lap
UK: læp | US: læp
n. 1. The flat area between the waist and knees of a seated person.
n. 2. A single circuit of a track or racecourse.
vt. 3. To drink by licking with the tongue (e.g., a cat lapping milk).
vi. 4. To flow or splash gently (e.g., waves lapping the shore).
No data yet.
Derived from Old English læppa, meaning "skirt or flap of a garment," later evolving to describe the folded fabric over the legs when seated. The verb form (to lick or flow gently) likely imitates the sound of liquid being consumed or moving softly. The racing sense ("circuit") emerged in the 19th century, metaphorically extending the idea of "folding over" distance.
The cat curled up in her lap and purred.
He finished the race three laps ahead of his competitors.
The kitten lapped the milk eagerly.
Waves lapped against the boat’s hull.
She folded her hands in her lap during the meeting.