lap

lap past tense and past participle lapped, present participle lapping 1 [intransitive and transitive] if water laps something or laps against something such as the shore or a boat, it moves against it or hits it in small waves lap against/over etc The waves lapped gently against the rocks. The tide was lapping the harbour wall. 2 also lap up [transitive] if an animal laps water, milk etc, it drinks it by putting its tongue into it 3 [transitive] to pass a competitor in a race who is one complete lap behind you: Erik Gomas spun off the track when trying to lap Andrew Scott. —lapping noun [uncountable] She could hear the soft lapping of the sea. lap something ↔ up  phrasal verb 1 to enjoy something without worrying about whether it is good, true etc: She's lapping up all the attention she's getting. The humour was lapped up by an appreciative crowd. 2 if an animal laps up water, milk etc, it drinks it by putting its tongue into it: The cat began to lap up the milk. Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Advanced Learner's Dictionary.