leap

1 verb past tense and past participle leapt, especially BrE leaped especially AmE

1 JUMP

a) (intransitive always + adv/prep) to jump high into the air or to jump in order to land in a different place: Jen leapt across the stream.

b) (T) literary to jump over something: Brenda leaped the gate and ran across the field.

2 MOVE FAST (intransitive always + adv/prep) to move very quickly and with a lot of energy

(+ up/out/into etc): I leapt up the stairs three at a time. | leap to your feet: Morgan leapt to his feet and started shouting. | leap to sb's assistance/defence etc: Wendi leaped to his assistance.

3 INCREASE (I) to increase quickly and by a large amount: The price of gas leapt 15% overnight.

4 leap at the chance/opportunity/offer to accept a chance, opportunity, or offer very eagerly: They were offering a free holiday in the Algarve, so naturally I leapt at the chance.

5 leap out at you if something you are looking at leaps out at you, it is very easy for you to notice because it is unusual or unexpected

6 HEART (I) especially literary if your heart leaps, you feel a sudden surprise, happiness, or excitement: My heart leaped when I saw Paul at the airport.

-see also: look before you leap look 1 (10) 2 noun (C)

1 a big jump: Bill cleared the ditch with a single leap.

2 by/in leaps and bounds if someone or something increases, develops, grows etc by leaps and bounds, they increase etc very quickly: Andrew's German is improving by leaps and bounds.

3 a sudden large increase in the number or amount of something

(+ in): a leap in prices

4 a mental process that is needed to understand something difficult or see the connection between two very different ideas: a leap of imagination: It takes a great leap of imagination to see John as a teacher.

5 a leap in the dark something you do, or a risk that you take, without knowing what will happen as a result