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
Hamilton Basso
lapped; lapping
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)
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
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)
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 upCovered with sticky saliva, this long tongue helps the aardvark lap up a lot of termites.—Jo Anne Chitwood Snow
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
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.
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
William Nack1
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
Synonyms
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 WebGuy Lodge, Variety, 15 May 2024
The lagoon-style design is capped off with an above-ground infinity pool for laps that’s become the signature detail for the hotel on social media.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 14 May 2024
The All-Star Open — 100 laps — kicks off the big day of on-track action at 5:30 p.m.
The NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race, also 100 laps, starts at 8 p.m.
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2024
Even the four-bedroom house was no lap of luxury for a family of nine.
—Simón Posada, New York Times, 12 May 2024
The resulting tunnel means runners disappear from sight for a few hundred feet each lap, rendering the track unsuitable for meets; the team must travel for every competition.
—Kenny Jacoby, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
The rodents were also widely kept as pets and would sit on people’s laps and shoulders.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2024
Hamlin and Buescher were dueling 1-2 for most of the third stage before Kyle Busch spun out on lap 260 of 267, creating the green-white-checker overtime.
—Randy Covitz, Kansas City Star, 6 May 2024
Senna qualified on pole, but on the seventh lap, his Williams didn’t even start to make the hard left at Imola’s Tamburello corner.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
Braidon Nourse, The Denver Post, 18 May 2024
Stroll Cales Fonts, a picturesque port lined with boats swaying in lapping green waters, before dinner.
—Yasmin Fahr, New York Times, 16 May 2024
On the level of virtuosity alone, the film laps most other white-knuckling actions films.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2024
The company revealed that the newest member of the 911 family was able to lap Germany’s notorious Nürburgring Nordschleife (a.k.a.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 13 May 2024
Unlike a facial device or massage gun, the pulsations are barely noticeable, and when paired with the lapping waves of the Pacific Ocean down below, the mat was a perfect way to unwind under the Malibu sun.
—Tim Chan, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024
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
Noun
Exhausting waves of feeling lap each other over the hours, stretching and blurring them as disbelief gives way to panic, to fatigue, to deep and paralyzing sadness, all while practical tasks mount and accelerate.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 15 May 2024
The lagoon-style design is capped off with an above-ground infinity pool for laps that’s become the signature detail for the hotel on social media.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 14 May 2024
The All-Star Open — 100 laps — kicks off the big day of on-track action at 5:30 p.m.
The NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race, also 100 laps, starts at 8 p.m.
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2024
Even the four-bedroom house was no lap of luxury for a family of nine.
—Simón Posada, New York Times, 12 May 2024
The resulting tunnel means runners disappear from sight for a few hundred feet each lap, rendering the track unsuitable for meets; the team must travel for every competition.
—Kenny Jacoby, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
The rodents were also widely kept as pets and would sit on people’s laps and shoulders.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2024
Hamlin and Buescher were dueling 1-2 for most of the third stage before Kyle Busch spun out on lap 260 of 267, creating the green-white-checker overtime.
—Randy Covitz, Kansas City Star, 6 May 2024
Senna qualified on pole, but on the seventh lap, his Williams didn’t even start to make the hard left at Imola’s Tamburello corner.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
Verb
Led the Peyton Sommers’ sprint sweep, the Cougars nearly lapped the field in the team standings with 111 points.
—Braidon Nourse, The Denver Post, 18 May 2024
Stroll Cales Fonts, a picturesque port lined with boats swaying in lapping green waters, before dinner.
—Yasmin Fahr, New York Times, 16 May 2024
On the level of virtuosity alone, the film laps most other white-knuckling actions films.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2024
The company revealed that the newest member of the 911 family was able to lap Germany’s notorious Nürburgring Nordschleife (a.k.a.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 13 May 2024
Unlike a facial device or massage gun, the pulsations are barely noticeable, and when paired with the lapping waves of the Pacific Ocean down below, the mat was a perfect way to unwind under the Malibu sun.
—Tim Chan, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024
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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lap
Cite this Entry
“Lap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lap. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lap
2 of 5 verb
lapped; lapping
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 noun1
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"
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