la·pel (l?-p?l?)n. The part of a garment, such as a coat or jacket, that is an extension of the collar and folds back against the breast.[From lap.]la·peled?, la·pelled? adj.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.