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Glite Dictionary
to curl up in someone's lap

to curl up in someone's lap

1 3.2
To sit or lie with your body curved on someone's lap for warmth and comfort
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : acurrucarse en el regazo de alguien
  • I'm telling you, you will never have a deeper sleep than curled up in a Wookiee's lap.

Examples

  • When the inquisition was finally over, I ran back to the waiting room and curled up in my mother's lap, sucking my thumb even though I had never sucked it before.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • I'll start scratching this old gal behind the ears, pretty soon she will be curled up in my lap purring like a kitty cat.

    Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011)

  • When Nora finished singing and curled up in Pa's lap, they rained down misty-eyed smiles and sighed that she was the dead spit of her mammy.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • After a long day, I love to curl up in my dog's lap while we watch TV.

  • The cat curled up in its owner's lap, enjoying the warmth and comfort.

  • When it got cold outside, she curled up in her friend's lap to stay warm.

Synonyms

to huddle
vsto curl up in someone's lap
114 3.1

To stay close together for warmth or safety

is a one to one rest curved on another's legs not a group cluster
to snuggle
vsto curl up in someone's lap
  • Informal
59 2.0

Move close and settle into a warm, comfortable position, often with a person or pet

sits or lies curved on another person's legs for warmth or affection
to cuddle
vsto curl up in someone's lap
8 1.0

Moving yourself into a comfortable position for warmth or safety

curves the body onto another's legs for direct contact and closeness
to cuddle with
vsto curl up in someone's lap
5 2.3

To hold someone or a soft thing close to show love

rests curved on another's legs rather than holding the other person
to nuzzle
vsto curl up in someone's lap
1 3.8

To press close to someone or something to be warm and comfortable

lies curved on another's legs for warmth and affectionate rest

Antonyms

to keep one's distance (from)
12 4.2

To stay away from people or things to avoid close contact

How Close

to curl up in someone's lap
  • Informal
1 3.2
to cuddle
72 1.0
to nestle
15 3.6

Surface Forms

curl up in someone's lap infinitive
curled up in someone's lap past
curled up in someone's lap past participle
curling up in someone's lap present participle
curls up in someone's lap third person singular

Morphology

curl + up + in + someone's + lap

The meaning is directly derivable from the constituents: 'curl' (to bend/coil) + 'up' (into a compact posture) describes the bodily shape, and 'in someone's lap' specifies the location. This compositional pattern is literal and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the component words would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The phrase curl up in someone's lap shows the image of a person or pet making their body small by curling up and lying on another person's lap to feel warm and safe. So it now means 'to rest closely on someone for warmth or comfort'.