Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Lap \Lap\, n. [OE. lappe, AS. l[ae]ppa; akin to D. lap patch,
   piece, G. lappen, OHG. lappa, Dan. lap, Sw. lapp.]
   1. The loose part of a coat; the lower part of a garment that
      plays loosely; a skirt; an apron. --Chaucer.

   2. An edge; a border; a hem, as of cloth. --Chaucer.

            If he cuts off but a lap of truth's garment, his
            heart smites him.                     --Fuller.

   3. The part of the clothing that lies on the knees or thighs
      when one sits down; that part of the person thus covered;
      figuratively, a place of rearing and fostering; as, to be
      reared in the lap of luxury.

            Men expect that happiness should drop into their
            laps.                                 --Tillotson.

   4. That part of any substance or fixture which extends over,
      or lies upon, or by the side of, a part of another; as,
      the lap of a board; also, the measure of such extension
      over or upon another thing.

   Note: The lap of shingles or slates in roofing is the
         distance one course extends over the second course
         below, the distance over the course immediately below
         being called the cover.

   5. (Steam Engine) The amount by which a slide valve at its
      half stroke overlaps a port in the seat, being equal to
      the distance the valve must move from its mid stroke
      position in order to begin to open the port. Used alone,
      lap refers to outside lap. See {Outside lap} (below).

   6. The state or condition of being in part extended over or
      by the side of something else; or the extent of the
      overlapping; as, the second boat got a lap of half its
      length on the leader.

   7. One circuit around a race track, esp. when the distance is
      a small fraction of a mile; as, to run twenty laps; to win
      by three laps. See {Lap}, to fold, 2.

   8. In card playing and other games, the points won in excess
      of the number necessary to complete a game; -- so called
      when they are counted in the score of the following game.

   9. (Cotton Manuf.) A sheet, layer, or bat, of cotton fiber
      prepared for the carding machine.

   10. (Mach.) A piece of brass, lead, or other soft metal, used
       to hold a cutting or polishing powder in cutting glass,
       gems, and the like, or in polishing cutlery, etc. It is
       usually in the form of wheel or disk, which revolves on a
       vertical axis.

   {Lap joint}, a joint made by one layer, part, or piece,
      overlapping another, as in the scarfing of timbers.

   {Lap weld}, a lap joint made by welding together overlapping
      edges or ends.

   {Inside lap} (Steam Engine), lap of the valve with respect to
      the exhaust port.

   {Outside lap}, lap with respect to the admission, or steam,
      port.

Lap \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 \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 \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 \Lap\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Lapped}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Lapping}.]
   1. To rest or recline in a lap, or as in a lap.

            To lap his head on lady's breast.     --Praed.

   2. To cut or polish with a lap, as glass, gems, cutlery, etc.
      See 1st {Lap}, 10.

Lap \Lap\, v. i. [OE. lappen, lapen, AS. lapian; akin to LG.
   lappen, OHG. laffan, Icel. lepja, Dan. lade, Sw. l["a]ppja,
   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 \Lap\, v. t. [OE. lappen to fold (see {Lap}, n.); cf. also
   OE. wlappen, perh. another form of wrappen, E, wrap.]
   1. To fold; to bend and lay over or on something; as, to lap
      a piece of cloth.

   2. To wrap or wind around something.

            About the paper . . . I lapped several times a
            slender thread of very black silk.    --Sir I.
                                                  Newton.

   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.

Source : WordNet®

lap
     n 1: the upper side of the thighs of a seated person; "he picked
          up the little girl and plopped her down in his lap"
     2: an area of control or responsibility; "the job fell right in
        my lap"
     3: the part of a piece of clothing that covers the thighs; "his
        lap was covered with food stains" [syn: {lap covering}]
     4: a flap that lies over another part; "the lap of the shingles
        should be at least ten inches" [syn: {overlap}]
     5: movement once around a course; "he drove an extra lap just
        for insurance" [syn: {circle}, {circuit}]
     6: touching with the tongue; "the dog's laps were warm and wet"
        [syn: {lick}]
     [also: {lapping}, {lapped}]

lap
     v 1: lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
     2: pass the tongue over; "the dog licked her hand" [syn: {lick}]
     3: move with or cause to move with a whistling or hissing
        sound; "The bubbles swoshed around in the glass"; "The
        curtain swooshed open" [syn: {swish}, {swosh}, {swoosh}]
     4: take up with the tongue; "The cat lapped up the milk"; "the
        cub licked the milk from its mother's breast" [syn: {lap
        up}, {lick}]
     5: wash or flow against; "the waves laved the shore" [syn: {lave},
         {wash}]
     [also: {lapping}, {lapped}]

Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

LAP
     
        LISP Assembly Program.  The {assembly language} embedded into
        early {Lisp}.  LAP was also used by the {Liar} compiler for
        {MIT Scheme} and {MACLISP}.
     
        [Sammet 1969, p. 597].
     
        (1994-11-01)