Illustration of hop
- 3hop 2
hopped; hopping
1
: to move by a quick springy leap or in a series of leaps
also
: to move as if by hopping
hop in the car
2
: to make a quick trip especially by air
3
: to set about doing something
—usually used in the phrase hop to it
1
: to jump over
hop a fence
2
: to ride on
hopped a flight
also
: to ride surreptitiously and without authorization
hop a freight train
1
2
3
a
: a flight in an aircraft
b
: a short trip
1
hops plural
: the ripe dried female cone-like flower clusters of a north-temperate zone twining plant (Humulus lupulus) of the hemp family used especially to impart a bitter flavor to beer
2
plural hops
: the perennial climbing bine from which hops are obtained that have 3- to 5-lobed leaves and inconspicuous flowers of which the pistillate ones are in scaly cone-like clusters
Examples of hop in a Sentence
Verb (1)
a rabbit hopped across the frozen grass
the frog hopped back into the pond
the bus stopped, a lone passenger hopped on, and the driver continued on his way
Noun (1)
back in those days taking someone to the school hop was a big deal
she made it across the rocky creek in two hops
Recent Examples on the Web
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Travelers are chasing big moments and unforgettable experiences—think the Winter Olympics, the World Cup, or cultural festivals—rather than hopping from place to place.
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 6 Jan. 2026
Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
Carmel's close proximity to Indianapolis also means residents are a hop, skip, and a jump from a larger cultural ecosystem and have easy access to the Indianapolis International Airport (IND), which was named one of Travel + Leisure readers’ favorite airports in 2025.
—Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hop
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Neither is having your kids hopping about from school to school like free agents on 1-year contracts.
—Noun
Malt has almost as much variation in its varieties and flavors as hops, and there’s an entire world of different beer flavors waiting to be found all over again by beer drinkers looking for something beyond another IPA.
—Cite this Entry
“Hop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hop. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
hop
1 of 4 verb
hopped; hopping
1
: to move by a quick springy leap or series of leaps
especially
: to jump on one foot
2
: to jump over
hop a puddle
3
: to move or get aboard by or as if by hopping
hop a train
hop in the car
4
: to make a quick trip especially by air
hop
2 of 4 noun1
a
: a short brisk leap especially on one leg
2
: dance entry 2 sense 3, ball
the junior hop
3
a
: a flight in an airplane
b
: a short trip
hop
3 of 4 noun1
: a twining vine related to the mulberry and having leaves with lobes and flowers in cone-shaped catkins
2
plural
: the ripe dried catkins of a hop used especially to give a bitter flavor to malt liquors
hop
4 of 4 verb
hopped; hopping
: to flavor with hops
Etymology
Verb
Old English hoppian "to leap, hop"
Noun
Middle English hoppe "the hop vine"; of Dutch origin
Medical Definition
hop
1 of 2 noun1
: a twining plant (Humulus lupulus) of the hemp family with 3-lobed or 5-lobed leaves and inconspicuous flowers of which the pistillate ones are in cone-like clusters
2
hops plural
: the ripe dried female cone-like flower clusters of a hop plant used especially to impart a bitter flavor to beer and also in medicine as a tonic
HOP
2 of 2 abbreviation
high oxygen pressure
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share