hop

UK: /ˈhɒp/ US: /hɑp/ ,(hop)

Inflections of 'hop' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

hops

v 3rd person singular

hopping

v pres p

hopped

v past

hopped

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

hop¹ /hɑp/   v., hopped, hop•ping, n. 
v. 

1. Animal Behavior to make a short, bouncing leap, as a rabbit does:
   [no object] The canary hopped on to her finger.
2. to jump over;
   clear with a hop:
   [~ + object] hopped the fence and was gone.
3. to move quickly as if jumping:
   [no object] hopped into bed.
4. Informal Terms to board or get onto (a vehicle): [~ + object]
   to hop a train to Peoria.
   [no object]
   He hopped into his car.
5. Informal Terms to travel or move frequently from one place or situation to another:
   [no object] to party-hop (= to go from one party to another).

n. [countable]

6. a short leap on one foot.
7. a short, quick movement or action:
   a quick hop into bed.
8. a journey, esp. a short trip by air:
   a quick hop from London to Paris.
9. Informal Terms a dance or dancing party:
   the school hop.
10. a bounce or rebound, as of a ball.

hop² /hɑp/   n., v., hopped, hop•ping. 
n. 

1. Plant Biology hops, [plural] the dried ripe cones of the female flowers of a twining plant of the hemp family, used in brewing beer.

v. 

2. hop up, [Slang.]
   • [ ~ + up + obj] to excite;
     make enthusiastic:
     The demonstrators hopped up the crowd with their fiery speeches.
   • [ ~ + up + obj] to add to the power of:
     They hopped up the engine of their car.
   • [ usually: be + hopped up] to stimulate by narcotics:
     hopped up on drugs.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

hop¹  (hop), v., hopped, hop•ping, n. 
v.i. 

1. Animal Behavior to make a short, bouncing leap;
   move by leaping with all feet off the ground.
2. to spring or leap on one foot.
3. Informal Terms to make a short, quick trip, esp. in an airplane:
   He hopped up to Boston for the day.
4. Informal Terms to travel or move frequently from one place or situation to another (usually used in combination):
   to island-hop; to job-hop.
5. Informal Terms to dance.

v.t. 

6. to jump over;
   clear with a hop:
   The sheep hopped the fence.
7. Informal Terms to board or get onto a vehicle:
   to hop a plane.
8. Informal Terms to cross in an airplane:
   We hopped the Atlantic in five hours.
9. Informal Terms, Idioms hop to it, to begin to move, become active, or do something immediately:
   You'd better hop to it if you intend to buy groceries before the market closes.
   Also, hop to. 

n. 

10. an act of hopping;
    short leap.
11. a leap on one foot.
12. a journey, esp. a short trip by air.
13. Informal Terms a dance or dancing party.
14. a bounce or rebound of a moving object, as a ball:
    She caught the ball on the first hop.

• bef. 1000; Middle English hoppen (verb, verbal), Old English hoppian; cognate with German hopfen, Old Norse hoppa

hop′ping•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. jump, spring, bound.

hop²  (hop), n., v., hopped, hop•ping. 
n. 

1. Plant Biology any twining plant of the genus Humulus, bearing male flowers in loose clusters and female flowers in conelike forms.
2. Plant Biology hops, the dried ripe cones of the female flowers of this plant, used in brewing, medicine, etc.
3. Slang Terms [Older Slang.] a narcotic drug, esp. opium.

v.t. 

4. to treat or flavor with hops.
5. hop up, [Slang.]
   • to excite;
     make enthusiastic:
     They hopped the crowd up with fiery speeches.
   • to add to the power of:
     The kids hopped up the motor of their jalopy.
   • to stimulate by narcotics.

• Middle Dutch hoppe (Dutch hop); cognate with Old High German hopfo (German Hopfen)
• late Middle English hoppe 1400–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

hop / hɒp/ verb (hops, hopping, hopped)

1. (intransitive) to make a jump forwards or upwards, esp on one foot
2. (intransitive) (esp of frogs, birds, rabbits, etc) to move forwards in short jumps
3. (intransitive) to move or proceed quickly (in, on, out of, etc): hop on a bus
4. (transitive) to cross (an ocean) in an aircraft
5. (transitive) to travel by means of (an aircraft, bus, etc): he hopped a train to Chicago
6. (intransitive)
   another word for limp1
7. hop it, hop off ⇒ to go away

noun

1. the act or an instance of hopping
2. on the hop ⇒ active or busy
3. unawares or unprepared

Etymology: Old English hoppian; related to Old Norse hoppa to hop, Middle Low German hupfen

hop / hɒp/ noun

1. any climbing plant of the N temperate genus Humulus, esp H. lupulus, which has green conelike female flowers and clusters of small male flowers: family Cannabiaceae (or Cannabidaceae)
   See also hops
2. hop garden ⇒ a field of hops
3. opium or any other narcotic drug

Etymology: 15th Century: from Middle Dutch hoppe; related to Old High German hopfo, Norwegian hupp tassel