| Words | Parts of Speech | Meaning/Definition/Similar Words |
|---|---|---|
| label | noun | A tassel., A slip of silk, paper, parchment, etc., affixed to anything, usually by an inscription, the contents, ownership, destination, etc.; as, the label of a bottle or a package., A slip of ribbon, parchment, etc., attached to a document to hold the appended seal; also, the seal., A writing annexed by way of addition, as a codicil added to a will., A barrulet, or, rarely, a bendlet, with pendants, or points, usually three, especially used as a mark of cadency to distinguish an eldest or only son while his father is still living., A brass rule with sights, formerly used, in connection with a circumferentor, to take altitudes., The name now generally given to the projecting molding by the sides, and over the tops, of openings in mediaeval architecture. It always has a /quare form, as in the illustration., In mediaeval art, the representation of a band or scroll containing an inscription., To affix a label to; to mark with a name, etc.; as, to label a bottle or a package., To affix in or on a label. |
| labia | noun pl. | See Labium., of Labium |
| labor | noun | Physical toil or bodily exertion, especially when fatiguing, irksome, or unavoidable, in distinction from sportive exercise; hard, muscular effort directed to some useful end, as agriculture, manufactures, and like; servile toil; exertion; work., Intellectual exertion; mental effort; as, the labor of compiling a history., That which requires hard work for its accomplishment; that which demands effort., Travail; the pangs and efforts of childbirth., Any pang or distress., The pitching or tossing of a vessel which results in the straining of timbers and rigging., A measure of land in Mexico and Texas, equivalent to an area of 177/ acres., To exert muscular strength; to exert one’s strength with painful effort, particularly in servile occupations; to work; to toil., To exert one’s powers of mind in the prosecution of any design; to strive; to take pains., To be oppressed with difficulties or disease; to do one’s work under conditions which make it especially hard, wearisome; to move slowly, as against opposition, or under a burden; to be burdened; — often with under, and formerly with of., To be in travail; to suffer the pangs of childbirth., To pitch or roll heavily, as a ship in a turbulent sea., To work at; to work; to till; to cultivate by toil., To form or fabricate with toil, exertion, or care., To prosecute, or perfect, with effort; to urge stre/uously; as, to labor a point or argument., To belabor; to beat. |
| labra | plural | of Labrum |
| labri | plural | of Labrus |
| laced | imp. & past participle | of Lace, Fastened with a lace or laces; decorated with narrow strips or braid. See Lace, v. t., Decorated with the fabric lace. |
| lache | noun | Neglect; negligence; remissness; neglect to do a thing at the proper time; delay to assert a claim. |
| ladde | obs. imp. | of Lead, to guide. |
| laded | imp. | of Lade, of Lade, of Lade |
| laden | p. & adjective | Loaded; freighted; burdened; as, a laden vessel; a laden heart. |
| ladin | noun | A Romansch dialect spoken in some parts of Switzerland and the Tyrol. |
| ladle | verb t. | A cuplike spoon, often of large size, with a long handle, used in lading or dipping., A vessel to carry liquid metal from the furnace to the mold., The float of a mill wheel; — called also ladle board., An instrument for drawing the charge of a cannon., A ring, with a handle or handles fitted to it, for carrying shot., To take up and convey in a ladle; to dip with, or as with, a ladle; as, to ladle out soup; to ladle oatmeal into a kettle. |
| lafte | imp. of Leave. | |
| lagan | noun & verb | See Ligan. |
| lager | noun | Lager beer. |
| lagly | adverb | Laggingly. |
| laird | noun | A lord; a landholder, esp. one who holds land directly of the crown. |
| laism | noun | See Lamaism. |
| laity | adjective | The people, as distinguished from the clergy; the body of the people not in orders., The state of a layman., Those who are not of a certain profession, as law or medicine, in distinction from those belonging to it. |
| lakao | noun | Sap green. |
| lakin | noun | See Ladykin. |
| lakke | noun & verb | See Lack. |
| lamed | imp. & past participle | of Lame |
| lamel | noun | See Lamella. |
| lames | noun pl. | Small steel plates combined together so as to slide one upon the other and form a piece of armor. |
| lamia | noun | A monster capable of assuming a woman’s form, who was said to devour human beings or suck their blood; a vampire; a sorceress; a witch. |
| lance | noun | A weapon of war, consisting of a long shaft or handle and a steel blade or head; a spear carried by horsemen, and often decorated with a small flag; also, a spear or harpoon used by whalers and fishermen., A soldier armed with a lance; a lancer., A small iron rod which suspends the core of the mold in casting a shell., An instrument which conveys the charge of a piece of ordnance and forces it home., One of the small paper cases filled with combustible composition, which mark the outlines of a figure., To pierce with a lance, or with any similar weapon., To open with a lancet; to pierce; as, to lance a vein or an abscess., To throw in the manner of a lance. See Lanch. |
| lanch | verb t. | To throw, as a lance; to let fly; to launch. |
| lanky | adjective | Somewhat lank. |
| lapel | noun | That part of a garment which is turned back; specifically, the lap, or fold, of the front of a coat in continuation of collar. |
| lapis | noun | A stone. |
| lapps | noun pl. | A branch of the Mongolian race, now living in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, and the adjacent parts of Russia. |
| lapse | noun | A gliding, slipping, or gradual falling; an unobserved or imperceptible progress or passing away,; — restricted usually to immaterial things, or to figurative uses., A slip; an error; a fault; a failing in duty; a slight deviation from truth or rectitude., The termination of a right or privilege through neglect to exercise it within the limited time, or through failure of some contingency; hence, the devolution of a right or privilege., A fall or apostasy., To pass slowly and smoothly downward, backward, or away; to slip downward, backward, or away; to glide; — mostly restricted to figurative uses., To slide or slip in moral conduct; to fail in duty; to fall from virtue; to deviate from rectitude; to commit a fault by inadvertence or mistake., To fall or pass from one proprietor to another, or from the original destination, by the omission, negligence, or failure of some one, as a patron, a legatee, etc., To become ineffectual or void; to fall., To let slip; to permit to devolve on another; to allow to pass., To surprise in a fault or error; hence, to surprise or catch, as an offender. |
| lares | plural | of Lar, See 1st Lar. |
| larch | noun | A genus of coniferous trees, having deciduous leaves, in fascicles (see Illust. of Fascicle). |
| lardy | adjective | Containing, or resembling, lard; of the character or consistency of lard. |
| large | superl. | Exceeding most other things of like kind in bulk, capacity, quantity, superficial dimensions, or number of constituent units; big; great; capacious; extensive; — opposed to small; as, a large horse; a large house or room; a large lake or pool; a large jug or spoon; a large vineyard; a large army; a large city., Abundant; ample; as, a large supply of provisions., Full in statement; diffuse; full; profuse., Having more than usual power or capacity; having broad sympathies and generous impulses; comprehensive; — said of the mind and heart., Free; unembarrassed., Unrestrained by decorum; — said of language., Prodigal in expending; lavish., Crossing the line of a ship’s course in a favorable direction; — said of the wind when it is abeam, or between the beam and the quarter., Freely; licentiously., A musical note, formerly in use, equal to two longs, four breves, or eight semibreves. |
| largo | adjective & adverb | Slow or slowly; — more so than adagio; next in slowness to grave, which is also weighty and solemn., A movement or piece in largo time. |
| larry | noun | Same as Lorry, or Lorrie. |
| larum | noun | See Alarum, and Alarm. |
| larva | noun | Any young insect from the time that it hatches from the egg until it becomes a pupa, or chrysalis. During this time it usually molts several times, and may change its form or color each time. The larvae of many insects are much like the adults in form and habits, but have no trace of wings, the rudimentary wings appearing only in the pupa stage. In other groups of insects the larvae are totally unlike the parents in structure and habits, and are called caterpillars, grubs, maggots, etc., The early, immature form of any animal when more or less of a metamorphosis takes place, before the assumption of the mature shape. |
| larve | noun | A larva. |
| lasse | adjective & adverb | Less. |
| lasso | noun | A rope or long thong of leather with, a running noose, used for catching horses, cattle, etc., To catch with a lasso. |
| laste | obs. imp. | of Last, to endure. |
| latch | verb t. | To smear; to anoint., That which fastens or holds; a lace; a snare., A movable piece which holds anything in place by entering a notch or cavity; specifically, the catch which holds a door or gate when closed, though it be not bolted., A latching., A crossbow., To catch so as to hold., To catch or fasten by means of a latch. |
| lated | adjective | Belated; too late. |
| later | noun | A brick or tile., Compar. of Late, a. & adv. |
| lates | noun | A genus of large percoid fishes, of which one species (Lates Niloticus) inhabits the Nile, and another (L. calcarifer) is found in the Ganges and other Indian rivers. They are valued as food fishes. |
| latex | noun | A milky or colored juice in certain plants in cavities (called latex cells or latex tubes). It contains the peculiar principles of the plants, whether aromatic, bitter, or acid, and in many instances yields caoutchouc upon coagulation. |
| laths | plural | of Lath |
| lathe | noun | Formerly, a part or division of a county among the Anglo-Saxons. At present it consists of four or five hundreds, and is confined to the county of Kent., A granary; a barn., A machine for turning, that is, for shaping articles of wood, metal, or other material, by causing them to revolve while acted upon by a cutting tool., The movable swing frame of a loom, carrying the reed for separating the warp threads and beating up the weft; — called also lay and batten. |
| lathy | adjective | Like a lath; long and slender. |
| latin | adjective | Of or pertaining to Latium, or to the Latins, a people of Latium; Roman; as, the Latin language., Of, pertaining to, or composed in, the language used by the Romans or Latins; as, a Latin grammar; a Latin composition or idiom., A native or inhabitant of Latium; a Roman., The language of the ancient Romans., An exercise in schools, consisting in turning English into Latin., A member of the Roman Catholic Church., To write or speak in Latin; to turn or render into Latin. |
| laton | noun | Alt. of Latoun |
| laugh | verb i. | To show mirth, satisfaction, or derision, by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face, particularly of the mouth, causing a lighting up of the face and eyes, and usually accompanied by the emission of explosive or chuckling sounds from the chest and throat; to indulge in laughter., Fig.: To be or appear gay, cheerful, pleasant, mirthful, lively, or brilliant; to sparkle; to sport., To affect or influence by means of laughter or ridicule., To express by, or utter with, laughter; — with out., An expression of mirth peculiar to the human species; the sound heard in laughing; laughter. See Laugh, v. i. |
| laund | noun | A plain sprinkled with trees or underbrush; a glade. |
| laura | noun | A number of hermitages or cells in the same neighborhood occupied by anchorites who were under the same superior. |
| laved | imp. & past participle | of Lave |
| laver | noun | A vessel for washing; a large basin., A large brazen vessel placed in the court of the Jewish tabernacle where the officiating priests washed their hands and feet., One of several vessels in Solomon’s Temple in which the offerings for burnt sacrifices were washed., That which washes or cleanses., One who laves; a washer., The fronds of certain marine algae used as food, and for making a sauce called laver sauce. Green laver is the Ulva latissima; purple laver, Porphyra laciniata and P. vulgaris. It is prepared by stewing, either alone or with other vegetables, and with various condiments; — called also sloke, or sloakan. |
| lavic | adjective | See Lavatic. |
| lawer | noun | A lawyer. |
| lawnd | noun | See Laund. |
| lawny | adjective | Having a lawn; characterized by a lawn or by lawns; like a lawn., Made of lawn or fine linen. |
| laxly | adverb | In a lax manner. |
| layer | noun | One who, or that which, lays., That which is laid; a stratum; a bed; one thickness, course, or fold laid over another; as, a layer of clay or of sand in the earth; a layer of bricks, or of plaster; the layers of an onion., A shoot or twig of a plant, not detached from the stock, laid under ground for growth or propagation., An artificial oyster bed. |
| lazar | noun | A person infected with a filthy or pestilential disease; a leper. |
| lazed | imp. & past participle | of Laze |
| leach | noun | See 3d Leech., A quantity of wood ashes, through which water passes, and thus imbibes the alkali., A tub or vat for leaching ashes, bark, etc., To remove the soluble constituents from by subjecting to the action of percolating water or other liquid; as, to leach ashes or coffee., To dissolve out; — often used with out; as, to leach out alkali from ashes., To part with soluble constituents by percolation., See Leech, a physician. |
| leady | adjective | Resembling lead. |
| leafy | superl | Full of leaves; abounding in leaves; as, the leafy forest., Consisting of leaves. |
| leaky | superl. | Permitting water or other fluid to leak in or out; as, a leaky roof or cask., Apt to disclose secrets; tattling; not close. |
| leant | of Lean | |
| leany | adjective | Lean. |
| leapt | of Leap | |
| learn | verb t. | To gain knowledge or information of; to ascertain by inquiry, study, or investigation; to receive instruction concerning; to fix in the mind; to acquire understanding of, or skill; as, to learn the way; to learn a lesson; to learn dancing; to learn to skate; to learn the violin; to learn the truth about something., To communicate knowledge to; to teach., To acquire knowledge or skill; to make progress in acquiring knowledge or skill; to receive information or instruction; as, this child learns quickly. |
| lease | verb i. | To gather what harvesters have left behind; to glean., To grant to another by lease the possession of, as of lands, tenements, and hereditaments; to let; to demise; as, a landowner leases a farm to a tenant; — sometimes with out., To hold under a lease; to take lease of; as, a tenant leases his land from the owner., A demise or letting of lands, tenements, or hereditaments to another for life, for a term of years, or at will, or for any less interest than that which the lessor has in the property, usually for a specified rent or compensation., The contract for such letting., Any tenure by grant or permission; the time for which such a tenure holds good; allotted time. |
| leash | noun | A thong of leather, or a long cord, by which a falconer holds his hawk, or a courser his dog., A brace and a half; a tierce; three; three creatures of any kind, especially greyhounds, foxes, bucks, and hares; hence, the number three in general., A string with a loop at the end for lifting warp threads, in a loom., To tie together, or hold, with a leash. |
| least | adjective | Smallest, either in size or degree; shortest; lowest; most unimportant; as, the least insect; the least mercy; the least space., In the smallest or lowest degree; in a degree below all others; as, to reward those who least deserve it., See Lest, conj. |
| leasy | adjective | Flimsy; vague; deceptive. |
| leave | verb i. | To send out leaves; to leaf; — often with out., To raise; to levy., Liberty granted by which restraint or illegality is removed; permission; allowance; license., The act of leaving or departing; a formal parting; a leaving; farewell; adieu; — used chiefly in the phrase, to take leave, i. e., literally, to take permission to go., To withdraw one’s self from; to go away from; to depart from; as, to leave the house., To let remain unremoved or undone; to let stay or continue, in distinction from what is removed or changed., To cease from; to desist from; to abstain from., To desert; to abandon; to forsake; hence, to give up; to relinquish., To let be or do without interference; as, I left him to his reflections; I leave my hearers to judge., To put; to place; to deposit; to deliver; to commit; to submit — with a sense of withdrawing one’s self from; as, leave your hat in the hall; we left our cards; to leave the matter to arbitrators., To have remaining at death; hence, to bequeath; as, he left a large estate; he left a good name; he left a legacy to his niece., To depart; to set out., To cease; to desist; to leave off. |
| leavy | adjective | Leafy. |
| leban | noun | Alt. of Lebban |
| leche | noun | See water buck, under 3d Buck. |
| leden | noun | Alt. of Ledden |
| ledge | noun | A shelf on which articles may be laid; also, that which resembles such a shelf in form or use, as a projecting ridge or part, or a molding or edge in joinery., A shelf, ridge, or reef, of rocks., A layer or stratum., A lode; a limited mass of rock bearing valuable mineral., A piece of timber to support the deck, placed athwartship between beams. |
| ledgy | adjective | Abounding in ledges; consisting of a ledge or reef; as, a ledgy island. |
| leech | noun | See 2d Leach., See Leach, v. t., The border or edge at the side of a sail., A physician or surgeon; a professor of the art of healing., Any one of numerous genera and species of annulose worms, belonging to the order Hirudinea, or Bdelloidea, esp. those species used in medicine, as Hirudo medicinalis of Europe, and allied species., A glass tube of peculiar construction, adapted for drawing blood from a scarified part by means of a vacuum., To treat as a surgeon; to doctor; as, to leech wounds., To bleed by the use of leeches. |
| leede | noun | A caldron; a copper kettle. |
| leeme | verb & noun | See Leme. |
| leere | noun | Tape or braid; an ornament. |
| leese | verb t. | To lose., To hurt. |
| leful | adjective | See Leveful. |
| legal | adjective | Created by, permitted by, in conformity with, or relating to, law; as, a legal obligation; a legal standard or test; a legal procedure; a legal claim; a legal trade; anything is legal which the laws do not forbid., According to the law of works, as distinguished from free grace; or resting on works for salvation., According to the old or Mosaic dispensation; in accordance with the law of Moses., Governed by the rules of law as distinguished from the rules of equity; as, legal estate; legal assets. |
| leger | noun | Anything that lies in a place; that which, or one who, remains in a place., A minister or ambassador resident at a court or seat of government., A ledger., Lying or remaining in a place; hence, resident; as, leger ambassador., Light; slender; slim; trivial. |
| legge | verb t. | To lay., To lighten; to allay. |
| leggy | adjective | Having long legs. |
| leman | noun | A sweetheart, of either sex; a gallant, or a mistress; — usually in a bad sense. |
| lemma | noun | A preliminary or auxiliary proposition demonstrated or accepted for immediate use in the demonstration of some other proposition, as in mathematics or logic. |
| lemon | noun | An oval or roundish fruit resembling the orange, and containing a pulp usually intensely acid. It is produced by a tropical tree of the genus Citrus, the common fruit known in commerce being that of the species C. Limonum or C. Medica (var. Limonum). There are many varieties of the fruit, some of which are sweet., The tree which bears lemons; the lemon tree. |
| lemur | noun | One of a family (Lemuridae) of nocturnal mammals allied to the monkeys, but of small size, and having a sharp and foxlike muzzle, and large eyes. They feed upon birds, insects, and fruit, and are mostly natives of Madagascar and the neighboring islands, one genus (Galago) occurring in Africa. The slow lemur or kukang of the East Indies is Nycticebus tardigradus. See Galago, Indris, and Colugo. |
| lends | noun pl. | Loins. |
| lento | adjective & adverb | Slow; in slow time; slowly; — rarely written lente. |
| lepal | noun | A sterile transformed stamen. |
| lepas | noun | Any one of various species of Lepas, a genus of pedunculated barnacles found attached to floating timber, bottoms of ships, Gulf weed, etc.; — called also goose barnacle. See Barnacle. |
| leper | noun | A person affected with leprosy. |
| lepid | adjective | Pleasant; jocose. |
| lepra | noun | Leprosy. |
| lepre | noun | Leprosy. |
| lepry | noun | Leprosy. |
| lered | verb t. | Learned. |
| lerot | noun | A small European rodent (Eliomys nitela), allied to the dormouse. |
| letch | verb & noun | See Leach., Strong desire; passion. (Archaic). |
| leten | p. p. of Lete. | |
| lethe | noun | Death., A river of Hades whose waters when drunk caused forgetfulness of the past., Oblivion; a draught of oblivion; forgetfulness. |
| lethy | adjective | Lethean. |
| lette | verb t. | To let; to hinder. See Let, to hinder. |
| letts | noun pl. | An Indo-European people, allied to the Lithuanians and Old Prussians, and inhabiting a part of the Baltic provinces of Russia. |
| leuc- | Same as Leuco-., A combining form signifying white, colorless; specif. (Chem.), denoting an extensive series of colorless organic compounds, obtained by reduction from certain other colored compounds; as, leucaniline, leucaurin, etc. | |
| leuke | noun | Alt. of Leukeness |
| levee | noun | The act of rising., A morning assembly or reception of visitors, — in distinction from a soiree, or evening assembly; a matinee; hence, also, any general or somewhat miscellaneous gathering of guests, whether in the daytime or evening; as, the president’s levee., To attend the levee or levees of., An embankment to prevent inundation; as, the levees along the Mississippi; sometimes, the steep bank of a river., To keep within a channel by means of levees; as, to levee a river. |
| level | noun | A line or surface to which, at every point, a vertical or plumb line is perpendicular; a line or surface which is everywhere parallel to the surface of still water; — this is the true level, and is a curve or surface in which all points are equally distant from the center of the earth, or rather would be so if the earth were an exact sphere., A horizontal line or plane; that is, a straight line or a plane which is tangent to a true level at a given point and hence parallel to the horizon at that point; — this is the apparent level at the given point., An approximately horizontal line or surface at a certain degree of altitude, or distance from the center of the earth; as, to climb from the level of the coast to the level of the plateau and then descend to the level of the valley or of the sea., Hence, figuratively, a certain position, rank, standard, degree, quality, character, etc., conceived of as in one of several planes of different elevation., A uniform or average height; a normal plane or altitude; a condition conformable to natural law or which will secure a level surface; as, moving fluids seek a level., An instrument by which to find a horizontal line, or adjust something with reference to a horizontal line., A measurement of the difference of altitude of two points, by means of a level; as, to take a level., A horizontal passage, drift, or adit, in a mine., Even; flat; having no part higher than another; having, or conforming to, the curvature which belongs to the undisturbed liquid parts of the earth’s surface; as, a level field; level ground; the level surface of a pond or lake., Coinciding or parallel with the plane of the horizon; horizontal; as, the telescope is now level., Even with anything else; of the same height; on the same line or plane; on the same footing; of equal importance; — followed by with, sometimes by to., Straightforward; direct; clear; open., Well balanced; even; just; steady; impartial; as, a level head; a level understanding. [Colloq.], Of even tone; without rising or falling inflection., To make level; to make horizontal; to bring to the condition of a level line or surface; hence, to make flat or even; as, to level a road, a walk, or a garden., To bring to a lower level; to overthrow; to topple down; to reduce to a flat surface; to lower., To bring to a horizontal position, as a gun; hence, to point in taking aim; to aim; to direct., Figuratively, to bring to a common level or plane, in respect of rank, condition, character, privilege, etc.; as, to level all the ranks and conditions of men., To adjust or adapt to a certain level; as, to level remarks to the capacity of children., To be level; to be on a level with, or on an equality with, something; hence, to accord; to agree; to suit., To aim a gun, spear, etc., horizontally; hence, to aim or point a weapon in direct line with the mark; fig., to direct the eye, mind, or effort, directly to an object. |
| leven | noun | Lightning. |
| lever | adjective | More agreeable; more pleasing., Rather., A rigid piece which is capable of turning about one point, or axis (the fulcrum), and in which are two or more other points where forces are applied; — used for transmitting and modifying force and motion. Specif., a bar of metal, wood, or other rigid substance, used to exert a pressure, or sustain a weight, at one point of its length, by receiving a force or power at a second, and turning at a third on a fixed point called a fulcrum. It is usually named as the first of the six mechanical powers, and is of three kinds, according as either the fulcrum F, the weight W, or the power P, respectively, is situated between the other two, as in the figures., A bar, as a capstan bar, applied to a rotatory piece to turn it., An arm on a rock shaft, to give motion to the shaft or to obtain motion from it. |
| levet | noun | A trumpet call for rousing soldiers; a reveille. |
| levin | noun | Lightning. |
| levir | noun | A husband’s brother; — used in reference to levirate marriages. |
| levo- | A prefix from L. laevus, Pertaining to, or toward, the left; as, levorotatory., Turning the plane of polarized light to the left; as, levotartaric acid; levoracemic acid; levogyratory crystals, etc. | |
| lewis | noun | Alt. of Lewisson |
| leges | plural | of Lex |
| liage | noun | Union by league; alliance. |
| liane | noun | Alt. of Liana |
| liana | noun | A luxuriant woody plant, climbing high trees and having ropelike stems. The grapevine often has the habit of a liane. Lianes are abundant in the forests of the Amazon region. |
| liard | adjective | Gray., A French copper coin of one fourth the value of a sou. |
| libel | noun | A brief writing of any kind, esp. a declaration, bill, certificate, request, supplication, etc., Any defamatory writing; a lampoon; a satire., A malicious publication expressed either in print or in writing, or by pictures, effigies, or other signs, tending to expose another to public hatred, contempt, or ridicule. Such publication is indictable at common law., The crime of issuing a malicious defamatory publication., A written declaration or statement by the plaintiff of his cause of action, and of the relief he seeks., To defame, or expose to public hatred, contempt, or ridicule, by a writing, picture, sign, etc.; to lampoon., To proceed against by filing a libel, particularly against a ship or goods., To spread defamation, written or printed; — with against. |
| liber | noun | The inner bark of plants, lying next to the wood. It usually contains a large proportion of woody, fibrous cells, and is, therefore, the part from which the fiber of the plant is obtained, as that of hemp, etc. |
| libra | noun | The Balance; the seventh sign in the zodiac, which the sun enters at the autumnal equinox in September, marked thus / in almanacs, etc., A southern constellation between Virgo and Scorpio. |
| lichi | noun | See Litchi. |
| licit | adjective | Lawful. |
| lidge | noun | Same as Ledge. |
| lying | present participle & vb. noun | of Lie, of Lie, of Lie, to tell a falsehood., of Lie, to be supported horizontally. |
| liege | adjective | Sovereign; independent; having authority or right to allegiance; as, a liege lord., Serving an independent sovereign or master; bound by a feudal tenure; obliged to be faithful and loyal to a superior, as a vassal to his lord; faithful; loyal; as, a liege man; a liege subject., Full; perfect; complete; pure., A free and independent person; specif., a lord paramount; a sovereign., The subject of a sovereign or lord; a liegeman. |
| lieve | adjective | Same as Lief. |
| lives | plural | of Life, pl. of Life., Alive; living; with life. |
| lifen | verb t. | To enliven. |
| ligan | noun | Goods sunk in the sea, with a buoy attached in order that they may be found again. See Jetsam and Flotsam. |
| ligge | verb i. | To lie or recline. |
| light | noun | That agent, force, or action in nature by the operation of which upon the organs of sight, objects are rendered visible or luminous., That which furnishes, or is a source of, light, as the sun, a star, a candle, a lighthouse, etc., The time during which the light of the sun is visible; day; especially, the dawn of day., The brightness of the eye or eyes., The medium through which light is admitted, as a window, or window pane; a skylight; in architecture, one of the compartments of a window made by a mullion or mullions., Life; existence., Open view; a visible state or condition; public observation; publicity., The power of perception by vision., That which illumines or makes clear to the mind; mental or spiritual illumination; enlightenment; knowledge; information., Prosperity; happiness; joy; felicity., The manner in which the light strikes upon a picture; that part of a picture which represents those objects upon which the light is supposed to fall; the more illuminated part of a landscape or other scene; — opposed to shade. Cf. Chiaroscuro., Appearance due to the particular facts and circumstances presented to view; point of view; as, to state things fairly and put them in the right light., One who is conspicuous or noteworthy; a model or example; as, the lights of the age or of antiquity., A firework made by filling a case with a substance which burns brilliantly with a white or colored flame; as, a Bengal light., Having light; not dark or obscure; bright; clear; as, the apartment is light., White or whitish; not intense or very marked; not of a deep shade; moderately colored; as, a light color; a light brown; a light complexion., To set fire to; to cause to burn; to set burning; to ignite; to kindle; as, to light a candle or lamp; to light the gas; — sometimes with up., To give light to; to illuminate; to fill with light; to spread over with light; — often with up., To attend or conduct with a light; to show the way to by means of a light., To become ignited; to take fire; as, the match will not light., To be illuminated; to receive light; to brighten; — with up; as, the room lights up very well., Having little, or comparatively little, weight; not tending to the center of gravity with force; not heavy., Not burdensome; easy to be lifted, borne, or carried by physical strength; as, a light burden, or load., Easy to be endured or performed; not severe; not difficult; as, a light affliction or task., Easy to be digested; not oppressive to the stomach; as, light food; also, containing little nutriment., Not heavily armed; armed with light weapons; as, light troops; a troop of light horse., Not encumbered; unembarrassed; clear of impediments; hence, active; nimble; swift., Not heavily burdened; not deeply laden; not sufficiently ballasted; as, the ship returned light., Slight; not important; as, a light error., Well leavened; not heavy; as, light bread., Not copious or heavy; not dense; not inconsiderable; as, a light rain; a light snow; light vapors., Not strong or violent; moderate; as, a light wind., Not pressing heavily or hard upon; hence, having an easy, graceful manner; delicate; as, a light touch; a light style of execution., Easy to admit influence; inconsiderate; easily influenced by trifling considerations; unsteady; unsettled; volatile; as, a light, vain person; a light mind., Indulging in, or inclined to, levity; wanting dignity or solemnity; trifling; gay; frivolous; airy; unsubstantial., Not quite sound or normal; somewhat impaired or deranged; dizzy; giddy., Easily bestowed; inconsiderately rendered., Wanton; unchaste; as, a woman of light character., Not of the legal, standard, or usual weight; clipped; diminished; as, light coin., Loose; sandy; easily pulverized; as, a light soil., Lightly; cheaply., To lighten; to ease of a burden; to take off., To dismount; to descend, as from a horse or carriage; to alight; — with from, off, on, upon, at, in., To feel light; to be made happy., To descend from flight, and rest, perch, or settle, as a bird or insect., To come down suddenly and forcibly; to fall; — with on or upon., To come by chance; to happen; — with on or upon; formerly with into. |
| liked | imp. & past participle | of Like |
| liken | adjective | To allege, or think, to be like; to represent as like; to compare; as, to liken life to a pilgrimage., To make or cause to be like. |
| lilac | noun | A shrub of the genus Syringa. There are six species, natives of Europe and Asia. Syringa vulgaris, the common lilac, and S. Persica, the Persian lilac, are frequently cultivated for the fragrance and beauty of their purplish or white flowers. In the British colonies various other shrubs have this name., A light purplish color like that of the flower of the purplish lilac. |
| liman | noun | The deposit of slime at the mouth of a river; slime. |
| limax | noun | A genus of airbreathing mollusks, including the common garden slugs. They have a small rudimentary shell. The breathing pore is on the right side of the neck. Several species are troublesome in gardens. See Slug. |
| limbo | noun | Alt. of Limbus |
| limed | imp. & past participle | of Lime |
| limer | noun | A limehound; a limmer. |
| limit | verb t. | That which terminates, circumscribes, restrains, or confines; the bound, border, or edge; the utmost extent; as, the limit of a walk, of a town, of a country; the limits of human knowledge or endeavor., The space or thing defined by limits., That which terminates a period of time; hence, the period itself; the full time or extent., A restriction; a check; a curb; a hindrance., A determining feature; a distinguishing characteristic; a differentia., A determinate quantity, to which a variable one continually approaches, and may differ from it by less than any given difference, but to which, under the law of variation, the variable can never become exactly equivalent., To apply a limit to, or set a limit for; to terminate, circumscribe, or restrict, by a limit or limits; as, to limit the acreage of a crop; to limit the issue of paper money; to limit one’s ambitions or aspirations; to limit the meaning of a word., To beg, or to exercise functions, within a certain limited region; as, a limiting friar. |
| limsy | adjective | Limp; flexible; flimsy. |
| linch | noun | A ledge; a right-angled projection. |
| lined | imp. & past participle | of Line |
| linen | noun | Made of linen; as, linen cloth; a linen stocking., Resembling linen cloth; white; pale., Thread or cloth made of flax or (rarely) of hemp; — used in a general sense to include cambric, shirting, sheeting, towels, tablecloths, etc., Underclothing, esp. the shirt, as being, in former times, chiefly made of linen. |
| liner | noun | One who lines, as, a liner of shoes., A vessel belonging to a regular line of packets; also, a line-of-battle ship; a ship of the line., A thin piece placed between two parts to hold or adjust them, fill a space, etc.; a shim., A lining within the cylinder, in which the piston works and between which and the outer shell of the cylinder a space is left to form a steam jacket., A slab on which small pieces of marble, tile, etc., are fastened for grinding., A ball which, when struck, flies through the air in a nearly straight line not far from the ground. |
| linga | noun | Alt. of Lingam |
| lingo | noun | Language; speech; dialect. |
| linne | noun | Flax. See Linen. |
| linum | noun | A genus of herbaceous plants including the flax (Linum usitatissimum). |
| lipic | adjective | Pertaining to, or derived from, fat. The word was formerly used specifically to designate a supposed acid obtained by the oxidation of oleic acid, tallow, wax, etc. |
| lipse | verb i. | To lisp. |
| lipyl | noun | A hypothetical radical of glycerin. |
| lisle | noun | A city of France celebrated for certain manufactures. |
| lisne | noun | A cavity or hollow. |
| liter | noun | Alt. of Litre |
| litre | noun | A measure of capacity in the metric system, being a cubic decimeter, equal to 61.022 cubic inches, or 2.113 American pints, or 1.76 English pints., Same as Liter. |
| lithe | verb i. & i. | To listen or listen to; to hearken to., Mild; calm; as, lithe weather., Capable of being easily bent; pliant; flexible; limber; as, the elephant’s lithe proboscis., To smooth; to soften; to palliate. |
| litho | A combining form from Gr. li`qos, stone. | |
| lithy | adjective | Easily bent; pliable. |
| litui | plural | of Lituus |
| lived | imp. & past participle | of Live, Having life; — used only in composition; as, long-lived; short-lived. |
| liver | noun | One who, or that which, lives., A resident; a dweller; as, a liver in Brooklyn., One whose course of life has some marked characteristic (expressed by an adjective); as, a free liver., A very large glandular and vascular organ in the visceral cavity of all vertebrates., The glossy ibis (Ibis falcinellus); — said to have given its name to the city of Liverpool. |
| livid | adjective | Black and blue; grayish blue; of a lead color; discolored, as flesh by contusion. |
| livor | noun | Malignity. |
| livre | noun | A French money of account, afterward a silver coin equal to 20 sous. It is not now in use, having been superseded by the franc. |
| llama | noun | A South American ruminant (Auchenia llama), allied to the camels, but much smaller and without a hump. It is supposed to be a domesticated variety of the guanaco. It was formerly much used as a beast of burden in the Andes. |
| llano | noun | An extensive plain with or without vegetation. |
| loach | noun | Any one of several small, fresh-water, cyprinoid fishes of the genera Cobitis, Nemachilus, and allied genera, having six or more barbules around the mouth. They are found in Europe and Asia. The common European species (N. barbatulus) is used as a food fish. |
| loamy | adjective | Consisting of loam; partaking of the nature of loam; resembling loam. |
| loath | adjective | Hateful; odious; disliked., Filled with disgust or aversion; averse; unwilling; reluctant; as, loath to part. |
| lobar | adjective | Of or pertaining to a lobe; characterized by, or like, a lobe or lobes. |
| lobby | noun | A passage or hall of communication, especially when large enough to serve also as a waiting room. It differs from an antechamber in that a lobby communicates between several rooms, an antechamber to one only; but this distinction is not carefully preserved., That part of a hall of legislation not appropriated to the official use of the assembly; hence, the persons, collectively, who frequent such a place to transact business with the legislators; any persons, not members of a legislative body, who strive to influence its proceedings by personal agency., An apartment or passageway in the fore part of an old-fashioned cabin under the quarter-deck., A confined place for cattle, formed by hedges. trees, or other fencing, near the farmyard., To address or solicit members of a legislative body in the lobby or elsewhere, with the purpose to influence their votes., To urge the adoption or passage of by soliciting members of a legislative body; as, to lobby a bill. |
| lobed | adjective | Having lobes; lobate. |
| local | adjective | Of or pertaining to a particular place, or to a definite region or portion of space; restricted to one place or region; as, a local custom., A train which receives and deposits passengers or freight along the line of the road; a train for the accommodation of a certain district., On newspaper cant, an item of news relating to the place where the paper is published. |
| loche | noun | See Loach. |
| locky | adjective | Having locks or tufts. |
| locus | noun | A place; a locality., The line traced by a point which varies its position according to some determinate law; the surface described by a point or line that moves according to a given law. |
| lodde | noun | The capelin. |
| lodge | noun | A shelter in which one may rest; as: (a) A shed; a rude cabin; a hut; as, an Indian’s lodge., A small dwelling house, as for a gamekeeper or gatekeeper of an estate., A den or cave., The meeting room of an association; hence, the regularly constituted body of members which meets there; as, a masonic lodge., The chamber of an abbot, prior, or head of a college., The space at the mouth of a level next the shaft, widened to permit wagons to pass, or ore to be deposited for hoisting; — called also platt., A collection of objects lodged together., A family of North American Indians, or the persons who usually occupy an Indian lodge, — as a unit of enumeration, reckoned from four to six persons; as, the tribe consists of about two hundred lodges, that is, of about a thousand individuals., To rest or remain a lodge house, or other shelter; to rest; to stay; to abide; esp., to sleep at night; as, to lodge in York Street., To fall or lie down, as grass or grain, when overgrown or beaten down by the wind., To come to a rest; to stop and remain; as, the bullet lodged in the bark of a tree., To give shelter or rest to; especially, to furnish a sleeping place for; to harbor; to shelter; hence, to receive; to hold., To drive to shelter; to track to covert., To deposit for keeping or preservation; as, the men lodged their arms in the arsenal., To cause to stop or rest in; to implant., To lay down; to prostrate. |
| loess | noun | A quaternary deposit, usually consisting of a fine yellowish earth, on the banks of the Rhine and other large rivers. |
| loffe | verb i. | To laugh. |
| lofty | superl. | Lifted high up; having great height; towering; high., Fig.: Elevated in character, rank, dignity, spirit, bearing, language, etc.; exalted; noble; stately; characterized by pride; haughty. |
| logan | noun | A rocking or balanced stone. |
| logge | noun & verb | See Lodge. |
| logic | noun | The science or art of exact reasoning, or of pure and formal thought, or of the laws according to which the processes of pure thinking should be conducted; the science of the formation and application of general notions; the science of generalization, judgment, classification, reasoning, and systematic arrangement; correct reasoning., A treatise on logic; as, Mill’s Logic. |
| logos | noun | A word; reason; speech., The divine Word; Christ. |
| locao | noun | A green vegetable dye imported from China. |
| longe | noun | A thrust. See Lunge., The training ground for a horse., Same as 4th Lunge. |
| looed | imp. & past participle | of Loo |
| looby | noun | An awkward, clumsy fellow; a lubber. |
| looch | noun | See 2d Loch. |
| loony | adjective | See Luny. |
| loord | noun | A dull, stupid fellow; a drone. |
| loose | superl. | Unbound; untied; unsewed; not attached, fastened, fixed, or confined; as, the loose sheets of a book., Free from constraint or obligation; not bound by duty, habit, etc. ; — with from or of., Not tight or close; as, a loose garment., Not dense, close, compact, or crowded; as, a cloth of loose texture., Not precise or exact; vague; indeterminate; as, a loose style, or way of reasoning., Not strict in matters of morality; not rigid according to some standard of right., Unconnected; rambling., Lax; not costive; having lax bowels., Dissolute; unchaste; as, a loose man or woman., Containing or consisting of obscene or unchaste language; as, a loose epistle., Freedom from restraint., A letting go; discharge., To untie or unbind; to free from any fastening; to remove the shackles or fastenings of; to set free; to relieve., To release from anything obligatory or burdensome; to disengage; hence, to absolve; to remit., To relax; to loosen; to make less strict., To solve; to interpret., To set sail. |
| loped | imp. & past participle | of Lope |
| loper | noun | One who, or that which, lopes; esp., a horse that lopes., A swivel at one end of a ropewalk, used in laying the strands. |
| loppy | adjective | Somewhat lop; inclined to lop. |
| loral | noun | Of or pertaining to the lores., Of or pertaining to the lore; — said of certain feathers of birds, scales of reptiles, etc. |
| lorel | noun | A good for nothing fellow; a vagabond. |
| loren | obs. strong past participle | of Lose. |
| loris | noun | Any one of several species of small lemurs of the genus Stenops. They have long, slender limbs and large eyes, and are arboreal in their habits. The slender loris (S. gracilis), of Ceylon, in one of the best known species. |
| lorry | noun | A small cart or wagon, as those used on the tramways in mines to carry coal or rubbish; also, a barrow or truck for shifting baggage, as at railway stations. |
| losel | noun | One who loses by sloth or neglect; a worthless person; a lorel., Wasteful; slothful. |
| loser | noun | One who loses. |
| lotos | noun | See Lotus. |
| lotto | noun | A game of chance, played with cards, on which are inscribed numbers, and any contrivance (as a wheel containing numbered balls) for determining a set of numbers by chance. The player holding a card having on it the set of numbers drawn from the wheel takes the stakes after a certain percentage of them has been deducted for the dealer. A variety of lotto is called keno. |
| lotus | noun | A name of several kinds of water lilies; as Nelumbium speciosum, used in religious ceremonies, anciently in Egypt, and to this day in Asia; Nelumbium luteum, the American lotus; and Nymphaea Lotus and N. caerulea, the respectively white-flowered and blue-flowered lotus of modern Egypt, which, with Nelumbium speciosum, are figured on its ancient monuments., The lotus of the lotuseaters, probably a tree found in Northern Africa, Sicily, Portugal, and Spain (Zizyphus Lotus), the fruit of which is mildly sweet. It was fabled by the ancients to make strangers who ate of it forget their native country, or lose all desire to return to it., The lote, or nettle tree. See Lote., A genus (Lotus) of leguminous plants much resembling clover., An ornament much used in Egyptian architecture, generally asserted to have been suggested by the Egyptian water lily. |
| lough | noun | A loch or lake; — so spelt in Ireland., of Laugh. |
| loups | noun pl. | The Pawnees, a tribe of North American Indians whose principal totem was the wolf. |
| louri | noun | See Lory. |
| louse | noun | Any one of numerous species of small, wingless, suctorial, parasitic insects belonging to a tribe (Pediculina), now usually regarded as degraded Hemiptera. To this group belong of the lice of man and other mammals; as, the head louse of man (Pediculus capitis), the body louse (P. vestimenti), and the crab louse (Phthirius pubis), and many others. See Crab louse, Dog louse, Cattle louse, etc., under Crab, Dog, etc., Any one of numerous small mandibulate insects, mostly parasitic on birds, and feeding on the feathers. They are known as Mallophaga, or bird lice, though some occur on the hair of mammals. They are usually regarded as degraded Pseudoneuroptera. See Mallophaga., Any one of the numerous species of aphids, or plant lice. See Aphid., Any small crustacean parasitic on fishes. See Branchiura, and Ichthvophthira., To clean from lice. |
| lousy | adjective | Infested with lice., Mean; contemptible; as, lousy knave. |
| loved | imp. & past participle | of Love |
| lovee | noun | One who is loved. |
| lover | noun | One who loves; one who is in love; — usually limited, in the singular, to a person of the male sex., A friend; one strongly attached to another; one who greatly desires the welfare of any person or thing; as, a lover of his country., One who has a strong liking for anything, as books, science, or music., Alt. of Lovery |
| lowed | imp. & past participle | of Low |
| lower | adjective | Compar. of Low, a., To let descend by its own weight, as something suspended; to let down; as, to lower a bucket into a well; to lower a sail or a boat; sometimes, to pull down; as, to lower a flag., To reduce the height of; as, to lower a fence or wall; to lower a chimney or turret., To depress as to direction; as, to lower the aim of a gun; to make less elevated as to object; as, to lower one’s ambition, aspirations, or hopes., To reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of; as, to lower the temperature of anything; to lower one’s vitality; to lower distilled liquors., To bring down; to humble; as, to lower one’s pride., To reduce in value, amount, etc. ; as, to lower the price of goods, the rate of interest, etc., To fall; to sink; to grow less; to diminish; to decrease; as, the river lowered as rapidly as it rose., To be dark, gloomy, and threatening, as clouds; to be covered with dark and threatening clouds, as the sky; to show threatening signs of approach, as a tempest., To frown; to look sullen., Cloudiness; gloominess., A frowning; sullenness. |
| lowgh | Alt. of Lowh | |
| lowly | adjective | Not high; not elevated in place; low., Low in rank or social importance., Not lofty or sublime; humble., Having a low esteem of one’s own worth; humble; meek; free from pride., In a low manner; humbly; meekly; modestly., In a low condition; meanly. |
| lowry | noun | An open box car used on railroads. Compare Lorry. |
| loyal | adjective | Faithful to law; upholding the lawful authority; faithful and true to the lawful government; faithful to the prince or sovereign to whom one is subject; unswerving in allegiance., True to any person or persons to whom one owes fidelity, especially as a wife to her husband, lovers to each other, and friend to friend; constant; faithful to a cause or a principle. |
| lucid | noun | Shining; bright; resplendent; as, the lucid orbs of heaven., Clear; transparent., Presenting a clear view; easily understood; clear., Bright with the radiance of intellect; not darkened or confused by delirium or madness; marked by the regular operations of reason; as, a lucid interval. |
| lucky | superl. | Favored by luck; fortunate; meeting with good success or good fortune; — said of persons; as, a lucky adventurer., Producing, or resulting in, good by chance, or unexpectedly; favorable; auspicious; fortunate; as, a lucky mistake; a lucky cast; a lucky hour. |
| lucre | noun | Gain in money or goods; profit; riches; — often in an ill sense. |
| lumpy | superl. | Full of lumps, or small compact masses. |
| lunar | adjective | Of or pertaining to the moon; as, lunar observations., Resembling the moon; orbed., Measured by the revolutions of the moon; as, a lunar month., Influenced by the moon, as in growth, character, or properties; as, lunar herbs., A lunar distance., The middle bone of the proximal series of the carpus; — called also semilunar, and intermedium. |
| lunch | noun | A luncheon; specifically, a light repast between breakfast and dinner., To take luncheon. |
| lunet | noun | A little moon or satellite. |
| lunge | noun | A sudden thrust or pass, as with a sword., To make a lunge., To cause to go round in a ring, as a horse, while holding his halter., Same as Namaycush. |
| lupus | noun | A cutaneous disease occurring under two distinct forms., The Wolf, a constellation situated south of Scorpio. |
| lurch | verb i. | To swallow or eat greedily; to devour; hence, to swallow up., An old game played with dice and counters; a variety of the game of tables., A double score in cribbage for the winner when his adversary has been left in the lurch., To leave in the lurch; to cheat., To steal; to rob., A sudden roll of a ship to one side, as in heavy weather; hence, a swaying or staggering movement to one side, as that by a drunken man. Fig.: A sudden and capricious inclination of the mind., To roll or sway suddenly to one side, as a ship or a drunken man., To withdraw to one side, or to a private place; to lurk., To dodge; to shift; to play tricks. |
| lured | imp. & past participle | of Lure |
| lurid | adjective | Pale yellow; ghastly pale; wan; gloomy; dismal., Having a brown color tonged with red, as of flame seen through smoke., Of a color tinged with purple, yellow, and gray. |
| lurry | noun | A confused heap; a throng, as of persons; a jumble, as of sounds. |
| lusty | superl. | Exhibiting lust or vigor; stout; strong; vigorous; robust; healthful; able of body., Beautiful; handsome; pleasant., Of large size; big. [Obs.] ” Three lusty vessels.” Evelyn. Hence, sometimes, pregnant., Lustful; lascivious. |
| luted | imp. & past participle | of Lute |
| luter | noun | One who plays on a lute., One who applies lute. |
| lycea | plural | of Lyceum |
| lyche | adjective | Like. |
| lyden | noun | See Leden. |
| lyken | verb t. | To please; — chiefly used impersonally. |
| lymph | noun | A spring of water; hence, water, or a pure, transparent liquid like water., An alkaline colorless fluid, contained in the lymphatic vessels, coagulable like blood, but free from red blood corpuscles. It is absorbed from the various tissues and organs of the body, and is finally discharged by the thoracic and right lymphatic ducts into the great veins near the heart., A fibrinous material exuded from the blood vessels in inflammation. In the process of healing it is either absorbed, or is converted into connective tissue binding the inflamed surfaces together. |
| lynch | verb t. | To inflict punishment upon, especially death, without the forms of law, as when a mob captures and hangs a suspected person. See Lynch law. |
| lynde | noun | Alt. of Lynden |
| lyric | adjective | Alt. of Lyrical, A lyric poem; a lyrical composition., A composer of lyric poems., A verse of the kind usually employed in lyric poetry; — used chiefly in the plural., The words of a song. |
| lyrid | noun | One of the group of shooting stars which come into the air in certain years on or about the 19th of April; — so called because the apparent path among the stars the stars if produced back wards crosses the constellation Lyra. |
| lyrie | noun | A European fish (Peristethus cataphractum), having the body covered with bony plates, and having three spines projecting in front of the nose; — called also noble, pluck, pogge, sea poacher, and armed bullhead. |
| lysis | noun | The resolution or favorable termination of a disease, coming on gradually and not marked by abrupt change. |
| lyssa | noun | Hydrophobia. |
| lythe | noun | The European pollack; — called also laith, and leet., Soft; flexible. |
| lytta | noun | A fibrous and muscular band lying within the longitudinal axis of the tongue in many mammals, as the dog. |