To nap means to sleep for a short time during the day, usually anywhere from 20 minutes to a couple of hours. After playing hard outside all morning, a kindergartener might take a nap after lunch to recharge. Even adults sometimes nap on weekend afternoons when they're tired.

Naps are different from nighttime sleep because they're brief and happen when you'd normally be awake. A good nap can make you feel refreshed and alert, ready to tackle the rest of your day. Athletes sometimes nap before competitions, and students might nap after school before starting homework.

The word can also mean the soft, fuzzy surface on certain fabrics like velvet or suede. When you run your hand across velvet, you're feeling its nap, those tiny fibers that all point in the same direction. Stroking velvet one way feels smooth, but going against the nap feels rougher.