lap
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.