lap

1
[ lap ]
See synonyms for: laplappedlapping on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the front part of the human body from the waist to the knees when in a sitting position.

  2. the part of the clothing that lies on the front portion of the body from the waist to the knees when one sits.

  1. a place, environment, or situation of rest or nurture: the lap of luxury.

  2. area of responsibility, care, charge, or control: They dropped the problem right in his lap.

  3. a hollow place, as a hollow among hills.

  4. the front part of a skirt, especially as held up to contain something.

  5. a part of a garment that extends over another: the lap of a coat.

  6. a loose border or fold.

Origin of lap

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English lap(pe) “lower part of a shirt or skirt,” Old English læppa “skirt (of a garment)”; cognate with Dutch lap; akin to German lappen, Old Norse leppr “lock of hair; rag, patch”

Words Nearby lap

Other definitions for lap (2 of 4)

lap2
[ lap ]

verb (used with object),lapped, lap·ping.
  1. to fold over or around something; wrap or wind around something: to lap a bandage around one's finger.

  2. to enwrap in something; wrap up; clothe.

  1. to envelop or enfold: lapped in luxury.

  2. to lay (something) partly over something underneath; lay (things) together, one partly over another; overlap.

  3. to lie partly over (something underneath).

  4. to get a lap or more ahead of (a competitor) in racing, as on an oval track.

  5. to cut or polish with a lap.

  6. to join, as by scarfing, to form a single piece with the same dimensions throughout.

  7. to change (cotton, wool, etc.) into a compressed layer or sheet.

verb (used without object),lapped, lap·ping.
  1. to fold or wind around something.

  2. to lie partly over or alongside of something else.

  1. to lie upon and extend beyond a thing; overlap.

  2. to extend beyond a limit.

noun
  1. the act of lapping.

  2. the amount of material required to go around a thing once.

  1. a complete circuit of a course in racing or in walking for exercise: to run a lap.

  2. an overlapping part.

  3. the extent or amount of overlapping.

  4. a rotating wheel or disk holding an abrasive or polishing powder on its surface, used for gems, cutlery, etc.

  5. a compressed layer or sheet of cotton, wool, or other fibrous material usually wound on an iron rod or rolled into a cylindrical form for further processing during carding.

Origin of lap

2
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English lappen, lap(pe) “to fold, wrap”; cognate with Dutch lappen “to patch, mend”; akin to lap1

Other definitions for lap (3 of 4)

lap3
[ lap ]

verb (used with object),lapped, lap·ping.
  1. (of water) to wash against or beat upon (something) with a light, slapping or splashing sound: Waves lapped the shoreline.

  2. to take in (liquid) with the tongue; lick in: to lap water from a bowl.

verb (used without object),lapped, lap·ping.
  1. to wash or move in small waves with a light, slapping or splashing sound: The water lapped gently against the mooring.

  2. to take up liquid with the tongue; lick up a liquid.

noun
  1. the act of lapping liquid.

  2. the lapping of water against something.

  1. the sound of this: the quiet lap of the sea on the rocks.

  2. something lapped up, as liquid food for dogs.

Verb Phrases
  1. lap up,

    • Informal. to receive enthusiastically: The audience lapped up his monologue.

    • to take in (all of a liquid) with the tongue; drink up: The cat lapped up her milk and looked for more.

Origin of lap

3
First recorded before 1000; Middle English lap(p)en, Old English lapian; cognate with Middle Low German lapen, Old High German laffan; akin to Latin lambere “to lick, touch,”Greek láptein “to lick, lap”

Other definitions for lap (4 of 4)

lap4
[ lap ]

verbArchaic.
  1. archaic simple past tense of leap.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use lap in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lap (1 of 3)

lap1

/ (læp) /


noun
  1. one circuit of a racecourse or track

  2. a stage or part of a journey, race, etc

    • an overlapping part or projection

    • the extent of overlap

  1. the length of material needed to go around an object

  2. a rotating disc coated with fine abrasive for polishing gemstones

  3. any device for holding a fine abrasive to polish materials

  4. metallurgy a defect in rolled metals caused by the folding of a fin onto the surface

  5. a sheet or band of fibres, such as cotton, prepared for further processing

verblaps, lapping or lapped
  1. (tr) to wrap or fold (around or over): he lapped a bandage around his wrist

  2. (tr) to enclose or envelop in: he lapped his wrist in a bandage

  1. to place or lie partly or completely over or project beyond

  2. (tr; usually passive) to envelop or surround with comfort, love, etc: lapped in luxury

  3. (intr) to be folded

  4. (tr) to overtake (an opponent) in a race so as to be one or more circuits ahead

  5. (tr) to polish or cut (a workpiece, gemstone, etc) with a fine abrasive, esp to hone (mating metal parts) against each other with an abrasive

  6. to form (fibres) into a sheet or band

Origin of lap

1
C13 (in the sense: to wrap): probably from lap 1

Derived forms of lap

  • lapper, noun

British Dictionary definitions for lap (2 of 3)

lap2

/ (læp) /


verblaps, lapping or lapped
  1. (of small waves) to wash against (a shore, boat, etc), usually with light splashing sounds

  2. (often foll by up) (esp of animals) to scoop (a liquid) into the mouth with the tongue

noun
  1. the act or sound of lapping

  2. a thin food for dogs or other animals

Origin of lap

2
Old English lapian; related to Old High German laffan, Latin lambere, Greek laptein

Derived forms of lap

  • lapper, noun

British Dictionary definitions for lap (3 of 3)

lap3

/ (læp) /


noun
  1. the area formed by the upper surface of the thighs of a seated person

  2. Also called: lapful the amount held in one's lap

  1. a protected place or environment: in the lap of luxury

  2. any of various hollow or depressed areas, such as a hollow in the land

  3. the part of one's clothing that covers the lap

  4. drop in someone's lap give someone the responsibility of

  5. in the lap of the gods beyond human control and power

Origin of lap

3
Old English læppa flap; see lobe, lappet, lop ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with lap

lap

In addition to the idioms beginning with lap

  • lap of luxury, in the
  • lap of the gods, in the
  • lap up

also see:

  • drop in someone's lap

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.