1
a
: a loose overlapping or hanging panel or flap especially of a garment
b
archaic
: the skirt of a coat or dress
2
a
: the clothing that lies on the knees, thighs, and lower part of the trunk when one sits
b
: the front part of the lower trunk and thighs of a seated person
3
: responsible custody : control
going to drop the whole thing in your lap—
Hamilton Basso
Hamilton Basso
lapped; lapping
2
: to fold over especially into layers
3
: to hold protectively in or as if in the lap : cuddle
4
a
: to place over and cover a part of : overlap
lap shingles on a roof
b
: to join (things, such as two boards) by a lap joint
5
a
: to dress, smooth, or polish (something, such as a metal surface) to a high degree of refinement or accuracy
b
: to shape or fit by working two surfaces together with or without abrasives until a very close fit is produced
6
a
: to overtake and thereby lead or increase the lead over (another contestant) by a full circuit of a racecourse
b
: to complete the circuit of (a racecourse)
2
a
: to project beyond or spread over something
b
: to lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another : overlap
3
: to traverse a course
1
a
: the amount by which one object overlaps or projects beyond another
b
: the part of an object that overlaps another
2
: a smoothing and polishing tool usually consisting of a piece of wood, leather, felt, or soft metal in a special shape used with or without an embedded abrasive
3
: a doubling or layering of a flexible substance (such as fibers or paper)
4
a
: the act or an instance of traversing a course (such as a racing track or swimming pool)
also
: the distance covered
b
: one segment of a larger unit (such as a journey)
c
: one complete turn (as of a rope around a drum)
lapped; lapping; laps
1
a
transitive + intransitive
: to take in (food or drink) with the tongue
a cat lapping milk from a dish
—often used with upCovered with sticky saliva, this long tongue helps the aardvark lap up a lot of termites.—Jo Anne Chitwood Snow
Jo Anne Chitwood Snow
b
transitive
: to take in or absorb (something) eagerly or quickly
—used with up
The crowd lapped up every word he said.
2
a
intransitive
: to make a gentle, intermittent splashing sound
It was quiet except for the ripples of water lapping at the side of the boat.—Elisa Smith
Elisa Smith
b
intransitive
: to move in little waves : wash
… banging the table so hard that a couple of lattes lapped over the edge of their cups …—Douglas Frantz et al.
Douglas Frantz et al.
c
transitive
: to flow or splash against (something) in little waves
… the firm ribbon of beach lapped by waves.—William Nack
William Nack1
a
: an act or instance of lapping
b
: the amount that can be carried to the mouth by one lick or scoop of the tongue
2
: a thin or weak beverage or food
3
: a gentle splashing sound
Examples of lap in a Sentence
Verb (1)
the armadillo's plates lap tightly so as to form a protective shield
this recording of the symphony is sure to lap listeners in stereophonic bliss
Noun (2)
we were on the last lap of the journey, eagerly heading for home
Verb (2)
the waves gently lapped the sandy shore
the creek lapped along through the ravine before collecting in the pond
a stiff breeze that was causing the lake waters to lap against the hull with some force
Recent Examples on the Web
Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2025
In the video, the expectant mother, 33, sat across from her mother-in-law with a platter of sandwiches on her lap, voicing the words of reality star Tammy Slaton.
—Kayla Grant, People.com, 16 May 2025
Mark Ewing, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjacent neighborhoods in that area, as well as those west of the Turnpike and south of Plantation, could have sea water lapping into backyards on normal high tides.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lap
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
An 80-degree glare softened the dirt in time for the main event — a captivating lap under cirrus clouds that, even with a relatively light crowd, brought folks in funky hats right up to the railing for an instant classic.
—Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2025
In the video, the expectant mother, 33, sat across from her mother-in-law with a platter of sandwiches on her lap, voicing the words of reality star Tammy Slaton.
—Kayla Grant, People.com, 16 May 2025
Verb
Porsche’s Ace of the Nürburgring, Lars Kern, set a new 4-door hybrid record lapping the famous12.9-mile Nordschleife, crushing the existing Panamera record by 5.6 seconds.
—Mark Ewing, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjacent neighborhoods in that area, as well as those west of the Turnpike and south of Plantation, could have sea water lapping into backyards on normal high tides.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lap
Cite this Entry
“Lap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lap. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lap
2 of 5 verb
lapped; lapping
3
: to lay or lie over or near something else so as to partly cover it
lap one shingle over another
lap
3 of 5 noun1
a
: the amount by which one object overlaps another
b
: the part of an object that overlaps another
2
a
: one time around a racetrack
b
: one part of a journey
lap
4 of 5 verb
lapped; lapping
1
: to scoop up food or drink with the tongue
2
: to wash or splash gently
lap
5 of 5 noun
: an act or sound of lapping
Etymology
Noun
Old English læppa "flap of a garment"
Verb
Old English lapian "to take into the mouth by means of the tongue"
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