Gap vs. Lap — What's the Difference?

An open space between objects or points.

The flat area formed by the thighs when sitting.

A break or interruption in continuity.

A complete circuit around a track in racing.

In technology or markets, a gap can refer to an unmet need or opportunity.

The act or process of one thing laying over another, often in layers.

A disparity or difference, such as in opinion or understanding.

The gentle washing action of water against a shore or boat.

Used in phrases like "mind the gap," referring to the space between a train and platform.

In competitive contexts, to overtake a competitor by a full circuit.

An opening in a solid structure or surface; a cleft or breach

A lap is a surface (usually horizontal) created between the knee and hips of a biped when it is in a seated or lying down position. The lap of a parent or loved one is seen as a physically and psychologically comfortable place for a child to sit.In some countries where Christmas is celebrated, it has been a tradition for children to sit on the lap of a person dressed as Santa Claus to tell Santa what they want for Christmas, and have their picture taken, but this practice has since been questioned in some of these countries, where this sort of contact between children and unfamiliar adults raises concerns.Among adults, a person sitting on the lap of another usually indicates an intimate or romantic relationship between the two; this is a factor in the erotic activity in strip clubs known as a lap dance, where one person straddles the lap of the other and gyrates their lower extremities in a provocative manner.A Lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar played in a sitting position with the instrument placed horizontally across the player's knees.

A break in a line of defense.

The front area from the waist to the knees of a seated person.

An opening through mountains; a pass.

The portion of a garment that covers the lap.

A space between objects or points; an aperture

A hanging or flaplike part, especially of a garment.

An interruption of continuity

An area of responsibility, interest, or control

A conspicuous difference or imbalance; a disparity

A part that overlaps.

A problematic situation resulting from such a disparity

The amount by which one part overlaps another.

A spark gap.

One complete round or circuit, especially of a racetrack.

To make an opening or openings in

One complete length of a straight course, as of a swimming pool.

To make or adjust a space between (objects or points) or in (a device)

A segment or stage, as of a trip.

To be or become open

A length, as of rope, required to make one complete turn around something.

An opening in anything made by breaking or parting.

The act of lapping or encircling.

An opening allowing passage or entrance.

A continuous band or layer of cotton, flax, or other fiber.

An opening that implies a breach or defect.

A wheel, disk, or slab of leather or metal, either stationary or rotating, used for polishing and smoothing.

A vacant space or time.

The act or an instance of lapping.

A hiatus, a pause in something which is otherwise continuous.

The amount taken in by lapping.

A vacancy, deficit, absence, or lack.

The sound of lapping.

A mountain or hill pass.

A watery food or drink.

(baseball) The regions between the outfielders.

To place or lay (something) so as to overlap another

The shortfall between the amount the medical insurer will pay to the service provider and the scheduled fee for the item.

To lie partly over or on

(AU) (usually written as "the gap") The disparity between the indigenous and non-indigenous communities with regard to life expectancy, education, health, etc.

To fold (something) over onto itself

(genetics) An unsequenced region in a sequence alignment.

To wrap or wind around (something); encircle.

(transitive) To notch, as a sword or knife.

To envelop in something; swathe

(transitive) To make an opening in; to breach.

To join (pieces, as of wood) by means of a scarf or lap joint.

(transitive) To check the size of a gap.

(Sports) To get ahead of (an opponent) in a race by one or more complete circuits of the course, as in running, or by two or more lengths of a pool in swimming.

To leave suddenly.

To convert (cotton or other fibers) into a sheet or layer.

An opening in anything made by breaking or parting; as, a gap in a fence; an opening for a passage or entrance; an opening which implies a breach or defect; a vacant space or time; a hiatus; a mountain pass.

To polish (a surface) until smooth.

The vertical distance between two superposed surfaces, esp. in a biplane.

To hone (two mating parts) against each other until closely fitted.

To notch, as a sword or knife.

To lie partly on or over something; overlap.

To make an opening in; to breach.

To form a lap or fold.

A conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures;

To wind around or enfold something.

An open or empty space in or between things;

To take in (a liquid or food) by lifting it with the tongue.

A narrow opening;

To wash or slap against with soft liquid sounds

A pass between mountain peaks

To take in a liquid or food with the tongue.

An act of delaying or interrupting the continuity;

To wash against something with soft liquid sounds.

Make an opening or gap in

The loose part of a coat; the lower part of a garment that plays loosely; a skirt; an apron.

An edge; a border; a hem, as of cloth.

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

The upper legs of a seated person.

The female pudenda.

(construction) A component that overlaps or covers any portion of itself or of an adjacent component.

The act or process of lapping.

That part of any substance or fixture which extends over, or lies upon, or by the side of, a part of another.

The state or condition of being in part extended over or by the side of something else; or the extent of the overlapping.

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 below).

(sports) One circuit around a race track.

(swimming) The traversal of one length of the pool, or (less commonly) one length and back again.

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.

A sheet, layer, or bat, of cotton fiber prepared for the carding machine.

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

The taking of liquid into the mouth with the tongue.

Liquor; alcoholic drink.

(transitive) To enfold; to hold as in one's lap; to cherish.

(transitive) To rest or recline in a lap, or as in a lap.

(transitive) To fold; to bend and lay over or on something.

(transitive) to wrap around, enwrap, wrap up

(transitive) to envelop, enfold

(intransitive) to wind around

(transitive) To place or lay (one thing) so as to overlap another.

(transitive) To polish, e.g., a surface, until smooth.

(intransitive) To be turned or folded; to lie partly on or over something; to overlap.

To overtake a straggler in a race by completing one more whole lap than the straggler.

To cut or polish with a lap, as glass, gems, cutlery, etc.

(ambitransitive) To take (liquid) into the mouth with the tongue; to lick up with a quick motion of the tongue.

To wash against a surface with a splashing sound; to swash.

Clipping of laparoscopic

The loose part of a coat; the lower part of a garment that plays loosely; a skirt; an apron.

An edge; a border; a hem, as of cloth.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

A sheet, layer, or bat, of cotton fiber prepared for the carding machine.

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.

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

The sound of lapping.

To rest or recline in a lap, or as in a lap.

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

To fold; to bend and lay over or on something; as, to lap a piece of cloth.

To wrap or wind around something.

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

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.

To lay together one over another, as fleeces or slivers for further working.

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.

To take up drink or food with the tongue; to drink or feed by licking up something.

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

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

The upper side of the thighs of a seated person;

An area of control or responsibility;

The part of a piece of clothing that covers the thighs;

A flap that lies over another part;

Movement once around a course;

Touching with the tongue;

Lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another

Pass the tongue over;

Move with or cause to move with a whistling or hissing sound;

Take up with the tongue;

Wash or flow against;

Yes, "lap" can refer to the action of lapping, as in a liquid gently washing over something, and also to a location, as in the area formed by the thighs when sitting.

In a competitive scenario, "closing a gap" typically means reducing the distance, time, or performance difference between competitors, aiming to reach or surpass others.

"Gap" usually refers to a space or opening between two things or a break in continuity.

A "gap" is an open space or interval between things, suggesting separation, while a "lap" in a physical context refers to the area formed by the upper thighs when sitting or the action of layering.

Yes, completing a "lap" in racing involves physically moving around a set course or track, whether it's by running, driving, swimming, etc.

Yes, "lap" refers to the upper surface of the thighs of a seated person.

To "lap" in a race means to overtake a competitor by one complete lap, effectively putting you a full circuit ahead of them.

A "generation gap" refers to the differences in opinions, values, or trends between one generation and another.

In social or economic contexts, a "gap" often refers to a disparity or difference, such as the wealth gap or the gender pay gap, indicating a significant divide between groups.

In knowledge or skills, a "gap" indicates a deficiency or lack of something, such as a "skills gap" in the workforce.

Yes, "gap" can describe the space between clothing and the body, such as a gap at the back of a shoe or between buttons on a shirt.

While less common, "lap" can metaphorically imply overlap or coverage in a temporal sense, such as events happening in overlapping time frames.

Yes, "lap" can be used in linguistics to describe the action of the tongue in producing certain sounds, known as "lapping."

"Lap" can refer to a technique in manufacturing, known as "lapping," which is a process of grinding or polishing to achieve a flat or smooth surface.

In geography, a "gap" can refer to a low point or pass cutting through a mountain range or an area.