a. [ OE. daper; prob. fr. D. dapper brave, valiant; akin to G. tapfer brave, OHG. taphar heavy, weighty, OSlav. dobrŭ good, Russ. dobrui. Cf. Deft. ] Little and active; spruce; trim; smart; neat in dress or appearance; lively. [ 1913 Webster ]
He wondered how so many provinces could be held in subjection by such a dapper little man. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]
The dapper ditties that I wont devise. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]
Sharp-nosed, dapper steam yachts. Julian Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. A dwarf; a dandiprat. [ r. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ For divedapper. See Dive, Dap, Dip, and cf. Dabchick. ] (Zool.) See Dabchick. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ See Dive, Didapper. ] (Zool.) A water fowl; the didapper. See Dabchick. [ 1913 Webster ]