Lap Meaning
/læp/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe loose part of a coat; the lower part of a garment that plays loosely; a skirt; an apron.
nounAn edge; a border; a hem, as of cloth.
Sentence Examples
Ben acted out the scene of the waitress spilling soup in his lap.
You have only to sit quietly with your hands folded in your lap.
There's only one seat so you'll have to sit on my lap.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The little girl sat comfortably on her grandmother's ____ to hear a story.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The small cat jumped into his ____ and started to purr loudly as he stroked its soft fur while reading.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English lappe, from Old English læppa (“skirt or flap of a garment”), from Proto-West Germanic *lappō, from Proto-Germanic *lappô (“cloth; rag”), of uncertain origin, possibly Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang loosely”). Cognate with Dutch lap (“cloth; rag”), German Lappen (“cloth; lobe; flap”), Icelandic leppur (“rag; patch”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Her garment spreads, and laps him in the fold."
— 1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The Sixth Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC:
"to lap his head on lady's breast"
— a. 1839, Winthrop Mackworth Praed, Gog:
"About the paper […] I lapped several times a slender thread of very black silk."
— 1704, I[saac] N[ewton], “(please specify |book=1 to 3)”, in Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light. […], London: […] Sam[uel] Smith, and Benj[amin] Walford, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC:
"The upper wings are opacous[…]; at their hinder ends, where they lap over, transparent, like the wing of a fly."
— 1681, Nehemiah Grew, Musæum Regalis Societatis. Or A Catalogue & Description of the Natural and Artificial Rarities Belonging to the Royal Society and Preserved at Gresham Colledge. […], London: […] W. Rawlins, for the author, →OCLC:
"Alonso's second place moves him into a tie on points at the head of the championship with Sebastian Vettel, who was sixth in his Red Bull, passing Button, then Hamilton and finally Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg in quick succession in the closing laps."
— 2012 May 13, Andrew Benson, “Williams's Pastor Maldonado takes landmark Spanish Grand Prix win”, in BBC Sport:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The little girl sat comfortably on her grandmother's ____ to hear a story.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The small cat jumped into his ____ and started to purr loudly as he stroked its soft fur while reading.