lap
noun
[ lap ]
• the flat area between the waist and knees of a seated person.
• "come and sit on my lap"
Similar:
knee,
knees,
thighs,
• a hanging flap on a garment or a saddle.
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 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.
lap
noun
• one circuit of a track during a race.
• "heavy rain stopped the race after 18 laps"
Similar:
circuit,
leg,
stretch,
tour,
circle,
revolution,
round,
part,
portion,
segment,
section,
stage,
phase,
step,
loop,
• an overlapping or projecting part.
• "cut to the depth and width of the lap"
• a single turn of rope, thread, or cable round a drum or reel.
• (in a lapping machine) a rotating disc with a coating of fine abrasive for polishing.
lap
verb
• overtake (a competitor in a race) to become one or more laps ahead.
• "she lapped all of her rivals in the 3,000 metres"
• wrap or enfold someone or something in (something soft).
• "he was lapped in blankets"
Similar:
wrap,
swathe,
cover,
envelop,
enfold,
encase,
wind,
swaddle,
twist,
surround,
• project beyond or overlap something.
• "the water lapped over the edges"
• polish (metal, glass, or a gem) with a lapping machine.
• "the honing and lapping of ring gauges"
Origin:
Middle English (as a verb in the sense ‘coil, fold, or wrap’): from lap1. Sense 1 of the noun and verb date from the mid 19th century.
lap
verb
• (of an animal) take up (liquid) with quick movements of the tongue.
• "the cat was lapping up a saucer of milk"
• (of water) wash against (something) with a gentle rippling sound.
• "the waves lapped the shore"
Similar:
splash,
wash,
swish,
slap,
slosh,
break,
purl,
beat,
strike,
dash,
surge,
rush,
ripple,
roll,
flow,
plash,
lap
noun
• the action or sound of water washing gently against something.
• "listening to the comfortable lap of the waves against the shore"
Origin:
Old English lapian, of Germanic origin; related to Middle Low German and Middle Dutch lapen .
