Part 586

3. To infold; to hold as in one's lap; to cherish.

Her garment spreads, and laps him in the folds.

Dryden.

4. To lay or place over anything so as to partly or wholly cover it; as, to lap one shingle over another; to lay together one partly over another; as, to lap weather-boards; also, to be partly over, or by the side of (something); as, the hinder boat lapped the foremost one.

5. (Carding & Spinning) To lay together one over another, as fleeces or slivers for further working.

To lap boards, shingles, etc., to lay one partly over another. -- To lap timbers, to unite them in such a way as to preserve the same breadth and depth throughout, as by scarfing. Weale.

Lap, v. i. To be turned or folded; to lie partly upon or by the side of something, or of one another; as, the cloth laps back; the boats lap; the edges lap.

The upper wings are opacous; at their hinder ends, where they lap over, transparent, like the wing of a flay.

Grew.

Lap (?), v. i. [OE. lappen, lapen, AS. lapian; akin to LG. lappen, OHG. laffan, Icel. lepja, Dan. lade, Sw. läppja, L. lambere; cf. Gr. &?;, W. llepio. Cf. Lambent.] 1. To take up drink or food with the tongue; to drink or feed by licking up something.

The dogs by the River Nilus's side, being thirsty, lap hastily as they run along the shore.

Sir K. Digby.

2. To make a sound like that produced by taking up drink with the tongue.

I heard the ripple washing in the reeds, And the wild water lapping on the crag.

Tennyson.

Lap, v. t. To take into the mouth with the tongue; to lick up with a quick motion of the tongue.

They 'II take suggestion as a cat laps milk.

Shak.

Lap, n. 1. The act of lapping with, or as with, the tongue; as, to take anything into the mouth with a lap.

2. The sound of lapping.

Lap"a*ro*cele` (?), n. [Gr. &?; loins + &?; tumor.] (Med.) A rupture or hernia in the lumbar regions.

Lap`a*rot"o*my (?), n. [Gr. &?; loins + te`mnein to cut.] (Surg.) A cutting through the walls of the abdomen, as in the Cæsarean section.

Lap"board` (?), n. A board used on the lap as a substitute for a table, as by tailors.

Lap"dog` (?), n. A small dog fondled in the lap.

La*pel" (?), n. [Dim. of lap a fold.] That part of a garment which is turned back; specifically, the lap, or fold, of the front of a coat in continuation of collar. [Written also lappel and lapelle.]

La*pelled" (?), a. Furnished with lapels.

Lap"ful (?), n.; pl. Lapfuls (&?;). As much as the lap can contain.

Lap"i*cide (?), n. [L. lapicida, fr. lapis stone + caedere to cut.] A stonecutter. [Obs.]