Obs. Forms: 4–6 quappe, 5 qwappe, (7 quapp). See also QUOP. [Imitative; cf. G. quappen to flop, quappeln to quiver. A later form is QUAB v.] intr. To beat, throb, palpitate, quiver.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, III. 8 (57). And lord how þat his herte gan to quappe, Heryng her come.
1382. Wyclif, Tobit vi. 4. He droȝ it [the fish] in to the drie, and it began to quappe befor his feet.
c. 1440. Partonope, 5938. His hert gan qwappe, his coloure gan change.
1567. Turberv., trans. Ovid’s Ep., 67. Even as the sea doth shake and trembling quappe, When with a gentle gale it is enforst.
[a. 1643. W. Cartwright, Ordinary, II. ii. My heart gan quapp full oft.]
Hence † Quapping vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VII. lix. (1495), 273. The tokens of a Flegmon or postume … ben … quappynge and lepynge of ventosytee.
1572. J. Jones, Bathes of Bath, I. 7. Beating, or quapping [paine] cometh of a hot Aposteme.
