Spanish Conversation · Level 106
59 words
Spanish word
rapar
Pronunciation
IPA/raˈpaɾ/
Meaning
- verbshave
Example
El barbero rapó a su cliente.
The barber shaved his client.
More examples
Marta se rapó a cero antes del festival.
Marta shaved herself bald before the festival.
Core concept
Body or head with hair almost entirely removed so the skin is clearly exposed.
Common phrases
rapar la cabeza
shave one's head
rapar a cero
shave bald
rapar el pelo
shave one's hair
Similar words
afeitar: Shaves beard or body hair with a razor or electric shaver to shorten it.
rasurar: Shaves off hair with a razor or electric shaver to produce a very close, clean finish.
cortar: Cuts hair with scissors or clippers to shorten or shape it.
depilar: Removes hair by pulling it out from the root with wax or tools, leaving the skin smooth for longer.
Definition in Spanish
Quitar casi todo el pelo de la cabeza o del cuerpo, dejando la piel casi al descubierto, normalmente con máquina o tijeras.
Word origin
The word comes from Vulgar Latin *rapare, ultimately from Latin rapere 'to seize', with the sense of taking away applied specifically to hair removal.
Usage tips
- Rapar implies near-baldness rather than a close face shave, and when someone does it to themself Spanish typically uses the reflexive form raparse.
Other meanings
- shave baldverb
- cropverb
Opposites
- crecergrowverb
Related words
- rapadoclose-croppedadjective