lapel

noun

la·​pel lə-ˈpel How to pronounce lapel (audio)
: the part of a garment that is turned back
specifically : the fold of the front of a coat that is usually a continuation of the collar
lapelled adjective
or lapeled

Examples of lapel in a Sentence

He wore a carnation in his lapel.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Banks wore a yellow double-breasted blazer, featuring sinuous lapels, side pockets, rounded shoulders and flat buttons on the garment. Julia Teti, WWD, 23 Jan. 2025 Get in on the trend with this oversized fleece coat, which has a double-breasted silhouette, wide peaked lapels, and side pockets. Jamie Allison Sanders, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025 The incoming Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was also present and wore a navy and black lapel jacket, a white tuxedo shirt with black piping, accessorized with a bow tie and white pocket scarf. Vogue, 19 Jan. 2025 Han, looking almost cartoonishly mid-century metropolitan, wears a dark coat, with the lapel snapped up, over a white shirt and a dark tie. E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for lapel 

Word History

Etymology

diminutive of lap entry 1

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lapel was in 1789

Dictionary Entries Near lapel

Cite this Entry

“Lapel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lapel. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

lapel

noun
la·​pel lə-ˈpel How to pronounce lapel (audio)
: the fold of the front of a coat that is usually a part of the collar

More from Merriam-Webster on lapel

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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