the upper side of the thighs of a seated person
"he picked up the little girl and plopped her down in his lap"
the part of a piece of clothing that covers the thighs
"his lap was covered with food stains"
The loose part of a coat; the lower part of a garment that plays loosely; a skirt; an apron.
"The surgeon performed a lap to inspect the abdominal cavity without making large incisions."
The act or process of lapping.
The taking of liquid into the mouth with the tongue.
Clipping of laparoscopy.
In plain English: A lap is your thighs and knees when you are sitting down with someone resting on top of them.
"The surgeon performed the procedure with a tiny camera in my lap."
Usage: Use "lap" as a noun to describe either the action of drinking by licking or the hanging bottom section of a coat, depending on your intended meaning. Be careful not to confuse this specific garment part with a skirt, which is typically cut straight rather than loose and overlapping like a lap.
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
"The cat stretched out and let its paws lap over the edge of the windowsill."
To enfold; to hold as in one's lap; to cherish.
"The dog quickly lapped up the spilled milk from the floor."
To fold; to bend and lay over or on something.
To take (liquid) into the mouth with the tongue; to lick up with a quick motion of the tongue.
In plain English: To lap means to go around something faster than someone else, often by completing more circuits on a track.
"The thirsty dog quickly lapped up the spilled water."
Clipping of laparoscopic.
"The surgeon performed a lap without making any incisions, clipping the tissue through small ports to remove the gallbladder."
"The surgeon performed a lap cholecystectomy to remove her gallbladder."
The word "lap" comes from Old English læppa, which originally meant a skirt or flap of clothing. Its ultimate origin is uncertain but may trace back to an ancient root meaning "to hang loosely."