lap

UK: /ˈlæp/ US: /læp/ ,(lap)

Inflections of 'lap' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

laps

v 3rd person singular

lapping

v pres p

lapped

v past

lapped

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

lap¹ /læp/   n. [countable]

1. Anatomy the front part of the human body from the waist to the knees when in a sitting position:
   balanced the baby on his lap.
2. Clothing the part of the clothing that covers this part of the body.
3. a place or situation of rest or care:
   the lap of luxury.
4. an area of responsibility, care, charge, or control:
   They dropped the problem right in my lap.

lap² /læp/   n., v., lapped, lap•ping. 
n. [countable]

1. a complete circle or trip around a track or a unit of a course in racing or in an exercise.
2. one stage of a long trip, undertaking, etc.:
   The first lap was from New York to Cleveland.

v. [~ + object]

3. to get a lap or more ahead of (a competitor) in racing.

lap³ /læp/   v., lapped, lap•ping, n. 
v. 

1. (of water) to wash against or beat upon (something) with a light slapping or splashing sound: [no object]
   The water lapped gently.
   [~ + object]
   The waves lapped the shoreline.
2. to take in (liquid) with the tongue;
   lick in: [~ + object]
   The cat lapped the milk.
   [no object]
   The cat was quietly lapping.
3. lap up:
   • to take up (liquid) with the tongue: [~ + up + object]
     The cat lapped up her milk.
     [~ + object + up]
     The cat lapped it up.
   • to receive enthusiastically: [~ + up + object]
     The actress lapped up the applause.
     [~ + object + up]
     She lapped it up.

n. [countable]

4. the act of lapping liquid.
5. the lapping of water against something.
6. the sound of this:
   the quiet lap of the sea.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

lap¹  (lap), n. 

1. Anatomy the front part of the human body from the waist to the knees when in a sitting position.
2. Clothing 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. Clothing the front part of a skirt, esp. as held up to contain something.
7. Clothing a part of a garment that extends over another:
   the lap of a coat.
8. a loose border or fold.

• bef. 900; Middle English lappe, Old English læppa; cognate with Dutch lap; akin to German lappen, Old Norse leppr rag, patch

lap²  (lap), v., lapped, lap•ping, n. 
v.t. 

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. Building to join, as by scarfing, to form a single piece with the same dimensions throughout.
9. Textiles to change (cotton, wool, etc.) into a compressed layer or sheet.

v.i. 

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.

n. 

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. Textiles 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.

• 1250–1300; Middle English lappen to fold, wrap; cognate with Dutch lappen to patch, mend; akin to lap¹

lap³  (lap), v., lapped, lap•ping, n. 
v.t. 

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.

v.i. 

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.
5. lap up:
   • [Informal.] to receive enthusiastically:
     The audience lapped up his monologue.
   • to take in (all of a liquid) with the tongue;
     drink up:
     The cat lapped up her milk and looked for more.

n. 

6. the act of lapping liquid.
7. the lapping of water against something.
8. the sound of this:
   the quiet lap of the sea on the rocks.
9. something lapped up, as liquid food for dogs.

• bef. 1000; Middle English lappen, unexplained variant of lapen, Old English lapian; cognate with Middle Low German lapen, Old High German laffan; akin to Latin lambere, Greek láptein to lick, lap

lap⁴  (lap), v. [Archaic.]

1. pt. of leap. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

lap / læp/ noun

1. one circuit of a racecourse or track
2. a stage or part of a journey, race, etc
3. an overlapping part or projection
4. the extent of overlap
5. the length of material needed to go around an object
6. a rotating disc coated with fine abrasive for polishing gemstones

verb (laps, lapping, lapped)

1. (transitive) to wrap or fold (around or over): he lapped a bandage around his wrist
2. (transitive) to enclose or envelop in: he lapped his wrist in a bandage
3. to place or lie partly or completely over or project beyond
4. (tr; usually passive) to envelop or surround with comfort, love, etc: lapped in luxury
5. (intransitive) to be folded
6. (transitive) to overtake (an opponent) in a race so as to be one or more circuits ahead
7. (transitive) to polish or cut (a workpiece, gemstone, etc) with a fine abrasive, esp to hone (mating metal parts) against each other with an abrasive

Etymology: 13th Century (in the sense: to wrap): probably from lap³ (sense 5)

ˈlapper noun

lap / læp/ verb (laps, lapping, lapped)

(of small waves) to wash against (a shore, boat, etc), usually with light splashing sounds

(often followed by up) (esp of animals) to scoop (a liquid) into the mouth with the tongue

noun

1. the act or sound of lapping
2. a thin food for dogs or other animals

Etymology: Old English lapian; related to Old High German laffan, Latin lambere, Greek laptein

ˈlapper noun

lap / læp/ noun

1. the area formed by the upper surface of the thighs of a seated person
2. Also called: lapful the amount held in one's lap
3. a protected place or environment: in the lap of luxury
4. the part of one's clothing that covers the lap
5. drop in someone's lap ⇒ give someone the responsibility of

Etymology: Old English læppa flap; see lobe, lappet, lop²