| Words | Parts of Speech | Meaning/Definition/Similar Words |
|---|---|---|
| lead | noun | One of the elements, a heavy, pliable, inelastic metal, having a bright, bluish color, but easily tarnished. It is both malleable and ductile, though with little tenacity, and is used for tubes, sheets, bullets, etc. Its specific gravity is 11.37. It is easily fusible, forms alloys with other metals, and is an ingredient of solder and type metal. Atomic weight, 206.4. Symbol Pb (L. Plumbum). It is chiefly obtained from the mineral galena, lead sulphide., An article made of lead or an alloy of lead, A plummet or mass of lead, used in sounding at sea., A thin strip of type metal, used to separate lines of type in printing., Sheets or plates of lead used as a covering for roofs; hence, pl., a roof covered with lead sheets or terne plates., A small cylinder of black lead or plumbago, used in pencils., To cover, fill, or affect with lead; as, continuous firing leads the grooves of a rifle., To place leads between the lines of; as, to lead a page; leaded matter., To guide or conduct with the hand, or by means of some physical contact connection; as, a father leads a child; a jockey leads a horse with a halter; a dog leads a blind man., To guide or conduct in a certain course, or to a certain place or end, by making the way known; to show the way, esp. by going with or going in advance of. Hence, figuratively: To direct; to counsel; to instruct; as, to lead a traveler; to lead a pupil., To conduct or direct with authority; to have direction or charge of; as, to lead an army, an exploring party, or a search; to lead a political party., To go or to be in advance of; to precede; hence, to be foremost or chief among; as, the big sloop led the fleet of yachts; the Guards led the attack; Demosthenes leads the orators of all ages., To draw or direct by influence, whether good or bad; to prevail on; to induce; to entice; to allure; as, to lead one to espouse a righteous cause., To guide or conduct one’s self in, through, or along (a certain course); hence, to proceed in the way of; to follow the path or course of; to pass; to spend. Also, to cause (one) to proceed or follow in (a certain course)., To begin a game, round, or trick, with; as, to lead trumps; the double five was led., To guide or conduct, as by accompanying, going before, showing, influencing, directing with authority, etc.; to have precedence or preeminence; to be first or chief; — used in most of the senses of lead, v. t., To tend or reach in a certain direction, or to a certain place; as, the path leads to the mill; gambling leads to other vices., The act of leading or conducting; guidance; direction; as, to take the lead; to be under the lead of another., precedence; advance position; also, the measure of precedence; as, the white horse had the lead; a lead of a boat’s length, or of half a second., The act or right of playing first in a game or round; the card suit, or piece, so played; as, your partner has the lead., An open way in an ice field., A lode., The course of a rope from end to end., The width of port opening which is uncovered by the valve, for the admission or release of steam, at the instant when the piston is at end of its stroke., the distance of haul, as from a cutting to an embankment., The action of a tooth, as a tooth of a wheel, in impelling another tooth or a pallet. |
| leaf | noun | A colored, usually green, expansion growing from the side of a stem or rootstock, in which the sap for the use of the plant is elaborated under the influence of light; one of the parts of a plant which collectively constitute its foliage., A special organ of vegetation in the form of a lateral outgrowth from the stem, whether appearing as a part of the foliage, or as a cotyledon, a scale, a bract, a spine, or a tendril., Something which is like a leaf in being wide and thin and having a flat surface, or in being attached to a larger body by one edge or end; as : (a) A part of a book or folded sheet containing two pages upon its opposite sides. (b) A side, division, or part, that slides or is hinged, as of window shutters, folding doors, etc. (c) The movable side of a table. (d) A very thin plate; as, gold leaf. (e) A portion of fat lying in a separate fold or layer. (f) One of the teeth of a pinion, especially when small., To shoot out leaves; to produce leaves; to leave; as, the trees leaf in May. |
| leak | verb | A crack, crevice, fissure, or hole which admits water or other fluid, or lets it escape; as, a leak in a roof; a leak in a boat; a leak in a gas pipe., The entrance or escape of a fluid through a crack, fissure, or other aperture; as, the leak gained on the ship’s pumps., Leaky., To let water or other fluid in or out through a hole, crevice, etc.; as, the cask leaks; the roof leaks; the boat leaks., To enter or escape, as a fluid, through a hole, crevice, etc. ; to pass gradually into, or out of, something; — usually with in or out. |
| leal | adjective | Faithful; loyal; true. |
| leam | noun & verb i. | See Leme., A cord or strap for leading a dog. |
| lean | verb t. | To conceal., To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating; as, she leaned out at the window; a leaning column., To incline in opinion or desire; to conform in conduct; — with to, toward, etc., To rest or rely, for support, comfort, and the like; — with on, upon, or against., To cause to lean; to incline; to support or rest., Wanting flesh; destitute of or deficient in fat; not plump; meager; thin; lank; as, a lean body; a lean cattle., Wanting fullness, richness, sufficiency, or productiveness; deficient in quality or contents; slender; scant; barren; bare; mean; — used literally and figuratively; as, the lean harvest; a lean purse; a lean discourse; lean wages., Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; — opposed to fat; as, lean copy, matter, or type., That part of flesh which consist principally of muscle without the fat., Unremunerative copy or work. |
| leap | noun | A basket., A weel or wicker trap for fish., To spring clear of the ground, with the feet; to jump; to vault; as, a man leaps over a fence, or leaps upon a horse., To spring or move suddenly, as by a jump or by jumps; to bound; to move swiftly. Also Fig., To pass over by a leap or jump; as, to leap a wall, or a ditch., To copulate with (a female beast); to cover., To cause to leap; as, to leap a horse across a ditch., The act of leaping, or the space passed by leaping; a jump; a spring; a bound., Copulation with, or coverture of, a female beast., A fault., A passing from one note to another by an interval, especially by a long one, or by one including several other and intermediate intervals. |
| lear | verb t. | To learn. See Lere, to learn., Lore; lesson., See Leer, a., An annealing oven. See Leer, n. |
| leat | noun | An artificial water trench, esp. one to or from a mill. |
| left | imp. & past participle | of Leave, of Leave., Of or pertaining to that side of the body in man on which the muscular action of the limbs is usually weaker than on the other side; — opposed to right, when used in reference to a part of the body; as, the left hand, or arm; the left ear. Also said of the corresponding side of the lower animals., That part of surrounding space toward which the left side of one’s body is turned; as, the house is on the left when you face North., Those members of a legislative assembly (as in France) who are in the opposition; the advanced republicans and extreme radicals. They have their seats at the left-hand side of the presiding officer. See Center, and Right. |
| lech | verb t. | To lick. |
| lees | plural | of Lee, Dregs. See 2d Lee., A leash. |
| leed | noun | Alt. of Leede |
| leef | adjective & adverb | See Lief. |
| leek | noun | A plant of the genus Allium (A. Porrum), having broadly linear succulent leaves rising from a loose oblong cylindrical bulb. The flavor is stronger than that of the common onion. |
| leep | strong imp. | Leaped. |
| leer | verb t. | To learn., Empty; destitute; wanting, Empty of contents., Destitute of a rider; and hence, led, not ridden; as, a leer horse., Wanting sense or seriousness; trifling; trivolous; as, leer words., An oven in which glassware is annealed., The cheek., Complexion; aspect; appearance., A distorted expression of the face, or an indirect glance of the eye, conveying a sinister or immodest suggestion., To look with a leer; to look askance with a suggestive expression, as of hatred, contempt, lust, etc. ; to cast a sidelong lustful or malign look., To entice with a leer, or leers; as, to leer a man to ruin. |
| leet | obs. imp. | of Let, to allow., A portion; a list, esp. a list of candidates for an office., A court-leet; the district within the jurisdiction of a court-leet; the day on which a court-leet is held., The European pollock. |
| lege | verb t. | To allege; to assert. |
| leme | noun | A ray or glimmer of light; a gleam., To shine. |
| lena | noun | A procuress. |
| lent | imp. & past participle | of Lend, imp. & p. p. of Lend., A fast of forty days, beginning with Ash Wednesday and continuing till Easter, observed by some Christian churches as commemorative of the fast of our Savior., Slow; mild; gentle; as, lenter heats., See Lento. |
| lend | verb t. | To allow the custody and use of, on condition of the return of the same; to grant the temporary use of; as, to lend a book; — opposed to borrow., To allow the possession and use of, on condition of the return of an equivalent in kind; as, to lend money or some article of food., To afford; to grant or furnish in general; as, to lend assistance; to lend one’s name or influence., To let for hire or compensation; as, to lend a horse or gig. |
| lene | verb t. | To lend; to grant; to permit., Smooth; as, the lene breathing., Applied to certain mute consonants, as p, k, and t (or Gr. /, /, /)., The smooth breathing (spiritus lenis)., Any one of the lene consonants, as p, k, or t (or Gr. /, /, /). |
| leno | noun | A light open cotton fabric used for window curtains. |
| lens | noun | A piece of glass, or other transparent substance, ground with two opposite regular surfaces, either both curved, or one curved and the other plane, and commonly used, either singly or combined, in optical instruments, for changing the direction of rays of light, and thus magnifying objects, or otherwise modifying vision. In practice, the curved surfaces are usually spherical, though rarely cylindrical, or of some other figure. |
| leod | noun | People; a nation; a man. |
| leon | noun | A lion. |
| lere | noun | Learning; lesson; lore., To learn; to teach., Empty., Flesh; skin. |
| lese | verb t. | To lose. |
| less | conj. | Unless., Smaller; not so large or great; not so much; shorter; inferior; as, a less quantity or number; a horse of less size or value; in less time than before., Not so much; in a smaller or lower degree; as, less bright or loud; less beautiful., A smaller portion or quantity., The inferior, younger, or smaller., To make less; to lessen. |
| lest | verb i. | To listen., Lust; desire; pleasure., Last; least., For fear that; that . . . not; in order that . . . not., That (without the negative particle); — after certain expressions denoting fear or apprehension. |
| lete | verb t. | To let; to leave. |
| leve | adjective | Dear. See Lief., Same as 3d & 4th Leave., To live., To believe., To grant; — used esp. in exclamations or prayers followed by a dependent clause. |
| levy | noun | A name formerly given in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia to the Spanish real of one eighth of a dollar (or 12/ cents), valued at eleven pence when the dollar was rated at 7s. 6d., The act of levying or collecting by authority; as, the levy of troops, taxes, etc., That which is levied, as an army, force, tribute, etc., The taking or seizure of property on executions to satisfy judgments, or on warrants for the collection of taxes; a collecting by execution., To raise, as a siege., To raise; to collect; said of troops, to form into an army by enrollment, conscription, etc., To raise or collect by assessment; to exact by authority; as, to levy taxes, toll, tribute, or contributions., To gather or exact; as, to levy money., To erect, build, or set up; to make or construct; to raise or cast up; as, to levy a mill, dike, ditch, a nuisance, etc., To take or seize on execution; to collect by execution., To seize property, real or personal, or subject it to the operation of an execution; to make a levy; as, to levy on property; the usual mode of levying, in England, is by seizing the goods. |
| lewd | superl. | Not clerical; laic; laical; hence, unlearned; simple., Belonging to the lower classes, or the rabble; idle and lawless; bad; vicious., Given to the promiscuous indulgence of lust; dissolute; lustful; libidinous., Suiting, or proceeding from, lustfulness; involving unlawful sexual desire; as, lewd thoughts, conduct, or language. |