leap

Leap generally refers to a movement in which a person or animal propels themselves through the air from one point to another. The distance and height can vary. As a noun, leap describes the jump itself; in figurative usage, a leap can denote rapid progress or a decisive action, such as a leap forward.

The term derives from Old English leapan, of Germanic origin, and has cognates in related Germanic languages that refer to jumping. The word’s sense broadens beyond physical movement to metaphorical uses in everyday language and culture.

In timekeeping, a leap year adds an extra day every four years to approximate the solar year, with century years only being leap years if divisible by 400. The leap second is a separate adjustment sometimes added to Coordinated Universal Time to compensate for irregularities in the Earth's rotation, and it occurs irregularly.

In culture and language, leap is found in expressions such as leap of faith or leap forward, signaling a significant change or risk. In sports, jumps such as the long jump and high jump are formal events that measure distance or height. In biology, many animals perform leaps as a mode of locomotion, relying on musculature and tendon action to propel the body and control landing.