laomedea

[Greek laomedōn =ruler of the people; in Homer as a proper name.] Zool .: A genus of Polypes, order Anthozoa, fam ily Campanula ride. It is closely akin to Campanular i a. lăp (1), *lappe, s . [A. S. læppa =a loosely-hanging portion; cogn. with O. Fris. lappa =a piece of a dre ; Dut.lap=a remnant, a shred, a patch; Dan, lap a patch; Sw. lapp =a piece, a patch; Ger. lappen a patch, a shred. From the root seen in Icel. lap a to hang down; Lat. labor to glide; Eng.lapse .] I. Ordinary Language: 1. Literally: (1) A loose-hanging part of a garment, which may be doubled at pleasure; the loose part of a coat. "Then David arose and cut of a lap of Saul's cote priueli."- Bible (1551); 1 Kings xxiv. (2) That part of a dre or clothes which lies over the knees, when a person sits down; hence, the knees and upper parts of the legs when sitting down. "His wallet lay beforne him in his lappe . " Chaucer: C. T. , 688. (3) That part of one body which overlies and covers a part of another. 2. Fig .: The center; all the surroundings; as, to be brought up in the lap of luxury. II. Technically : 1. Fiber : A layer or continuous band of cotton fiber made into batting, and wound or lapped upon an axis or roller ready for carding; the sheet of cotton as it enters the carding-machine. 2. Masonry : The overlay of a stone in a wall on its bed stone. 3. Grind. & Polish .: A wheel, disc, or piece of soft metal used to hold polishing powder, as in cutting and polishing gems. It is usually a rotating-wheel on a vertical or horizontal axis, with a working face or periphery respectively. Laps are made of various metals and alloys. 4. Roof .: The distance by which the tail of a shingle or slate overlaps the head of the second course below. The overlap on the course immediately below is the cover. The exposed portion is margin; width of the margin is gauge. The gauge with shingles is about one third of the length, so that two-thirds is cover. The gauge of slates is something under one-half the length. The exce over twice the gauge is the lap or bond. 5. Steam - engine: (1) Lap of the side-valve on the steam side is the space which it advances beyond the opening of the steam-port after it has closed it, and is given for the purpose of causing the engine to work expansively, by cutting off the admi ion of steam be fore the end of the stroke; inside lap. (2) Lap on the exhausting side of the piston causes the pa age to the condenser to be closed before the end of the stroke, the piston being then said to be cushioned by the elasticity of the confined vapor upon which it descends; outside lap. 6. Ship build .: A plate covering the line of junction of two iron plates which make a flush-joint, and to which they are both connected by solder or lines of rivets. The usual lap of iron plates in ships is from five to six diameters at double-riveted joints, and about three diameters at single-riveted joints. 7. Racing, .: The length of a round course which has to be traversed several times by the competitors. "Little wood and Rowell added seven miles and eight laps to their score in the first hour." - London Daily Telegraph.