To overlap or cover partially; to lap or fold over something (archaic).
From 'be-' (Old English prefix meaning around or thoroughly) plus 'lap' (from Old English 'lapian,' meaning to fold, overlap, or lick). The prefix indicates overlapping or thorough covering.
The verb 'belap' is almost extinct, but it perfectly shows how English once had dozens of 'be-' verbs for describing how objects overlap and cover one another—we've lost that granular vocabulary in favor of simpler terms like 'overlap.'
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