lap 1
(lăp)n.1. a. The front area from the waist to the knees of a seated person.
b. The portion of a garment that covers the lap.
2. A hanging or flaplike part, especially of a garment.
3. An area of responsibility, interest, or control: an opportunity that dropped in his lap.
Idiom: the lap of luxury Conditions of great affluence or material comfort: an heiress living in the lap of luxury.
[Middle English lappe, lappet, lap, from Old English læppa, lappet.]
lap′ful′ n.
lap 2
(lăp)v. lapped, lap·ping, laps
v.tr.1. a. To place or lay (something) so as to overlap another: lapped the roof tiles so that water would run off.
b. To lie partly over or on: each shingle lapping the next; shadows that lapped the wall.
2. To fold (something) over onto itself: a cloth edge that had been lapped and sewn to make a hem.
3. To wrap or wind around (something); encircle.
4. To envelop in something; swathe: models who were lapped in expensive furs.
5. To join (pieces, as of wood) by means of a scarf or lap joint.
6. Sports To get ahead of (an opponent) in a race by one or more complete circuits of the course, as in running, or by two or more lengths of a pool in swimming.
7. To convert (cotton or other fibers) into a sheet or layer.
8. a. To polish (a surface) until smooth.
b. To hone (two mating parts) against each other until closely fitted.
v.intr.1. To lie partly on or over something; overlap.
2. To form a lap or fold.
3. To wind around or enfold something.
n.1. a. A part that overlaps.
b. The amount by which one part overlaps another.
2. a. One complete round or circuit, especially of a racetrack.
b. One complete length of a straight course, as of a swimming pool.
3. A segment or stage, as of a trip.
4. a. A length, as of rope, required to make one complete turn around something.
b. The act of lapping or encircling.
5. A continuous band or layer of cotton, flax, or other fiber.
6. A wheel, disk, or slab of leather or metal, either stationary or rotating, used for polishing and smoothing.
[Middle English lappen, from lappe, lap, lappet; see lap1.]
lap 3
(lăp)v. lapped, lap·ping, laps
v.tr.1. To take in (a liquid or food) by lifting it with the tongue.
2. To wash or slap against with soft liquid sounds: waves lapping the side of the boat.
v.intr.1. To take in a liquid or food with the tongue.
2. To wash against something with soft liquid sounds.
n.1. a. The act or an instance of lapping.
b. The amount taken in by lapping.
2. The sound of lapping.
3. A watery food or drink.
Phrasal Verb: lap up To receive eagerly or greedily: lapping up praise.
[Middle English lapen, from Old English lapian.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
lap
(læp) n1. (General Sporting Terms) one circuit of a racecourse or track
2. a stage or part of a journey, race, etc
3. a. an overlapping part or projection
b. the extent of overlap
4. the length of material needed to go around an object
5. (Tools) a rotating disc coated with fine abrasive for polishing gemstones
6. (Jewellery) a rotating disc coated with fine abrasive for polishing gemstones
7. (Tools) any device for holding a fine abrasive to polish materials
8. (Mechanical Engineering) any device for holding a fine abrasive to polish materials
9. (Metallurgy) metallurgy a defect in rolled metals caused by the folding of a fin onto the surface
10. (Textiles) a sheet or band of fibres, such as cotton, prepared for further processing
vb,
laps,
lapping or lapped11. (tr) to wrap or fold (around or over): he lapped a bandage around his wrist.
12. (tr) to enclose or envelop in: he lapped his wrist in a bandage.
13. to place or lie partly or completely over or project beyond
14. (tr; usually passive) to envelop or surround with comfort, love, etc: lapped in luxury.
15. (intr) to be folded
16. (General Sporting Terms) (tr) to overtake (an opponent) in a race so as to be one or more circuits ahead
17. (Jewellery) (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
18. (Mechanical Engineering) (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
19. to form (fibres) into a sheet or band
[C13 (in the sense: to wrap): probably from lap1]
ˈlapper n
lap
(læp) vb,
laps,
lapping or lapped1. (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
n3. the act or sound of lapping
4. a thin food for dogs or other animals
[Old English lapian; related to Old High German laffan, Latin lambere, Greek laptein]
ˈlapper n
lap
(læp) n1. (Anatomy) 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. (Clothing & Fashion) the part of one's clothing that covers the lap
6. drop in someone's lap give someone the responsibility of
7. in the lap of the gods beyond human control and power
[Old English læppa flap; see lobe, lappet, lop2]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
lap1
(læp)
n. 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 covers this part of the body.
3. a place, environment, or situation of rest or nurture: the lap of luxury.
4. an area of responsibility, care, charge, or control: They dropped the problem right in my lap.
5. a hollow place, as a hollow among hills.
6. a part of a garment that extends over another: the lap of a coat.
7. a loose border or fold.
[before 900; Middle English lappe, Old English læppa, c. Old Frisian lappa, Old Saxon lappo fold, skirt]
lap2
(læp)
v. lapped, lap•ping,
n. v.t. 1. to fold over or around something; wrap or wind.
2. to enwrap in something; wrap up; clothe.
3. to envelop or enfold: lapped in luxury.
4. to lay (something) partly over something underneath.
5. to lie partly over (something underneath); overlap.
6. to get a lap or more ahead of (a competitor) in racing.
7. to cut or polish with a lap.
8. to join, as by scarfing, to form a single, uniform piece.
v.i. 9. to fold or wind around something.
10. to lie partly over or alongside of something else.
11. to lie upon and extend beyond a thing; overlap.
12. to extend beyond a limit.
n. 13. the act of lapping.
14. the amount of material required to go around a thing once.
15. a complete circuit of a course, as in racing.
16. one stage of a long trip, undertaking, etc.
17. an overlapping part.
18. the extent or amount of overlapping.
19. a rotating wheel or disk holding an abrasive or polishing powder on its surface, used for gems, cutlery, etc.
[1250–1300; Middle English
lappen to fold, wrap; akin to
lap1]
lap3
(læp)
v. lapped, lap•ping,
n. v.t. 1. (of water) to wash against or beat upon (something) with a light, slapping or splashing sound.
2. to take in (liquid) with the tongue; lick in.
v.i. 3. to wash or move in small waves with a light, slapping or splashing sound: The water lapped gently against the mooring.
4. to take up liquid with the tongue; lick up a liquid.
5. lap up, a. to take up (liquid) with the tongue, esp. eagerly.
b. to receive enthusiastically: to lap up applause.
c. to be persuaded about gullibly.
n. 6. the act of lapping liquid.
7. the lapping of water against something.
8. the sound of this: the quiet lap of the sea on the rocks.
9. something lapped up, as liquid food for dogs.
[before 1000; Middle English lappen, alter. of lapen, Old English lapian, c. Middle Low German, Middle Dutch lapen, Old High German laffan]
lap′per, n.
lap4
(læp)
v. Archaic. Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.