Words |
Parts of Speech |
Meaning/Definition/Similar Words |
labefaction |
noun |
The act of labefying or making weak; the state of being weakened; decay; ruin. |
labidometer |
noun |
A forceps with a measuring attachment for ascertaining the size of the fetal head. |
labiodental |
adjective |
Formed or pronounced by the cooperation of the lips and teeth, as f and v., A labiodental sound or letter. |
labradorite |
noun |
A kind of feldspar commonly showing a beautiful play of colors, and hence much used for ornamental purposes. The finest specimens come from Labrador. See Feldspar. |
labyrinthal |
adjective |
Pertaining to, or resembling, a labyrinth; intricate; labyrinthian. |
labyrinthic |
adjective |
Alt. of Labyrinthical |
lacertilian |
adjective & noun |
Same as Lacertian. |
lacertiloid |
adjective |
Like or belonging to the Lacertilia. |
lace-winged |
adjective |
Having thin, transparent, reticulated wings; as, the lace-winged flies. |
lachrymable |
adjective |
Lamentable. |
laciniolate |
adjective |
Consisting of, or abounding in, very minute laciniae. |
laconically |
adverb |
In a laconic manner. |
lactescence |
noun |
The state or quality of producing milk, or milklike juice; resemblance to milk; a milky color., The latex of certain plants. See Latex. |
lactiferous |
adjective |
Bearing or containing milk or a milky fluid; as, the lactiferous vessels, cells, or tissue of various vascular plants. |
lactoabumin |
noun |
The albumin present on milk, apparently identical with ordinary serum albumin. It is distinct from the casein of milk. |
lactucarium |
noun |
The inspissated juice of the common lettuce, sometimes used as a substitute for opium. |
lady-killer |
noun |
A gallant who captivates the hearts of women. |
lady’s comb |
|
An umbelliferous plant (Scandix Pecten-Veneris), its clusters of long slender fruits remotely resembling a comb. |
lady’s hair |
|
A plant of the genus Briza (B. media); a variety of quaking grass. |
lady’s seal |
|
The European Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum verticillatum)., The black bryony (Tamus communis). |
laemodipoda |
noun pl. |
A division of amphipod Crustacea, in which the abdomen is small or rudimentary and the legs are often reduced to five pairs. The whale louse, or Cyamus, and Caprella are examples. |
lambskinnet |
noun |
See Lansquenet. |
lamellicorn |
adjective |
Having antennae terminating in a group of flat lamellae; — said of certain coleopterous insects., Terminating in a group of flat lamellae; — said of antennae., A lamellicorn insect. |
lamelliform |
adjective |
Thin and flat; scalelike; lamellar. |
lamentation |
noun |
The act of bewailing; audible expression of sorrow; wailing; moaning., A book of the Old Testament attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, and taking its name from the nature of its contents. |
lamentingly |
adverb |
In a lamenting manner. |
lammergeier |
noun |
A very large vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), which inhabits the mountains of Southern Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. When full-grown it is nine or ten feet in extent of wings. It is brownish black above, with the under parts and neck rusty yellow; the forehead and crown white; the sides of the head and beard black. It feeds partly on carrion and partly on small animals, which it kills. It has the habit of carrying tortoises and marrow bones to a great height, and dropping them on stones to obtain the contents, and is therefore called bonebreaker and ossifrage. It is supposed to be the ossifrage of the Bible. Called also bearded vulture and bearded eagle. |
lamplighter |
noun |
One who, or that which, lights a lamp; esp., a person who lights street lamps., The calico bass. |
lacasterian |
adjective |
Of or pertaining to the monitorial system of instruction followed by Joseph Lancaster, of England, in which advanced pupils in a school teach pupils below them. |
lanceolated |
adjective |
Rather narrow, tapering to a point at the apex, and sometimes at the base also; as, a lanceolate leaf. |
lancepesade |
noun |
An assistant to a corporal; a private performing the duties of a corporal; — called also lance corporal. |
lanciferous |
adjective |
Bearing a lance. |
lancinating |
present participle & vb. noun |
of Lanciname, Piercing; seeming to pierce or stab; as, lancinating pains (i.e., severe, darting pains). |
lancination |
noun |
A tearing; laceration. |
landgravine |
noun |
The wife of a landgrave. |
landlordism |
noun |
The state of being a landlord; the characteristics of a landlord; specifically, in Great Britain, the relation of landlords to tenants, especially as regards leased agricultural lands. |
landlouping |
adjective |
Vagrant; wandering about. |
landscapist |
noun |
A painter of landscapes. |
langteraloo |
noun |
An old game at cards. See Loo (a). |
langue d’oc |
|
The dialect, closely akin to French, formerly spoken south of the Loire (in which the word for “yes” was oc); Provencal. |
languishing |
present participle & vb. noun |
of Languish, Becoming languid and weak; pining; losing health and strength., Amorously pensive; as, languishing eyes, or look. |
laniariform |
adjective |
Shaped like a laniary, or canine, tooth. |
lapidarious |
adjective |
Consisting of stones. |
lapidescent |
adjective |
Undergoing the process of becoming stone; having the capacity of being converted into stone; having the quality of petrifying bodies., Any substance which has the quality of petrifying other bodies, or of converting or being converted into stone. |
lapidifical |
adjective |
Forming or converting into stone. |
lapidifying |
present participle & vb. noun |
of Lapidify |
lapillation |
noun |
The state of being, or the act of making, stony. |
lap-jointed |
adjective |
Having a lap joint, or lap joints, as many kinds of woodwork and metal work. |
large-acred |
adjective |
Possessing much land. |
largifluous |
adjective |
Flowing copiously. |
lark’s-heel |
noun |
Indian cress. |
larviparous |
adjective |
Depositing living larvae, instead of eggs; — said of certain insects. |
larypgismus |
noun |
A spasmodic state of the glottis, giving rise to contraction or closure of the opening. |
laryngology |
noun |
Systematized knowledge of the action and functions of the larynx; in pathology, the department which treats of the diseases of the larynx. |
laryngotome |
noun |
An instrument for performing laryngotomy. |
laryngotomy |
noun |
The operation of cutting into the larynx, from the outside of the neck, for assisting respiration when obstructed, or for removing foreign bodies. |
lasciviency |
noun |
Lasciviousness; wantonness. |
latchstring |
noun |
A string for raising the latch of a door by a person outside. It is fastened to the latch and passed through a hole above it in the door. |
lateritious |
adjective |
Like bricks; of the color of red bricks. |
lath-shaped |
adjective |
Having a slender elongated form, like a lath; — said of the feldspar of certain igneous rocks, as diabase, as seen in microscopic sections. |
latibulized |
imp. & past participle |
of Latibulize |
laticostate |
adjective |
Broad-ribbed. |
latidentate |
adjective |
Broad-toothed. |
latifoliate |
adjective |
Alt. of Latifolious |
latifolious |
adjective |
Having broad leaves. |
latirostral |
adjective |
Alt. of Latirostrous |
latirostres |
noun pl. |
The broad-billed singing birds, such as the swallows, and their allies. |
latisternal |
adjective |
Having a broad breastbone, or sternum; — said of anthropoid apes. |
latitudinal |
adjective |
Of or pertaining to latitude; in the direction of latitude. |
latreutical |
adjective |
Acting as a hired servant; serving; ministering; assisting., Of or pertaining to latria. |
latticework |
noun |
Same as Lattice, n., 1. |
laudability |
noun |
Laudableness; praiseworthiness. |
laughworthy |
adjective |
Deserving to be laughed at. |
lauriferous |
adjective |
Producing, or bringing, laurel. |
lavoltateer |
noun |
A dancer of the lavolta. |
law-abiding |
adjective |
Abiding the law; waiting for the operation of law for the enforcement of rights; also, abiding by the law; obedient to the law; as, law-abiding people. |
leadhillite |
noun |
A mineral of a yellowish or greenish white color, consisting of the sulphate and carbonate of lead; — so called from having been first found at Leadhills, Scotland. |
leaf-footed |
adjective |
Having leaflike expansions on the legs; — said of certain insects; as, the leaf-footed bug (Leptoglossus phyllopus). |
lean-witted |
adjective |
Having but little sense or shrewdness. |
leaseholder |
noun |
A tenant under a lease. |
leatherback |
noun |
A large sea turtle (Sphargis coriacea), having no bony shell on its back. It is common in the warm and temperate parts of the Atlantic, and sometimes weighs over a thousand pounds; — called also leather turtle, leathery turtle, leather-backed tortoise, etc. |
leatherette |
noun |
An imitation of leather, made of paper and cloth. |
leatherhead |
noun |
The friar bird. |
leatherneck |
noun |
The sordid friar bird of Australia (Tropidorhynchus sordidus). |
leatherwood |
noun |
A small branching shrub (Dirca palustris), with a white, soft wood, and a tough, leathery bark, common in damp woods in the Northern United States; — called also moosewood, and wicopy. |
lecanomancy |
noun |
divination practiced with water in a basin, by throwing three stones into it, and invoking the demon whose aid was sought. |
lectureship |
noun |
The office of a lecturer. |
left-handed |
adjective |
Having the left hand or arm stronger and more dexterous than the right; using the left hand and arm with more dexterity than the right., Clumsy; awkward; unlucky; insincere; sinister; malicious; as, a left-handed compliment., Having a direction contrary to that of the hands of a watch when seen in front; — said of a twist, a rotary motion, etc., looked at from a given direction. |
legerdemain |
noun |
Sleight of hand; a trick of sleight of hand; hence, any artful deception or trick. |
legibleness |
noun |
The state or quality of being legible. |
legionaries |
plural |
of Legionary |
legislating |
present participle & vb. noun |
of Legislate |
legislation |
noun |
The act of legislating; preparation and enactment of laws; the laws enacted. |
legislative |
adjective |
Making, or having the power to make, a law or laws; lawmaking; — distinguished from executive; as, a legislative act; a legislative body., Of or pertaining to the making of laws; suitable to legislation; as, the transaction of legislative business; the legislative style. |
legislatrix |
noun |
A woman who makes laws. |
legislature |
noun |
The body of persons in a state or kingdom invested with power to make and repeal laws; a legislative body. |
legitimated |
imp. & past participle |
of Legitimate |
legitimized |
imp. & past participle |
of Legitimize |
leiotrichan |
adjective |
Of or pertaining to the Leiotrichi., One of the Leiotrichi. |
leipothymic |
adjective |
See Lipothymic. |
lengthening |
present participle & vb. noun |
of Lengthen |
lengthiness |
noun |
The state or quality of being lengthy; prolixity. |
lentiginose |
adjective |
Bearing numerous dots resembling freckles. |
lentiginous |
adjective |
Of or pertaining to lentigo; freckly; scurfy; furfuraceous. |
leopardwood |
noun |
See Letterwood. |
lepidoptera |
noun pl. |
An order of insects, which includes the butterflies and moths. They have broad wings, covered with minute overlapping scales, usually brightly colored. |
lepidosiren |
noun |
An eel-shaped ganoid fish of the order Dipnoi, having both gills and lungs. It inhabits the rivers of South America. The name is also applied to a related African species (Protopterus annectens). The lepidosirens grow to a length of from four to six feet. Called also doko. |
leptocardia |
noun pl. |
The lowest class of Vertebrata, including only the Amphioxus. The heart is represented only by a simple pulsating vessel. The blood is colorless; the brain, renal organs, and limbs are wanting, and the backbone is represented only by a simple, unsegmented notochord. See Amphioxus. |
leptodactyl |
noun |
A bird or other animal having slender toes. |
leptostraca |
noun pl. |
An order of Crustacea, including Nebalia and allied forms. |
lethargical |
adjective |
Pertaining to, affected with, or resembling, lethargy; morbidly drowsy; dull; heavy. |
lethargized |
imp. & past participle |
of Lethargize |
lethiferous |
adjective |
Deadly; bringing death or destruction. |
letterpress |
noun |
Print; letters and words impressed on paper or other material by types; — often used of the reading matter in distinction from the illustrations. |
leucaniline |
noun |
A colorless, crystalline, organic base, obtained from rosaniline by reduction, and also from other sources. It forms colorless salts. |
leucopyrite |
noun |
A mineral of a color between white and steel-gray, with a metallic luster, and consisting chiefly of arsenic and iron. |
leucorrhoea |
noun |
A discharge of a white, yellowish, or greenish, viscid mucus, resulting from inflammation or irritation of the membrane lining the genital organs of the female; the whites. |
leucosphere |
noun |
The inner corona. |
leviratical |
adjective |
Of, pertaining to, or in accordance with, a law of the ancient Israelites and other tribes and races, according to which a woman, whose husband died without issue, was married to the husband’s brother. |
levirostres |
noun pl. |
A group of birds, including the hornbills, kingfishers, and related forms. |
levitically |
adverb |
After the manner of the Levites; in accordance with the levitical law. |
lexigraphic |
adjective |
Of or pertaining to lexigraphy. |
lexipharmic |
adjective |
See Alexipharmic. |
liabilities |
plural |
of Liability |
libelluloid |
adjective |
Like or pertaining to the dragon flies. |
liberalized |
imp. & past participle |
of Liberalize |
liberalizer |
noun |
One who, or that which, liberalizes. |
libertarian |
adjective |
Pertaining to liberty, or to the doctrine of free will, as opposed to the doctrine of necessity., One who holds to the doctrine of free will. |
liberticide |
noun |
The destruction of civil liberty., A destroyer of civil liberty. |
libertinage |
noun |
Libertinism; license. |
libertinism |
noun |
The state of a libertine or freedman., Licentious conduct; debauchery; lewdness., Licentiousness of principle or opinion. |
libethenite |
noun |
A mineral of an olive-green color, commonly in orthorhombic crystals. It is a hydrous phosphate of copper. |
licheniform |
adjective |
Having the form of a lichen. |
lichenology |
noun |
The science which treats of lichens. |
lick-spigot |
noun |
A tapster. |
liedertafel |
noun |
A popular name for any society or club which meets for the practice of male part songs. |
lieutenancy |
noun |
The office, rank, or commission, of a lieutenant., The body of lieutenants or subordinates. |
life-giving |
adjective |
Giving life or spirit; having power to give life; inspiriting; invigorating. |
life-saving |
adjective |
That saves life, or is suited to save life, esp. from drowning; as, the life-saving service; a life-saving station. |
ligamentous |
adjective |
Composing a ligament; of the nature of a ligament; binding; as, a strong ligamentous membrane. |
light-armed |
adjective |
Armed with light weapons or accouterments. |
lighthouses |
plural |
of Lighthouse |
ligniferous |
adjective |
Yielding or producing wood. |
like-minded |
adjective |
Having a like disposition or purpose; of the same mind. |
lilliputian |
noun |
One belonging to a very diminutive race described in Swift’s “Voyage to Lilliput.”, A person or thing of very small size., Of or pertaining to the imaginary island of Lilliput described by Swift, or to its inhabitants., Of very small size; diminutive; dwarfed. |
lilly-pilly |
noun |
An Australian myrtaceous tree (Eugenia Smithii), having smooth ovate leaves, and panicles of small white flowers. The wood is hard and fine-grained. |
lily-handed |
adjective |
Having white, delicate hands. |
limitaneous |
verb t. |
Of or pertaining to a limit. |
limitedness |
noun |
The quality of being limited. |
lingeringly |
adverb |
With delay; slowly; tediously. |
lingoa wood |
|
Amboyna wood. |
linguacious |
adjective |
Given to the use of the tongue; loquacious. |
linguistics |
noun |
The science of languages, or of the origin, signification, and application of words; glossology. |
link motion |
|
A valve gear, consisting of two eccentrics with their rods, giving motion to a slide valve by an adjustable connecting bar, called the link, in such a way that the motion of the engine can be reversed, or the cut-off varied, at will; — used very generally in locomotives and marine engines. |
lion’s foot |
|
A composite plant of the genus Prenanthes, of which several species are found in the United States., The edelweiss. |
lion’s leaf |
|
A South European plant of the genus Leontice (L. leontopetalum), the tuberous roots of which contain so much alkali that they are sometimes used as a substitute for soap. |
lion’s tail |
|
A genus of labiate plants (Leonurus); — so called from a fancied resemblance of its flower spikes to the tuft of a lion’s tail. L. Cardiaca is the common motherwort. |
lipocephala |
noun pl. |
Same as Lamellibranchia. |
lipothymous |
adjective |
Pertaining, or given, to swooning; fainting. |
liquefiable |
adjective |
Capable of being changed from a solid to a liquid state. |
liquescency |
noun |
The quality or state of being liquescent. |
liquidambar |
noun |
A genus consisting of two species of tall trees having star-shaped leaves, and woody burlike fruit. Liquidambar styraciflua is the North American sweet qum, and L. Orientalis is found in Asia Minor., The balsamic juice which is obtained from these trees by incision. The liquid balsam of the Oriental tree is liquid storax. |
liquidamber |
noun |
See Liquidambar. |
liquidating |
present participle & vb. noun |
of Liquidate |
liquidation |
noun |
The act or process of liquidating; the state of being liquidated. |
liquidizing |
present participle & vb. noun |
of Liquidize |
lirelliform |
adjective |
Like a lirella. |
liriodendra |
plural |
of Liriodendron |
literalized |
imp. & past participle |
of Literalize |
literalizer |
noun |
A literalist. |
literalness |
noun |
The quality or state of being literal; literal import. |
lithargyrum |
noun |
Crystallized litharge, obtained by fusion in the form of fine yellow scales. |
lithodomous |
adjective |
Like, or pertaining to, Lithodomus; lithophagous. |
lithofellic |
adjective |
Pertaining to, or designating, a crystalline, organic acid, resembling cholic acid, found in the biliary intestinal concretions (bezoar stones) common in certain species of antelope. |
lithogenesy |
noun |
The doctrine or science of the origin of the minerals composing the globe. |
lithogenous |
adjective |
Stone-producing; — said of polyps which form coral. |
lithography |
noun |
The art or process of putting designs or writing, with a greasy material, on stone, and of producing printed impressions therefrom. The process depends, in the main, upon the antipathy between grease and water, which prevents a printing ink containing oil from adhering to wetted parts of the stone not covered by the design. See Lithographic limestone, under Lithographic. |
lithologist |
noun |
One who is skilled in lithology. |
lithophytic |
adjective |
Of or pertaining to lithophytes. |
lithotomist |
noun |
One who performs the operation of cutting for stone in the bladder, or one who is skilled in the operation. |
lithotripsy |
noun |
The operation of crushing a stone in the bladder with an instrument called lithotriptor or lithotrite; lithotrity. |
lithotritor |
|
A lithotriptor. |
lithotyping |
present participle & vb. noun |
of Lithotype |
litigiously |
adverb |
In a litigious manner. |
litterateur |
noun |
One who occupies himself with literature; a literary man; a literatus. |
little-ease |
noun |
An old slang name for the pillory, stocks, etc., of a prison. |
liver-grown |
adjective |
Having an enlarged liver. |
lixiviating |
present participle & vb. noun |
of Lixiviate |
lixiviation |
noun |
Lixiviating; the process of separating a soluble substance form one that is insoluble, by washing with some solvent, as water; leaching. |
loathliness |
noun |
Loathsomeness. |
lobe-footed |
adjective |
Lobiped. |
localitiees |
plural |
of Locality |
lochaber ax |
|
Alt. of Lochaber axe |
lock stitch |
|
A peculiar sort of stitch formed by the locking of two threads together, as in the work done by some sewing machines. See Stitch. |
loculicidal |
adjective |
Dehiscent through the middle of the back of each cell; — said of capsules. |
locust tree |
|
A large North American tree of the genus Robinia (R. Pseudacacia), producing large slender racemes of white, fragrant, papilionaceous flowers, and often cultivated as an ornamental tree. In England it is called acacia. |
loellingite |
noun |
A tin-white arsenide of iron, isomorphous with arsenopyrite. |
logarithmic |
adjective |
Alt. of Logarithmical |
loggerheads |
noun |
The knapweed. |
logicalness |
noun |
The quality of being logical. |
logodaedaly |
noun |
Verbal legerdemain; a playing with words. |
logographer |
noun |
A chronicler; one who writes history in a condensed manner with short simple sentences., One skilled in logography. |
logographic |
adjective |
Alt. of Logographical |
logomachist |
noun |
One who contends about words. |
loiteringly |
adverb |
In a loitering manner. |
longanimity |
noun |
Disposition to bear injuries patiently; forbearance; patience. |
long-horned |
adjective |
Having a long horn or horns; as, a long-horned goat, or cow; having long antennae, as certain beetles (Longicornia). |
longicornia |
noun pl. |
A division of beetles, including a large number of species, in which the antennae are very long. Most of them, while in the larval state, bore into the wood or beneath the bark of trees, and some species are very destructive to fruit and shade trees. See Apple borer, under Apple, and Locust beetle, under Locust. |
longimanous |
adjective |
Having long hands. |
longinquity |
noun |
Greatness of distance; remoteness. |
longipennes |
noun pl. |
A group of longwinged sea birds, including the gulls, petrels, etc. |
longiroster |
noun |
One of the Longirostres. |
long primer |
|
A kind of type, in size between small pica and bourgeois. |
long-tongue |
noun |
The wryneck. |
long-winded |
adjective |
Long-breathed; hence, tediously long in speaking; consuming much time; as, a long-winded talker. |
loosestrife |
noun |
The name of several species of plants of the genus Lysimachia, having small star-shaped flowers, usually of a yellow color., Any species of the genus Lythrum, having purple, or, in some species, crimson flowers. |
lophobranch |
adjective |
Of or pertaining to the Lophobranchii., One of the Lophobranchii. |
lophosteons |
plural |
of Lophosteon |
lotus-eater |
noun |
Alt. of Lotos-eater |
lotos-eater |
noun |
One who ate the fruit or leaf of the lotus, and, as a consequence, gave himself up to indolence and daydreams; one of the Lotophagi. |
loud-voiced |
adjective |
Having a loud voice; noisy; clamorous. |
love-making |
noun |
Courtship. |
low-studded |
adjective |
Furnished or built with short studs; as, a low-studded house or room. |
loxodromics |
noun |
The art or method of sailing on the loxodromic or rhumb line. |
loxodremism |
noun |
The act or process of tracing a loxodromic curve; the act of moving as if in a loxodromic curve. |
lubrication |
noun |
The act of lubricating; the act of making slippery. |
lubricitate |
verb i. |
See Lubricate. |
lucernarian |
adjective |
Of or pertaining to the Lucernarida., One of the Lucernarida. |
lucernarida |
noun pl. |
A division of acalephs, including Lucernaria and allied genera; — called also Calycozoa., A more extensive group of acalephs, including both the true lucernarida and the Discophora. |
lucratively |
adverb |
In a lucrative manner. |
lucriferous |
adjective |
Gainful; profitable. |
lucubration |
noun |
The act of lucubrating, or studying by candlelight; nocturnal study; meditation., That which is composed by night; that which is produced by meditation in retirement; hence (loosely) any literary composition. |
lucubratory |
adjective |
Composed by candlelight, or by night; of or pertaining to night studies; laborious or painstaking. |
lumbaginous |
adjective |
Of or pertaining to lumbago. |
lumbosacral |
noun |
Of or pertaining to the loins and sacrum; as, the lumbosacral nerve, a branch of one of the lumber nerves which passes over the sacrum. |
lunicurrent |
adjective |
Having relation to changes in currents that depend on the moon’s phases. |
lussheburgh |
noun |
A spurious coin of light weight imported into England from Luxemburg, or Lussheburgh, as it was formerly called. |
lute-backed |
adjective |
Having a curved spine. |
lutheranism |
noun |
Alt. of Lutherism |
luxuriantly |
adverb |
In a luxuriant manner. |
luxuriating |
present participle & vb. noun |
of Luxuriate |
luxuriation |
noun |
The act or process luxuriating. |
lycanthrope |
noun |
A human being fabled to have been changed into a wolf; a werewolf., One affected with lycanthropy. |
lycanthropy |
noun |
The supposed act of turning one’s self or another person into a wolf., A kind of erratic melancholy, in which the patient imagines himself a wolf, and imitates the actions of that animal. |
lychnoscope |
noun |
Same as Low side window, under Low, a. |
lycotropous |
adjective |
Campylotropous. |
lyencephala |
noun pl. |
A group of Mammalia, including the marsupials and monotremes; — so called because the corpus callosum is rudimentary. |
lymphangial |
adjective |
Of or pertaining to the lymphatics, or lymphoid tissue; lymphatic. |
lymphogenic |
adjective |
Connected with, or formed in, the lymphatic glands. |