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Glite Dictionary
lapstone

lapstone

1 9.9
A flat stone that shoemakers use to shape and smooth leather
  • noun
  • /ˈlæpˌstoʊn/
  • Archaic
: piedra de zapatero
  • Old workshops often display a lapstone among other traditional cobbler tools.

Examples

  • The shoemaker rested the leather on his lapstone before shaping it with a hammer.

  • He inherited his grandfather's lapstone, which had been used for decades in the family business.

  • The shoemaker used a lapstone to smooth the leather.

  • Can you pass me that lapstone over there?

  • The shoemaker carefully placed the leather on his lapstone to ensure it was perfectly shaped.

  • He used the lapstone to smooth the edges of the leather before stitching the pieces together.

  • Every day, the artisan would sit at his workbench, diligently shaping leather on a well-worn lapstone.

Surface Forms

lapstone singular
lapstones plural

Morphology

lapstone = lap + stone (semi-transparent) = lap + stone

The word is clearly built from 'lap' + 'stone', but the exact shoemaking function is specialized rather than fully predictable for an average learner.

Etymology

Lapstone comes from the simple words lap and stone, meaning a 'lap', the top of your legs when you sit, and a 'stone', a hard rock. So, a lapstone is a flat stone you rest on your lap to shape and smooth leather.