bop

¹

[bop]

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.

verb (used without object)

bopped, bopping 

1. Slang.,  to move, go, or proceed (often followed byon down ).

   Let's bop on down to the party.

bop

²

[bop]

verb (used with object)

bopped, bopping 

1. to strike, as with the fist or a stick; hit.

noun

1. a blow.

bop

¹

/ bɒp /

noun

1. Originally called: bebop. a form of jazz originating in the 1940s, characterized by rhythmic and harmonic complexity and instrumental virtuosity

2. informal,  a session of dancing to pop music

verb

1. informal,  (intr) to dance to pop music

bop

²

/ bɒp /

verb

1. (tr) to strike; hit

noun

1. a blow

Other Word Forms

• bopper noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bop¹

1945–50, (be)bop

Origin of bop²

First recorded in 1935–40; variant of bob ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of bop¹

C20: shortened from _bebop

Origin of bop²

C19: of imitative origin

Example Sentences

A wave of purple and hot pink hair and cartoon K-pop bops is taking over multiplexes.

From Los Angeles Times

The strangest song Jepsen has ever written, according to Jepsen: “Store,” the improbably exuberant bop about grocery shopping that she sang at the Troubadour while two-stepping down an imaginary frozen foods aisle.

From Los Angeles Times

Toss it on, let the bops bop, and maybe help deprogram your local Disney adult.

From Salon

Over the course of the next two months, he gave her a fish every time she synchronized her head bops to the beat of the music.

From Salon

“All of a sudden they had the helicopters go in and they had the police sirens, then there was probably five shots, bop bop bop bop bop,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times