Wap

WAP (noun / UK slang & pop acronym)

(Also spelt: Wapp; related: Back out the wap)

Definition: In UK street and drill culture, a firearm or gun. In global internet and pop culture, it’s the viral acronym for “Wet-Ass Pussy” made famous by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion.

Pronunciation: /wæp/ (rhymes with trap and slap)

Where It Comes From: On UK streets, the word emerged straight out of 2000s London road rap and early grime sets, well before cementing itself as standard vocabulary in UK drill. Much like leng, it started as verbal onomatopoeia—mimicking the sharp, loud crack of a gunshot.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the word took on an entirely separate global meaning in the summer of 2020 when Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion released their chart-topping anthem “WAP,” turning the abbreviation into an overnight pop culture staple.

How People Actually Use It: Context makes it immediately obvious which version someone is talking about.

In British rap lyrics, drill cyphers, or court reports, “holding a wap” or “backing out a wap” exclusively refers to carrying or drawing a handgun.

Everywhere else—across TikTok trends, student nights, and social media commentary—it’s used strictly in reference to the song, sexual confidence, or playing the track during a night out.

Examples in the Wild:

• “The music video got pulled from YouTube because they had a wap on display.”

  Translation: “The upload was removed because someone showed a firearm in the video.”

• “The entire dancefloor lost its head when the DJ dropped WAP at midnight.”

  Translation: “The crowd went wild when the Cardi B song came on.”

• “He talks tough online, but he’s never touched a wap in his life.”

  Translation: “He pretends to be dangerous despite having no real involvement with weapons.”

Similar Slang: Leng, Strap, Mash, Piece, Burner, Heat, Tool