Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A loose assemblage of broken stones erected in water or on soft ground as a foundation.
  • noun The broken stones used for such a foundation.
  • transitive verb To construct a riprap in or on.
  • transitive verb To strengthen with a riprap.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In engineering: Broken stones used for walls, beds, and foundations: sometimes used attributively.
  • noun A foundation or parapet of stones thrown together without any attempt at regular structural arrangement, as in deep water or on a soft bottom.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Masonry) A foundation or sustaining wall of stones thrown together without order, as in deep water or on a soft bottom, or in a river channel.
  • transitive verb To form a riprap in or upon.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Rocks or other materials used to shore up an embankment, deter or prevent erosion, guide shipping, or serve as a temporary mooring.
  • verb To form a riprap in or upon.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Reduplication of rap.]

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Examples

  • Plus, I learned the word riprap-previously used in the

    Emdashes Jonathan Taylor 2010

  • Plus, I learned the word riprap-previously used in the

    Emdashes Jonathan Taylor 2010

  • Crews working for Skagit County broke up the dike, also known as riprap, late last month as part of a $1.2 million project that will stretch into next year.

    HeraldNet.com Local, Sports, Business and Entertainment News 2008

  • The boulders, called riprap, are designed to protect erosion at the base of the 15-foot concrete structure,

    The Daily News - News 2008

  • Fish this around structure such as riprap or downed timber.

    Bomber Fat A BO6F 2008

  • Fish this around structure such as riprap or downed timber.

    Bomber Fat A BO6F 2008

  • Follow the structure with a crisscross pattern and look for features along the edge of the roadbed that bass find inviting, such as riprap, boulders, stumps, fence posts, and brush.

    Hit the Road for Bass 1999

  • DNR staff calculated the energy level for the site and determined that less harmful shoreline protection measures such as riprap or biostabilization are appropriate.

    The Fond du Lac Reporter Latest Headlines 2010

  • Rocky areas such as riprap or gravel bars also tend to harbor crappie, especially when the fish go shallower.

    The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal:Today's Headlines 2009

  • What the citizens gathered in protest on Saturday and the many at home who agree with them have neglected to acknowledge is that the "riprap" rock in question could be put to good use for the people of Provo.

    BYU NewsNet : Home 2009

Comments

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  • A word (rubble used to stabilize riverbanks) that I know solely through Gary Snyder's use of it.

    December 10, 2006