, as with the fist or a stick; hit
noun
2.
a blow
Word origin
[1935–40; var. of bob3]
Examples of 'bop' in a sentence
bop
`And if Jeremy says `yuk" again I shall bop him on the head.
Mosco, Maisie OUT OF THE ASHES (1989)
Used to bop around the tackroom with one of those big portable stereos, jumping around like he was on a pogo stick.
Reeves, Robert DOUBTING THOMAS (1989)
When she was done, Booter said: `I don't bop people on the head.
Maupin, Armistead SIGNIFICANT OTHERS (1989)
(noun)
People just want a good tune and a good bop.
Synonyms
dance
She often went to dances and parties in the village.
hop (informal)
knees-up (British, informal)
(verb)
Definition
to dance to pop music
He was bopping around, snapping his fingers.
Synonyms
dance
They like to dance to the music on the radio.
rock
trip
They tripped along without a care in the world.
hop
I hopped down three steps.
skip
She was skipping along the pavement.
caper
The children were capering about, shouting and laughing.
jig
Guests bopped and jigged the night away to disco beat.
frolic
Tourists sunbathe and frolic in the ocean.
gambol
children gambolling in the fields
cut a rug (informal)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of caper
Definition
to skip about light-heartedly
The children were capering about, shouting and laughing.