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lap

 - 15 dictionary results
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lap

1  [lap]
Use lap in a Sentence
–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, esp. 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.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME lappe, OE læppa; c. D lap; akin to G lappen, ON leppr rag, patch
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lap

2  [lap] verb, lapped, lap⋅ping, noun
–verb (used with object)
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.
–verb (used without object)
10. to fold or wind around something.
11. to lie partly over or alongside of something else.
12. to lie upon and extend beyond a thing; overlap.
13. to extend beyond a limit.
–noun
14. the act of lapping.
15. the amount of material required to go around a thing once.
16. a complete circuit of a course in racing or in walking for exercise: to run a lap.
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.
20. 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.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME lappen to fold, wrap; c. D lappen to patch, mend; akin to lap 1

lap

3  [lap] verb, lapped, lap⋅ping, noun
–verb (used with object)
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.
–verb (used without object)
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.
–noun
5. the act of lapping liquid.
6. the lapping of water against something.
7. the sound of this: the quiet lap of the sea on the rocks.
8. something lapped up, as liquid food for dogs.
—Verb phrase
9. lap up,
a. Informal. to receive enthusiastically: The audience lapped up his monologue.
b. to take in (all of a liquid) with the tongue; drink up: The cat lapped up her milk and looked for more.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME lappen, unexplained var. of lapen, OE lapian; c. MLG lapen, OHG laffan; akin to L lambere, Gk láptein to lick, lap

lap

4  [lap]
–verb Archaic.
pt. of leap.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To lap
lap 1   (lāp)   
n.  

    1. The front area from the waist to the knees of a seated person.

    2. 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.


[Middle English lappe, lappet, lap, from Old English læppa, lappet.]
lap'ful' n.
lap 2   (lāp)   
v.   lapped, lap·ping, laps

v.   tr.

    1. To place or lay (something) so as to overlap another: lapped the roof tiles so that water would run off.

    2. To lie partly over or on: each shingle lapping the next; shadows that lapped the wall.

    3. To polish (a surface) until smooth.

    4. To hone (two mating parts) against each other until closely fitted.

  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.

    1. To polish (a surface) until smooth.

    2. 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 part that overlaps.

    2. The amount by which one part overlaps another.

    3. One complete round or circuit, especially of a racetrack.

    4. One complete length of a straight course, as of a swimming pool.

    5. A length, as of rope, required to make one complete turn around something.

    6. The act of lapping or encircling.

    1. One complete round or circuit, especially of a racetrack.

    2. One complete length of a straight course, as of a swimming pool.

    3. A length, as of rope, required to make one complete turn around something.

    4. The act of lapping or encircling.

  3. A segment or stage, as of a trip.

    1. A length, as of rope, required to make one complete turn around something.

    2. 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   (lāp)   
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. The act or an instance of lapping.

    2. The amount taken in by lapping.

  2. The sound of lapping.

  3. A watery food or drink.

Phrasal Verb(s):
lap upTo receive eagerly or greedily: lapping up praise.

[Middle English lapen, from Old English lapian.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

lap  (n.)
O.E. læppa "skirt or flap of a garment," from P.Gmc. *lapp- (cf. M.Du. lappe, O.H.G. lappa, Ger. Lappen "rag, shred," O.N. leppr "patch, rag"), from PIE base *leb- "be loose, hang down." In 17c. the word was a euphemism for "female pudenda." Sense of "lower part of a shirt" led to that of "upper legs of seated person" (c.1290). Lapdog is from 1645; figurative sense of "subservient person" is from 1980s. Lap dance first recorded 1993.
"To lap dance, you undress, sit your client down, order him to stay still and fully clothed, then hover over him, making a motion that you have perfected by watching Mister Softee ice cream dispensers." ["New Yorker"]
Phrase lap of luxury first recorded 1802. Laptop as a type of portable computer is 1984, on model of desktop.

lap  (v.1)
"take up liquid with the tongue," from O.E. lapian, from P.Gmc. *lapajanan (cf. O.H.G. laffen "to lick," O.S. lepil, Ger. Löffel "spoon"), from PIE imitative base *lab- (cf. Gk. laptein "to sip, lick," L. lambere "to lick"). Meaning "splash gently" first recorded 1823, based on similarity of sound.

lap  (v.2)
"to lay one part over another," c.1225, from lap (n.). The sense of "to get a lap ahead (of someone) on a track" is from 1847, on notion of "overlapping." The noun meaning "a turn around a track" (1861) is from this sense.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: lap
Function: abbreviation
laparotomy
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Computing Dictionary

LAP
LISP Assembly Program. The assembly language embedded into early Lisp. LAP was also used by the Liar compiler for MIT Scheme and MACLISP.
[Sammet 1969, p. 597].
(1994-11-01)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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Idioms & Phrases

lap

In addition to the idioms beginning with lap, also see drop in someone's lap.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Abbreviations & Acronyms
lap
laparotomy
LAP
leukocyte alkaline phosphatase
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
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