Dictionary
leap
Pronunciation: (lēp), [key]
—v., leaped or leapt, leap•ing,
—n.
—
v.i.
1. to spring through the air from one point or position to another; jump:
to leap over a ditch.
2. to move or act quickly or suddenly:
to leap aside; She leaped at the opportunity.
3. to pass, come, rise, etc., as if with a jump:
to leap to a conclusion; an idea that immediately leaped to mind.
—
v.t.
1. to jump over:
to leap a fence.
2. to pass over as if by a jump.
3. to cause to leap:
to leap a horse.
—
n.
1. a spring, jump, or bound; a light, springing movement.
2. the distance covered in a leap; distance jumped.
3. a place leaped or to be leaped over or from.
4. a sudden or abrupt transition:
a successful leap from piano class to concert hall.
5. a sudden and decisive increase:
a leap in the company's profits.
6. by leaps and bounds, very rapidly:
We are progressing by leaps and bounds.
7. leap in the dark, an action of which the consequences are unknown:
The experiment was a leap in the dark.
8. leap of faith, an act or instance of accepting or trusting in something that cannot readily be seen or proved.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
