lap

noun
UK: /læp/
US: /læp/

  1. The flat area between your knees and your waist when you are sitting down.

    1. The cat sat on her lap. [ ] [ ]
    2. She held the sleeping child in her lap during the entire movie. [ ] [ ]

  2. One journey around a track or course.

    1. He ran one lap of the track. [ ] [ ]
    2. The leading driver completed another lap in record time, increasing his lead. [ ] [ ]

  3. A section or part of a journey.

    1. The last lap of our trip was very tiring. [ ] [ ]
    2. We are in the final lap of the project and need to ensure everything is completed on time. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

circuit course stage section
lap verb

  1. To be ahead of another competitor by one lap in a race.

    1. He managed to lap the slower runner. [ ] [ ]
    2. The leading cyclist was so fast that he began to lap some of the other competitors. [ ] [ ]

  2. To wash against something gently, making a soft sound.

    1. The waves lap against the shore. [ ] [ ]
    2. The water continued to lap softly against the boat's hull as we drifted. [ ] [ ]

  3. To drink a liquid by using the tongue.

    1. The dog lapped up the water. [ ] [ ]
    2. The kitten began to lap the milk from the saucer hungrily. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "lap" in English means: The flat area between your knees and your waist when you are sitting down., One journey around a track or course., A section or part of a journey..

The phonetic transcription of "lap" is /læp/ in British English and /læp/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "lap": circuit, course, stage, section.

Example usage of "lap": "The cat sat on her lap.". More examples on the page.