lap

¹ American  

[lap] / læp /

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.

3. a place, environment, or situation of rest or nurture.

   the lap of luxury.

4. area of responsibility, care, charge, or control.

   They dropped the problem right in his lap.

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

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

7. a part of a garment that extends over another.

   the lap of a coat.

8. a loose border or fold.

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lap ² American  

[lap] / læp /

verb (used with object)

lapped, lapping

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.

3. to envelop or enfold.

   lapped in luxury.

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

5. to lie partly over (something underneath).

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

7. to cut or polish with a lap.

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

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

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verb (used without object)

lapped, lapping

1. to fold or wind around something.

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

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

4. to extend beyond a limit.

noun

1. the act of lapping.

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

3. a complete circuit of a course in racing or in walking for exercise.

   to run a lap.

4. an overlapping part.

5. the extent or amount of overlapping.

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

7. 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.

lap ³ American  

[lap] / læp /

verb (used with object)

lapped, lapping

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.

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verb (used without object)

lapped, lapping

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.

3. the sound of this.

   the quiet lap of the sea on the rocks.

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

verb phrase

1. lap up

   1. Informal. to receive enthusiastically.

      The audience lapped up his monologue.

   2. to take in (all of a liquid) with the tongue; drink up.

      The cat lapped up her milk and looked for more.

lap ⁴ American  

[lap] / læp /

verb

Archaic.

1. archaic simple past tense of leap.

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lap ¹ British  

/ læp /

noun

1. one circuit of a racecourse or track

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

3. 1. an overlapping part or projection

   2. the extent of overlap

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

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

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

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

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

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verb

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

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

4. (tr; usually passive) to envelop or surround with comfort, love, etc

   lapped in luxury

5. (intr) to be folded

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

7. (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

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

lap ² British  

/ 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

3. a protected place or environment

   in the lap of luxury

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

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

6. give someone the responsibility of

7. beyond human control and power

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lap ³ British  

/ læp /

verb

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

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noun

1. the act or sound of lapping

2. a thin food for dogs or other animals

lap Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing lap

• drop in someone's lap

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Other Word Forms

• lapper
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of lap¹

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”

Origin of lap²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English lappen, lap(pe) “to fold, wrap”; cognate with Dutch lappen “to patch, mend”; akin to lap ¹

Origin of lap³

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”

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Explanation

Your lap is the top of your thighs when you sit down, where your cat might sit. Lap can also refer to a trip around a racetrack, or to the act of overtaking a competitor by a lap. Lap is associated with a number of idioms. If something "falls into your lap," you have gotten something without making much effort. For example, maybe you discovered a rare fossil in your yard while looking for your lost baseball. If you sold that fossil for a lot of money, you may find yourself now "sitting in the lap of luxury." That’s a wonderful place to be!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lap lapped lapping

The process cost the team seven years, countless man-hours, and $10 million before Antonelli ever completed a single Grand Prix lap.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Would seat belts on the ride—in addition to the lap bar already in place—have helped?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

From Nickelodeon to having Rob Iler on your lap in “Bad Thoughts” performing an alien scat scene, your career truly is a wild ride.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

He apologised over team radio on the slowing-down lap, referring to it as "my call".

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

“This will pay for a three-bedroom apartment I found in Somewhere. Don’t worry, Lily,” Dad says when the little girl in my lap begins to protest.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

One morning last month, Paxon, now a 79-year-old county commissioner, pointed to where the diminished reservoir lapped at the base of the 301-foot dam.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Amazon MGM Studios’ “Verity,” starring Anne Hathaway, easily lapped “Digger,” coming in first at the domestic box office with a haul of $32.6 million.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

The closest he came was with two laps to go as Verstappen stumbled over some lapped cars, but despite a mistake at Turn Five, the Dutchman was able to hold on.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

“Investors lapped up mining companies, housebuilders, packaging providers, tech names, and banks,” he added.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

He was quite fat and his bloated stomach always lapped over his belt.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Everyone assumed they were static models, until the drivers started lapping the circuit and we saw a tremendous amount of excitement and social media buzz.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

The stretch of track along the San Clemente shoreline has long offered picturesque views of sandy beaches and lapping ocean waves for passengers traveling between Los Angeles and San Diego.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

In college, my worldly roommate, her Exeter sophistication lapping my sheltered convent education, introduced me to the saccharin-infused Pepsi Light.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

But there was still a mutual show of love as Fleetwood walked down the 18th fairway, lapping up a rapturous reception and showing his appreciation by thumping his heart.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

I played my fifths and my scales, which, lapping gently upon the bulwarks of the ships we passed, drew sailors to the rails as we rowed on.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

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