leaper

Meaning

1. One who leaps.
2. A kind of hooked instrument for untwisting old cordage.
3. A piece, like the knight, which moves a fixed distance, and ignores pieces in the way.
4. Synonym of jumper (“person who attempts suicide by jumping from a height”).
5. A person whose birthday falls on 29 February, and thus only occurs in leap years.

Synonyms

bounder

jumper

skipper

lipper

Translations

القافز

saltador

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: lepere

Inherited from Old English: hlēapere

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: Lööper

Cognate with Western Frisian: ljepper

Cognate with Western Frisian: loper

Cognate with Dutch: loper

Cognate with German: Läufer

Cognate with Swedish: löpare

Cognate with Icelandic: hlaupari

In summary

From Middle English lepere, lepare, from Old English hlēapere (“runner, leaper, dancer, courier, vagrant”), equivalent to leap + -er. Compare Saterland Frisian Lööper (“runner”), West Frisian ljepper (“leaper”), West Frisian loper (“runner”), Dutch loper (“runner”), German Läufer (“runner”), Swedish löpare (“runner”), Icelandic hlaupari (“runner”).