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.
They 'II take suggestion as a cat laps milk. --Shak.
The upper wings are opacous; at their hinder ends,
where they lap over, transparent, like the wing of a
flay. --Grew.
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.
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.
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.
9. (Chem.) A unit of chemical attraction; as, oxygen has two
bonds of affinity. It is often represented in graphic
formul[ae] by a short line or dash. See Diagram of
{Benzene nucleus}, and {Valence}.
{Arbitration bond}. See under {Arbitration}.
{Bond crediter} (Law), a creditor whose debt is secured by a
bond. --Blackstone.
{Bond debt} (Law), a debt contracted under the obligation of
a bond. --Burrows.
{Bond} (or {lap}) {of a slate}, the distance between the top
of one slate and the bottom or drip of the second slate
above, i. e., the space which is covered with three
thicknesses; also, the distance between the nail of the
under slate and the lower edge of the upper slate.
{Bond timber}, timber worked into a wall to tie or strengthen
it longitudinally.
Syn: Chains; fetters; captivity; imprisonment.