English▸ adjective
(nappier, nappiest)
US informal (of hair) frizzy (typically used with reference to black people): I became proud of my thick, nappy hair.
– ORIGIN late 15th century (in the sense ‘shaggy’): from Middle Dutch noppigh, Middle Low German noppich, from noppe (see nap2). The current sense dates from the early 20th century.