lap

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈlap 

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

lapful

ˈlap-ˌfu̇l 

noun

lap

2 of 5

verb (1)

lapped; lapping

transitive verb

1

a

: to fold over or around something : wind

b

: to envelop entirely : swathe

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)

intransitive verb

1

: fold, wind

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

lap

3 of 5

noun (2)

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)

lap

4 of 5

verb (2)

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 up

Covered with sticky saliva, this long tongue helps the aardvark lap up a lot of termites.

—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

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.

c

transitive : to flow or splash against (something) in little waves

… the firm ribbon of beach lapped by waves.

—William Nack

lap

5 of 5

noun (3)

1

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

Phrases

the lap of luxury

: an environment of great ease, comfort, and wealth

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• overlap
• overlay
• overlie
• overspread

Noun (2)

• leg
• stage

Verb (2)

• bathe
• lave
• lip
• splash
• wash

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

Noun

A couple of hours later, Heim led 79 of the 134 laps in the No. 11 Toyota and held off Zane Smith by 1.088 seconds for his seventh career win. —Randy Covitz, Kansas City Star, 5 May 2024

There's an additional point available for the driver with the fastest lap if that driver is a top-ten finisher. —Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 5 May 2024

But the joy of winning was mixed with pain when people back home in Jamaica threatened boycotts and violence against him, perceiving Dalton to be gay after seeing a photo of him sitting on a man’s lap. —Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 May 2024

On the cover, Dylan is seated with a cat on his lap, surrounded by movie magazines, a fallout shelter sign, a copy of Time with Lyndon Johnson on the cover, and several vinyl records, including his previous LP, Another Side of Bob Dylan. —Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 May 2024

In the Friday practice, Sargeant’s best lap 1:29.891 was 18th of the 20 drivers and almost a half second off Albon’s best lap. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024

Midgette saw a man sitting on his porch with a rifle in his lap. —Ames Alexander and, Charlotte Observer, 3 May 2024

Seated between her parents, Charlotte looks at something in Princess Kate's lap inside the historic venue. —Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 2 May 2024

There’s also an impressive 82-foot indoor lap pool, heated lounge pool, hydrotherapy, and thermal areas separated by gender and featuring cold plunge, Japanese baths, and steam rooms. —Rebekah Peppler, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2024

Verb

Gray led the first 86 laps, had lapped all but nine cars in the field by the midway point and built an over 10-second lead at one point. —Todd Engle, Kansas City Star, 4 May 2024

Skydance could also have been lapped up by a tech company in the same way Amazon bought MGM for $8.5 billion in 2021. —Paolo Confino, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024

Roast marshmallows and make s'mores on the beach, learn how to build a sandcastle like the pros with the hotel's sand sculpture lessons, or kick back in a hammock and take a nap while listening to lapping waves. —Kara Franker, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2024

Ripley laps up the healthy salary (especially in the ‘50s) in his latest role — to persuade Dickie (Johnny Flynn) to leave Italy and return home. —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024

In recent months, Biden has been lapping Trump in terms of fundraising, in part because Trump also needs to raise money to pay legal fees associated with a raft of criminal indictments and civil court judgements against him. —David Jackson, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024

Trump soon expects to lap Biden in fundraising in one regard, however. —Libby Cathey, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2024

As generative artificial intelligence hit the mainstream in the last 12 months, smaller industry staples like C3.ai (AI) were lapped by Big Tech titans like Nvidia (NVDA), Microsoft (MSFT), and Alphabet (GOOGL). —Schaeffer's Investment Research, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

And in the 2024 presidential campaign, President Joe Biden has been lapping him in fundraising. —USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English lappe, from Old English læppa; akin to Old High German lappa flap

Verb (2)

Middle English, from Old English lapian; akin to Old High German laffan to lick, Latin lambere, Greek laphyssein to devour

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (3)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing lap

• drop/dump (something) in/into/on someone's lap
• drop/fall into someone's lap
• gun lap
• in the lap of luxury
• in the lap of the gods
• land in someone's lap
• lap belt
• lap dancing
• lap dog
• lap joint
• lap robe
• lap steel
• lap steel guitar
• pace lap
• the lap of luxury

Kids Definition

lap

1 of 5 noun

ˈlap 

1

: a loose panel in a garment : flap

2

a

: the clothing that lies on the knees and thighs when one sits

b

: the front part of a person between the waist and the knees when seated

lap

2 of 5 verb

lapped; lapping

1

: fold entry 3 sense 1

2

: wrap entry 1 sense 1a

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 noun

1

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"

Medical Definition

lap

abbreviation

laparotomy