lap1
n.
- the flat area between the waist and knees of a seated person.
- archaic a hanging flap on a garment or a saddle.
Phrase
- fall
(or drop)
into someone's lap
be acquired by or happen to someone without any effort. - in someone's lap
as someone's responsibility. - in the lap of the gods
open to chance. - in the lap of luxury
in conditions of great comfort and wealth.
Derivative
Etymology
OE læppa (orig. in the sense ‘fold, flap’, later meaning the front of a skirt when held up to carry something), of Gmc origin.
lap3
v.
(laps, lapping, lapped)
- (of an animal) take up (liquid) with the tongue.
-
(lap something up)
accept something with obvious pleasure.
- (of water) wash against with a gentle rippling sound.
n.
the action of water lapping.
Etymology
OE lapian, of Gmc origin.