A leaper is someone or something that leaps, meaning they jump powerfully from one place to another. A gazelle is a natural leaper, bounding across the African savanna in graceful arcs to escape predators. A basketball player might be called a great leaper if they can jump high enough to dunk easily.

The word captures that explosive, upward quality of a jump. You wouldn't call someone slowly stepping over a puddle a leaper, but you would describe a frog that springs from lily pad to lily pad as one. In dance, leapers perform impressive jumps that seem to defy gravity for a moment.

Sometimes people use leaper playfully or metaphorically. In checkers, when your piece jumps over your opponent's pieces to capture them, you might call it a leaper. The term can also describe someone who takes bold risks or makes sudden changes, like leaping into a new adventure without hesitation. Whether it's a cat pouncing on a toy or an athlete clearing a hurdle, a leaper shows power, timing, and courage.