Etymograph

English

rape ape

From rape + ape, chosen for the rhyme.

A compound of rape + ape

Middle English rapen ‘to abduct; ravish; seize’

English rape

Proto-Germanic *apô ‘monkey, ape’

Proto-West Germanic *apō ‘simian (ape, monkey)’

Old English apa ‘ape, monkey’

Middle English ape ‘an ape or monkey’

English ape

Today it means

noun A suspected black male rapist.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “rape ape”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / rape ape

Shirt and support for this word