lap

views updated May 18 2018

lap1 / lap/ • n. 1. (usu. one's lap) the flat area between the waist and knees of a seated person: come and sit on my lap. ∎  the part of an item of clothing, esp. a skirt, covering the lap.2. archaic a hanging flap on a garment or a saddle.PHRASES: fall (or drop) into someone's lap (of something unexpected) come someone's way without any effort having been made: not many reporters are lucky enough to have stories fall into their laps.in someone's lap as someone's responsibility: she dumped the problem in my lap.in the lap of luxury in conditions of great comfort and wealth.DERIVATIVES: lap·ful / -ˌfoŏl/ n. (pl. -fuls) .ORIGIN: Old English læppa, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch lap, German Lappen ‘piece of cloth.’ The word originally denoted a fold or flap of a garment (compare with lapel), later specifically one that could be used as a pocket or pouch, or the front of a skirt when held up to catch or carry something (Middle English), hence the area between the waist and knees as a place where a child could be nursed or an object held.lap2 • n. 1. one circuit of a track or racetrack. ∎  a stage in a swim consisting of two lengths of a pool. ∎  a section of a journey or other undertaking: we caught a cab for the last lap of our journey.2. an overlapping or projecting part. ∎  the amount by which one thing overlaps or covers a part of another. ∎ Metallurgy a defect formed in rolling when a projecting part is accidentally folded over and pressed against the surface of the metal. ∎  (in a steam engine) the distance by which the valve overlaps the steam port (or the exhaust port).3. (in a lapping machine) a rotating disk with a coating of fine abrasive for polishing. ∎  a polishing tool of a special shape, coated or impregnated with an abrasive.• v. (lapped, lap·ping) [tr.] 1. overtake (a competitor in a race) to become one or more laps ahead: she lapped all of her rivals in the 3,000 meters. ∎  [intr.] (of a competitor or vehicle in a race) complete a lap, esp. in a specified time: he lapped two tenths of a second faster than anyone else.2. [tr.] (lap someone/something in) poetic/literary enfold or swathe a person or thing, esp. a part of the body, in (something soft): he was lapped in blankets fig. I was accustomed to being lapped in luxury. 3. [intr.] project beyond or overlap something: the blanket of snow lapped over the roofs of the house.4. [tr.] polish (a gem or a metal or glass surface) with a lapping machine.lap3 • v. (lapped, lap·ping) [tr.] 1. (of an animal) take up (liquid) with the tongue in order to drink: the cat was lapping up a saucer of milk. ∎  (lap something up) accept something eagerly and with obvious pleasure: she's lapping up the attention.2. (of water) wash against (something) with a gentle rippling sound: the waves lapped the shore [intr.] the sound of the river lapping against the banks. • n. the action of water washing gently against something: listening to the comfortable lap of the waves against the shore.DERIVATIVES: lap·per n.

LAP

views updated May 21 2018

LAP Acronym for link access protocol. The second-layer (data link layer) protocol that is a subset of HDLC and is used in X25-based networks in setting up channels between DTE and DCE. An alternative protocol, LAP-B, developed after LAP, allows the DTE/DCE interface to operate in “balanced mode”.

lap

views updated May 21 2018

lap2 take up with the tongue. OE. lapian, corr. to MLG., MDu. lapen, OHG. laffan, f. Gmc. *lap-, repr. also by OHG. gilepphen swallow, MHG. leffen, Icel. lepja lick, OS. lepil, MLG. lepel, OHG. leffil (G. löffel) spoon, and rel. to L. lambere, Gr. láptein lick, lap. OE. lapian is repr. directly by ME., dial. lape, Sc. laip, the present lap being prob. due to (O)F. laper (of Gmc. orig., if not independently imit.).

lap

views updated May 23 2018

lap3 wrap, enfold XIII; lay over, so as to cover; project beyond XVII. Earlier in †bilappe, f. bi- BE- + lappe LAP1.
Hence sb. amount by which something overlaps XVIII; act of encircling, turn round a track XIX.

lap

views updated May 29 2018

lap in the lap of luxury in conditions of great comfort and wealth.
in the lap of the gods beyond human control; from Homer The Iliad ‘It lies in the lap of the gods.’

lap

views updated Jun 27 2018

lap1 †skirt of a garment; †lobe OE.; †fold of a robe; front part of a skirt and of the body from waist to knees XIII. OE. læppa, corr. to OS. lappo, OHG. lappa; cf. ON. leppr rag, lock of hair, Gr. lobós LOBE has been compared. comp. lapdog XVII.

Lap

views updated Jun 27 2018

Lap

a bundle; the amount a thing overlaps.

Example: lap of beaver skins, 1673.

More From encyclopedia.com