Leap | Mean of leap in English Dictionary

/ˈliːp/

• Verb
• to jump from a surface
1. The cat suddenly leaped into the air.
2. Fish were leaping out of the water.
3. He leaped off the bridge.
4. The cat leapt down from (the top of) the table.
5. The boys leaped over the stream.
6. He made a leaping catch. [=he caught the ball as he jumped]
• to jump over (something)
1. The horse leaped the stone wall.
• to move quickly
1. She leapt up [=she stood up quickly] and ran out the door.
2. When the alarm went off, she leapt out of bed.
3. The crowd leapt to its feet. [=stood up quickly in excitement]
4. The team leaped from last place to first place.
5. The conversation leapt from politics to religion.
6. When other people accused her of being lazy, he leaped to her defense. [=he quickly began to defend her]
7. They leaped into action. [=acted immediately]

• to suddenly increase by a large amount
1. The price of gasoline leaped (by) 10 percent.
• to eagerly take (a chance, opportunity, etc.)
1. She leaped at [=jumped at] the chance/opportunity to show her boss what she could do.
2. He leapt at the offer of a better job.
• to suddenly come at (someone) from a hiding place
1. The hidden assailant leaped [=jumped] out at them.
• to immediately get the attention of (someone)
1. The picture on the magazine's cover leaps out at you.
• Noun
• a long or high jump
1. She made a graceful leap into the air.
2. He ran and took a flying leap over the stream.
• the distance that a person or animal jumps
1. He won the high jump with a leap of six feet.
• a great and sudden change, increase, or improvement
1. She made the difficult leap [=transition] from college to the workplace.
2. the leap from childhood to adulthood
3. a leap [=jump] in the cost of automobiles
4. She has shown great leaps in ability.
5. Technology has taken a great leap forward.
• a serious attempt to do or understand something new
1. an imaginative leap
2. It required a leap of the imagination to picture how the project would look when it was completed.
3. He had no experience, so starting his own business was a real leap in the dark.
4. He has taken/made a leap of faith in starting his own business.
5. It takes/requires a leap of faith to believe that this project can succeed.
• very quickly and greatly
1. The company grew by leaps and bounds.
2. Their knowledge has increased in leaps and bounds.