laper

to lap (up liquid)

verb lah-PEH Rare

Usage Note

Laper describes the way cats, dogs, and other animals drink by rapidly flicking the tongue. It is onomatopoeic in origin and is used almost exclusively for animals; saying a person lape their soup would be comical or insulting. The related noun lapée means a single lap of liquid.

Examples

"Le chat lape son lait dans l'assiette."

Natural Translation

The cat laps its milk from the dish.

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