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Glite Dictionary
lapful

lapful

1 6.6
As much as fits in a person's lap at one time
  • noun
  • /ˈlæpˌfʊl/
: un regazo de
  • A child sat with a lapful of popcorn, happily eating during the movie.

Examples

  • She sat down with a lapful of warm blankets to enjoy her cozy evening.

  • He returned from the orchard with a lapful of fresh apples.

  • She scooped a lapful of kittens and started to pet them gently.

  • He picked up a lapful of leaves.

  • I need a lapful of popcorn for the movie.

  • He gathered a lapful of flowers from the garden to bring to his mother.

  • The child climbed into his mother's lap, bringing a lapful of toys with him.

Synonyms

fistful
vslapful
21 2.7

A small amount you can hold in a closed hand

is much larger, covering the legs rather than a tiny hand amount
armful
vslapful
7 1.8

An amount you can carry in your arms at one time

is placed across the legs covering more surface but not gripped
purseful
vslapful
  • Archaic
1 8.9

An amount of small items like coins that fills a small bag

is spread across the legs and therefore usually holds more than a pouch
palmful
vslapful
1 4.2

An amount you can hold in the palm of one hand

is placed across the legs and so holds far more than one hand

How Much

bucketful
3 1.8
basketful
2 2.7
armful
7 1.8
lapful
1 6.6
handful
88 1.0

Surface Forms

lapful singular
lapfuls plural

Morphology

lapful = lap (transparent) = lap + ful

The meaning is directly the amount that fills a lap; learners who know 'lap' and the productive '-ful' quantity sense will infer it.

Etymology

Lapful is easy to picture: it joins lap — the 'top of your legs' when you sit — and the ending -ful meaning 'full of', like in handful and cupful, so a lapful is the amount you can hold on your lap at one time.