lap up

lap ¹  (lp)

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.

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[Middle English lappe, lappet, lap, from Old English læppa, lappet.]

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lapful n.

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lap ²  (lp)

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 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.

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[Middle English lappen, from lappe, lap, lappet; see lap¹.]

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lap ³  (lp)

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.

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[Middle English lapen, from Old English lapian.]

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lap up

vb (tr, adverb)

1. to eat or drink

2. to relish or delight in he laps up old horror films

3. to believe or accept eagerly and uncritically he laps up tall stories

Thesaurus

Verb

1.

lap up - take up with the tongue; "The cat lapped up the milk"; "the cub licked the milk from its mother's breast" lap, lick drink, imbibe - take in liquids; "The patient must drink several liters each day"; "The children like to drink soda"

Translations

? lap up

vt sep

liquid → auflecken, aufschlecken, aufschlabbern (inf); the children hungrily lapped up their soup → die Kinder löffelten hungrig ihre Suppe

praise, compliments, sunshine → genießen; she lapped it up → das ging ihr runter wie Honig (inf); he lapped up the compliments → die Komplimente gingen ihm wie Honig runter (inf); the media are lapping up this latest scandal → die Medien haben sich gierig auf diesen neuesten Skandal gestürzt