lion (lai´эn) pl. li´ons or li´on •n. 1 a large, powerful cat (Panthera leo), found in Africa and SW Asia, with a tawny coat, a tufted tail, and, in the adult male, a shaggy mane: in folklore and fable the lion is considered king of the beasts 2 a person of great courage or strength 3 a prominent person who is in demand socially; celebrity 4 [pl.] LIONS CLUB [L-] [pl.] Leo, the constellation and fifth sign of the zodiac beard the lion (in his den) to approach, oppose, etc. an influential or feared person, as in a place where that person has the advantage li´on·ess •n.fem. [OFr < L leo (gen. leonis) < Gr leōn (gen. leontos)]

Lionel (lai´э nэl, -nel') a masculine name [Fr, dim. of lion, LION]

lionhearted (lai´эn härt'id) •adj. very brave

lionize (lai´эn aiz') -ized', -iz'ing •vt. 1 to treat as a celebrity 2 [Brit.] to visit the interesting sights of (a place) li'on·i·za´tion •n. li´on·iz'er •n. [LION + -IZE]

Lions (lai´эnz), Gulf of (the) part of the Mediterranean, on the S coast of France, between Toulon & Spain: Fr. name Golfe du Lion (gôlf dü lyouñ´)

Lions Club any of the local branches of The International Association of Lions Clubs, an organization of community-service clubs for men

lion's share the whole thing or, now popularly, the biggest and best portion [from Aesop's fable in which the lion took all the spoils of a joint hunt]

lip (lip) •n. 1 either of the two fleshy folds forming the edges of the mouth and important in speech 2 anything like a lip, as in structure or in being an edge, rim, or margin; specif., a) the edge of a wound b) the projecting rim of a pitcher, cup, etc. c) the edge of the mouthpiece of a wind instrument d) the edge on either side of the sound-producing opening of an organ flue pipe e) the cutting edge of any of certain tools f) Anat. LABIUM g) Bot. a lip-shaped corolla, calyx, or petal, as in a mint or an orchid h) LABELLUM 3 the position and use of the lips in playing a wind instrument; embouchure 4 [Slang] impertinent or insolent talk •vt. lipped, lip´ping 1 to touch with the lips; specif., a) to place the lips in the proper position for playing (a wind instrument) b) [Archaic] to kiss 2 to utter, esp. softly 3 Golf to come just to the edge of (the cup): said of the ball •adj. 1 Phonet. articulated with a lip or the lips; labial: not widely used as a technical term {a lip consonant} 2 of or for the lips 3 from the lips only; spoken, but insincere bite one's lip to keep back one's anger, annoyance, etc. hang on the lips of to listen to with close attention Æ keep a stiff upper lip [Colloq.] to avoid becoming frightened or discouraged under difficulties smack one's lips to express great satisfaction in anticipating or remembering something pleasant lip´less •adj. [ME lippe < OE lippa, akin to MDu lippe < IE base *leb-, to hang loosely, lip > L labes, a falling, labium, lip]

lip gloss a transparent, sometimes colored cosmetic ointment applied to the lips as a moisturizer and to give a shiny appearance

lip reading the act or skill of recognizing a speaker's words by watching the lip movements: it is taught esp. to the deaf

lip service insincere expression of respect, loyalty, support, etc.

Lipari Islands (lip´э ri:') group of volcanic islands of Italy in the Tyrrhenian Sea, northeast of Sicily: c. 45 sq. mi. (117 sq. km)

lipase (lai´peis', lip´eis') •n. any of a group of enzymes, esp. from the pancreas, that aid in digestion by hydrolyzing fats into fatty acids and glycerol [LIP(O)- + -ASE]

Lipchitz (lip´shits'), Jacques (zhäk) (born Chaim Jacob Lipchitz) 1891-1973; U.S. sculptor, born in Lithuania

lipectomy (li pek´tэ mi:) pl. -mies •n. surgical removal of fatty tissue from under the skin [LIP(O)- + -ECTOMY]

Lipetsk (li:´petsk') city in SW European Russia: pop. 447,000

lipid (lip´id) •n. any of a group of organic compounds consisting of the fats and other substances of similar properties: they are insoluble in water, soluble in fat solvents and alcohol, and greasy to the touch, and are important constituents of living cells Also lip·ide (lip´aid', -id) [LIP(O)- + -ID]

Lipizzaner (lip'it sän´эr, lip'э zän´-) •n. any of a breed of medium-sized, stocky horse, usually white when mature, used esp. in dressage and jumping exhibitions Also sp. Lip'pi·zan´er [Ger, after Lipizza, the imperial Austrian stud farm, near TRIESTE]

Lipmann (lip´mэn), Fritz Albert 1899- ; U.S. biochemist, born in Germany

lipo- (lip´ou, -э; lai´pou, -pэ) combining form fat or fatty {lipolysis} Also, before a vowel, lip- [< Gr lipos, fat < IE *leip-: see LEAVE¹]

lipofuscin (lip'ou fûs´in, lai'pou-) •n. any of a group of fatty pigments that are found in various body cells and are associated with aging

lipoid (lip´oid', lai´poid') Biochem., Chem. resembling fat Also li·poi·dal (li poid´ªl, lai-) •adj. •n. LIPID [LIP(O)- + -OID]

lipolysis (li päl´э sis, lai-) •n. the decomposition of fat, as during digestion [ModL: see LIPO- & -LYSIS]

lipoma (li pou´mэ, lai-) pl. -po´ma·ta (-tэ) •n.or -po´mas a benign tumor made up of fat tissue li·pom´a·tous (-päm´э tэs) •adj. [ModL: see LIP(O)- & -OMA]

lipophilic (lip'ou fil´ik, lip'э-; lai'pou-, -pэ-) •adj. having a strong attraction for fats [LIPO- + -PHIL(E) + -IC]

lipoprotein (-prou´ti:n', -prou´ti: in) •n. any of a group of proteins combined with a lipid, found as in blood plasma or egg yolk

liposome (lip´э soum', lai´pэ-) •n. Æ a synthetic, microscopic globule consisting of layers of lipids encapsulating certain substances (as enzymes or drugs): used to introduce these substances into a cell or specified tissue [LIPO- + -SOME³]

liposuction (lip´ou sûk'shэn, lai´pэ-) •n. lipectomy by means of suction through a small incision in the skin [LIPO- + SUCTION]

lipotropic (lip'ou träp´ik, lip'э-; lai'pou-, -pэ-) •adj. regulating or reducing the accumulation of fat in the body or its organs li·pot·ro·pism (li pä´trэ piz'эm, lai-) •n. [LIPO- + -TROPIC]

lipotropin (-trou´pin) •n. a hormone made in the pituitary gland, that stimulates release of fatty acids from adipose tissue: its amino acid sequence includes an endorphin

Lippe (lip´э) region in W Germany, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia: formerly a principality

lipped (lipt) •adj. 1 having a lip or lips: often in compounds {tight-lipped} 2 having a spoutlike projection in the rim: said of a pitcher, cup, etc. 3 LABIATE

Lippes loop (lip´is) a polyethylene intrauterine contraceptive device, shaped like a double S [after Jack Lippes, U.S. physician (1961)]

Lippi (lip´i:; It li:p´pi:) 1 Fi·lip·pi·no (fi:'li:p pi:´nô) c. 1457-1504; Florentine painter 2 Fra Fi·lip·po (fi: li:p´pô) c. 1406-69; Florentine painter: father of Filippino: also called Fra Lip·po Lippi (lip'ou)

Lippmann (lip´mэn), Walter 1889-1974; U.S. journalist

lippy (lip´i:) -pi·er, -pi·est •adj. [Slang] impudent, brash, or insolent lip´pi·ness •n.

lip-read (lip´ri:d') -read' (-red'), -read'ing to recognize (a speaker's words) by lip reading •vt., vi. lip reader

Lipscomb (lips´kэm), William Nunn, Jr. (nûn) 1919- ; U.S. chemist

lipstick (lip´stik') •n. a small stick of cosmetic paste, set in a case, for coloring the lips

lip-sync or lip-synch (lip´siŋk') •vt., vi. to synchronize lip movements with (recorded speaking or singing) •n. the act or process of lip-syncing [< lip sync(hronization)]

liq 1 liquid 2 liquor

liquate (lai´kweit') -quat'ed, -quat'ing •vt. Metallurgy to heat (a metal, etc.) in order to separate a fusible substance from one less fusible li·qua´tion •n. [< L liquatus, pp. of liquare, to melt, akin to liquere: see LIQUID]

liquefacient (lik'wi fei´shэnt) •adj. that liquefies, or causes to become liquid •n. something that causes liquefaction [< L liquefaciens, prp. of liquefacere: see LIQUID & -FACIENT]

liquefaction (-fæk´shэn) •n. a liquefying or being liquefied

liquefied petroleum gas a compressed or liquefied gas, generally a mixture of propane, propylene, butane, and butylene obtained as a byproduct from petroleum refining: used as a domestic or industrial fuel and in certain organic syntheses

liquefy (lik´wi fai') -fied', -fy'ing •vt., vi. to make or become liquid SYN. MELT liq´ue·fi'a·ble •adj. liq´ue·fi'er •n. [Fr liquefier < L liquefacere: see LIQUID & -FY]

liquescent (li kwes´эnt) •adj. becoming liquid; melting li·ques´cence •n. [L liquescens, prp. of liquescere, to become liquid < liquere: see LIQUID]

liqueur (li kør´, -kur´, -kyur´) •n. any of certain strong, sweet, syrupy alcoholic liquors, variously flavored [Fr]

liquid (lik´wid) •adj. 1 readily flowing; fluid; specif., having its molecules moving freely with respect to each other so as to flow readily, unlike a solid, but because of cohesive forces not expanding indefinitely like a gas 2 clear; limpid {liquid eyes} 3 flowing smoothly and musically, gracefully, etc. {liquid verse} 4 in cash or readily convertible into cash {liquid assets} 5 Phonet. articulated without friction and capable of being prolonged like a vowel, as (l) and (r) •n. 1 a liquid substance 2 a liquid sound liq´uid·ness •n. liq´uid·ly •adv. [OFr liquide < L liquidus < liquere, to be liquid, prob. < IE base *wlikw-, wet > Welsh gwlyb, moist]

liquid air air brought to a liquid state by being subjected to great pressure and then cooled by its own expansion to a temperature below the boiling point of its main constituents, nitrogen and oxygen: it is used as a refrigerant

liquid crystal a liquid in which nearby molecules have a fixed orientation with respect to each other: such liquids may exhibit some properties of crystals

liquid crystal display LCD

liquid diet a diet restricted to liquids and, sometimes, certain semisolid foods, as custards, gelatin, etc.

liquid measure 1 the measurement of liquids 2 a system of measuring liquids in which 4 gills = 1 pint, 2 pints = 1 quart, 4 quarts = 1 gallon See MEASURE, table

liquid oxygen the light-bluish liquid form of oxygen produced by fractionation of liquid air and used as an oxidizer in liquid-fueled rockets: oxygen is often stored in this form, which boils at -183°C

liquidambar (lik´wid æm'bэr) •n. 1 any of a genus (Liquidambar) of trees of the witch hazel family, found in Asia and North America, esp. the SWEET GUM 2 the balsam from such a tree [ModL < L liquidus (see LIQUID) + Ar anbar (see AMBER)]

liquidate (lik´wi deit') -dat'ed, -dat'ing •vt. 1 to settle by agreement or legal process the amount of (indebtedness, damages, etc.) 2 to settle the accounts of (a bankrupt business firm that is closing, etc.) by apportioning assets and debts 3 to pay or settle (a debt) 4 to convert (holdings or assets) into cash 5 to dispose of or get rid of, as by killing •vi. to liquidate debts, accounts, etc. [< ML liquidatus, pp. of liquidare, to make liquid or clear < L liquidus, LIQUID]

liquidation (lik'wi dei´shэn) •n. a liquidating or being liquidated go into liquidation to close one's business by collecting assets and settling all debts

liquidator (lik´wi deit'эr) •n. a person who liquidates, esp. one legally appointed to liquidate a company, etc.

liquidity (li kwid´i ti:) •n. 1 the quality or state of being liquid 2 Finance a) the ability of a business to meet obligations without disposing of its fixed assets b) the ability of a market to absorb buying and selling without producing undue price fluctuations

liquidize (lik´wid aiz') -ized', -iz'ing •vt. to cause to become liquid

liquor (lik´эr) •n. 1 any liquid or juice {meat liquor} 2 an alcoholic drink, esp. one made by distillation, as whiskey or rum 3 Pharmacy a solution of some substance in water •vt., vi. [Colloq.] to drink or cause to drink alcoholic liquor, esp. to the point of intoxication: now usually with up [altered (infl. by L) < ME licour < OFr licor < L liquor, akin to liquere: see LIQUID]

liquorice (lik´эr ish) •n. chiefly Brit. sp. of LICORICE

lira (lir´э) pl. li´re (-ei); also, and for 2 always, li´ras •n. 1 the monetary unit of Italy, San Marino, and the Vatican City: see MONEY, table 2 the basic monetary unit of: a) Turkey b) Malta: see MONEY, table [It < L libra, a balance, pound]

liripipe (lir´э paip') •n. in early academic costume, a long tail to a hood [ML liripipium < ?]

lis pendens (lis pen´denz') Law a pending suit: a lis pendens involves the legal doctrine that a court acquires jurisdiction over property involved in a suit [L]

Lisa (li:´sэ, -zэ) a feminine name: see ELIZABETH

Lisbon (liz´bэn) capital of Portugal: seaport on the Tagus estuary: pop. 817,000: Port. name Lis·bo·a (li:zh bô´э)

lisente (li sen´ti:) pl. -te •n. a monetary unit of Lesotho, equal to ¹/100 of a loti

Lisle see LECONTE DE LISLE & ROUGET DE LISLE lisle (lail) •n. 1 a fine, hard, extra-strong cotton thread: in full, lisle thread 2 a fabric, or stockings, gloves, etc., knit or woven of lisle •adj. made of lisle [after Lisle, earlier sp. of LILLE, where orig. made]

lisp (lisp) •vi. 1 to substitute the sounds (θ) and (ð) for the sounds of s and z, as in pronouncing sing as though it were thing 2 to speak imperfectly or like a child •vt. to utter with a lisp or in an imperfect or childlike way •n. 1 the act or speech defect of lisping 2 the sound of lisping lisp´er •n. lisp´ing·ly •adv. [ME lyspen, earlier wlispen < OE -wlyspian < wlisp, wlips, a lisping, akin to Ger lispeln, MLowG wlispen, wilspen, of echoic orig.]

lissome or lissom (lis´эm) •adj. bending or moving gracefully or with ease and lightness; lithe, supple, limber, agile, etc. lis´some·ly or lis´som·ly •adv. lis´some·ness or lis´som·ness •n. [altered < LITHESOME]

list price retail price as given in a list or catalog, variously discounted in sales to dealers

list¹ (list) •n. 1 [Obs.] a narrow strip or border; specif., a) a strip of cloth b) a stripe of color c) a boundary 2 a) a narrow strip of wood, esp. sapwood, trimmed from the edge of a board b) LISTEL 3 the selvage of cloth 4 a series of names, words, numbers, etc. set forth in order; catalog, roll, etc. [from the idea of a narrow slip of paper] Æ 5 a ridge of earth between two furrows 6 LIST PRICE See also LISTS •vt. 1 [Obs.] to edge with, or arrange in, stripes or bands 2 a) to set forth (a series of names, items, etc.) in order b) to enter (a name, item, etc.) in a list, directory, catalog, etc. Æ 3 to plow (ground) or plant (corn) with a lister 4 to trim a strip of wood, esp. sapwood, from the edge of (a board) 5 Finance to admit (a stock, option, etc.) for trading on an exchange •vi. Æ 1 to plow with a lister 2 to be listed for sale, as in a catalog (at the price specified) 3 [Archaic] to enlist in the armed forces SYN.—list, the broadest in scope of these terms, applies to a series of items of any kind, no matter what the arrangement or purpose; catalog implies methodical arrangement, usually alphabetical, and is used of lists of articles for sale or on exhibit, library card files, etc.; an inventory is an itemized list of goods, property, etc., especially one made annually in business; a register is a book, etc. in which names, events, or other items are formally or officially recorded [a register of voters]; a roll is an official list of the members of an organization, especially as used for checking attendance [ME liste, merging < OE, a hem, border & Anglo-Fr < OFr < Gmc *lista, akin to Ger leiste < IE base *leizd-, edge, border > L lira, line, furrow, Alb leth, the raised border of a plot of ground, wall]

list² (list) •vt. [Archaic] to be pleasing to; suit •vi. [Archaic] to wish; like; choose •n. [Archaic] a craving, desire, or inclination [ME listen < OE lystan < base of lust, desire, appetite: see LUST]

list³ (list) •vt., vi. to tilt to one side, as a ship •n. a tilting or inclining to one side [prob. specialized use of prec.]

list4 (list) •vt., vi. [Archaic] to listen (to) [ME listen < OE hlystan < base of hlyst, hearing, akin to Ger lauschen, dial. laustern < IE base *leu-, to hear > L cluere, to be called]

listel (lis´tэl) •n. Archit. a narrow molding or band; fillet [Fr < It listello, dim. of lista, a border, strip < Gmc *lista: see LIST¹]

listen (lis´эn) •vi. 1 to make a conscious effort to hear; attend closely, so as to hear 2 to pay close attention; take advice •vt. [Archaic] to pay attention to by listening; hear •n. the act of listening Æ listen in 1 to listen to the conversation of others; esp., to eavesdrop 2 to listen to a broadcast lis´ten·er •n. [ME listnen, felt as freq. of listen (see LIST4) < OE hlysnan (akin to MHG lüsenen)]

listenable (-э bэl) •adj. that can be listened to, esp. with pleasure

listening post (lis´эn iŋ) 1 Mil. an advanced, concealed position near the enemy's lines, for detecting the enemy's movements by listening 2 any strategic position or center for securing information or intelligence

Lister (lis´tэr), Joseph 1st Baron Lister of Lyme Regis 1827-1912; Eng. surgeon: introduced antiseptic surgery

lister¹ (lis´tэr) •n. Æ a plow with a double moldboard, which heaps the earth on both sides of the furrow: it is sometimes combined with a drill that plants seed at the same time [LIST¹, vt. 3 + -ER]

lister² (lis´tэr) •n. a person who compiles a list or lists

listing (lis´tiŋ) •n. 1 the act of making a list 2 an entry in a list, as in a directory, a real-estate broker's record of property for sale, etc. 3 a list

listless (list´lis) •adj. 1 having no interest in what is going on about one, as a result of illness, weariness, dejection, etc.; spiritless; languid 2 characterized by such a feeling list´less·ly •adv. list´less·ness •n. [LIST² + -LESS]

lists (lists) •n.pl. 1 a) in the Middle Ages, a high fence of stakes enclosing the area for a tournament b) this area itself or the tournament held there 2 any place or realm of combat, conflict, etc. enter the lists to enter a contest or struggle [ME listes, specialized use of liste, border, hedging, boundary (see LIST¹), prob. infl. by OFr lisse (Fr lice) in same sense < Frank *listia < Gmc *lista, LIST¹]

Liszt (list), Franz (fřänts) 1811-86; Hung. composer & pianist Liszt´i·an •adj.

lit abbrev. 1 liter(s) 2 literally 3 literary 4 literature

lit crit (lit´krit´) [Colloq.] literary criticism

lit¹ (lit) •vt., vi. alt. pt. & pp. of LIGHT¹

lit² (lit) •vi. alt. pt. & pp. of LIGHT²

lit³ (lit) •n. [also L-] short for LITERATURE

litany (lit´ªn i:) pl. -nies •n. 1 a series of fixed invocations and responses, used as a prayer 2 a repetitive recitation, listing, or specification [ME letanie < OFr < LL(Ec) litania < Gr(Ec) litaneia < Gr litanos, pleading < litē, a request]

LitB or Lit.B. see LITTB

litchi (li:´chi:') •n. 1 a Chinese evergreen tree (Litchi chinensis) of the soapberry family, cultivated in warm climates for its fruit 2 the fruit of this tree (litchi nut), usually eaten dried or preserved: it consists of a single seed surrounded by a sweet, edible, raisinlike pulp, enclosed in a rough, brown, papery shell [Chin li-chih]

LitD or Lit.D. see LITTD

lite (lait) •adj. colloq. sp. of: 1 LIGHT² (adj. 14): often used in brand names 2 LIGHT² (adj. 5): often used ironically

-lite (lait) combining form stone: used in the names or minerals, rocks, and fossils {chrysolite, cryolite} [Fr, for -lithe: see -LITH]

liter (li:t´эr) •n. the basic metric unit of capacity equal to 1 cubic decimeter or 61.025 cubic inches (1.0567 liquid quarts or .908 dry quart): it is the volume of a kilogram of distilled water at 4°C [Fr litre < litron, obs. unit of measure < ML litra < Gr, a pound]

literacy (lit´эr э si:) •n. the state or quality of being literate; specif., a) ability to read and write b) knowledgeability or capability {computer literacy}

literal (lit´эr эl) •adj. 1 of, involving, or expressed by a letter or letters of the alphabet {literal notation} 2 following or representing the exact words of the original; word-for-word {a literal translation} 3 a) based on the actual words in their ordinary meaning; not figurative or symbolic {the literal meaning of a passage} b) giving the actual denotation of the word (said of the senses of words) c) giving the original or earlier meaning of a word; etymological {the literal meaning of ponder is to weigh} 4 a) habitually interpreting statements or words according to their actual denotation; prosaic; matter-of-fact {a literal mind} b) having a literal mind; lacking imagination 5 real; not going beyond the actual facts; accurate; unvarnished {the literal truth} 6 being so in fact but not in name; virtual {the chairperson is a literal dictator} lit´er·al·ness •n. [ME litterall < MFr litteral < LL litteralis < L littera, LETTER¹]

literalism (-iz'эm) •n. 1 the tendency or disposition to take words, statements, etc. in their literal sense 2 thoroughgoing realism in art lit´er·al·ist •n. lit'er·al·is´tic •adj.

literality (lit'эr æl´э ti:) pl. -ties •n. 1 the state or quality of being literal 2 a literal meaning or interpretation

literalize (lit´эr эl aiz') -ized', -iz'ing •vt. 1 to make (a translation, etc.) literal 2 to interpret according to the literal sense lit'er·al·i·za´tion •n.

literally (lit´эr эl i:) •adv. in a literal manner or sense; specif., a) word for word; not imaginatively, figuratively, or freely {to translate a passage literally} b) actually; in fact {the house literally burned to the ground} c) seemingly, but not really (a loose usage) {she literally flew from the room}

literary (lit´эr er'i:) •adj. 1 a) of, having the nature of, or dealing with literature b) of or having to do with books or writing {literary agents} 2 characterized by the more formal, balanced, and polished language of literature rather than the informal language of speech 3 a) familiar with or versed in literature b) making literature a profession lit´er·ar'i·ness •n. [L litterarius < littera, LETTER¹]

literate (lit´эr it) •adj. 1 able to read and write 2 well-educated; having or showing extensive knowledge, learning, or culture 3 [Now Rare] versed in literature 4 knowledgeable or capable {economically literate} •n. a literate person lit´er·ate·ly •adv. [ME litterate < L litteratus < littera, LETTER¹]

literati (lit'э rei´tai¿, -rä´ti:) •n.pl. 1 men of letters 2 scholarly or learned people [It < L litterati, learned, pl. of litteratus: see LITERATE]

literatim (-reit´im, -rät´-) •adv. letter for letter; literally [ML < L littera, LETTER¹]

literature (lit´эr э chur', li´trэ-; -chэr) •n. 1 the profession of an author; production of writings, esp. of imaginative prose, verse, etc. 2 a) all writings in prose or verse, esp. those of an imaginative or critical character, without regard to their excellence: often distinguished from scientific writing, news reporting, etc. b) all of such writings considered as having permanent value, excellence of form, great emotional effect, etc. c) all the writings of a particular time, country, region, etc., specif. those regarded as having lasting value because of their beauty, imagination, etc. {American literature} d) all the writings dealing with a particular subject {the medical literature} 3 all the compositions for a specific musical instrument, voice, or ensemble 4 [Colloq.] printed matter of any kind, as advertising, campaign leaflets, etc. 5 [Archaic] acquaintance with books; literary knowledge [ME litterature < OFr < L litteratura < littera, LETTER¹]

Lith 1 Lithuania 2 Lithuanian lith 1 lithograph 2 lithography

-lith (liθ) combining form stone {eolith, megalith} [Fr -lithe < Gr lithos, stone]

litharge (liθ´ärj', li θärj´) •n. an oxide of lead, PbO, used in storage batteries, ceramic cements, paints, etc. [OFr litarge < L lithargyrus < Gr lithargyros, spume or foam of silver < lithos, a stone + argyros, silver]

lithe (laið) lith´er, lith´est •adj. bending easily; flexible; supple; limber; lissome Also lithe´some (-sэm) lithe´ly •adv. lithe´ness •n. [ME < OE lithe, soft, mild, akin to OHG lindi < IE base *lento-, flexible, bendable > LINDEN, L lentus, pliant, flexible]

lithia (liθ´i: э) •n. lithium oxide, Li2O, a white, crystalline compound [ModL < earlier lithion < Gr litheion, neut. of litheois, stony < lithos, stone + -IA: so named in reference to its mineral orig.]

lithia water a mineral water containing lithium salts

lithiasis (li θai´э sis) •n. the formation of calculi, or mineral concretions, within the body [ModL < Gr lithos, stone + -IASIS]

lithic (liθ´ik) •adj. 1 of stone 2 Chem. of lithium 3 Med. of calculi [Gr lithikos < lithos, a stone]

-lithic (liθ´ik) combining form of a (specified) period of the STONE AGE {Neolithic, Paleolithic}

lithium (liθ´i: эm) •n. a soft, silver-white, metallic chemical element, the lightest known metal: used in thermonuclear explosives, in metallurgy, etc.: symbol, Li; at. wt., 6.941; at. no., 3; sp. gr., 0.531; melt. pt., 180.5°C; boil. pt., 1,336°C [ModL: name coined (1818) by BERZELIUS for element discovered (1817) by his student A. Arfwedson (1792-1841), Swed chemist < LITHIA + -IUM]

lithium carbonate a white, powdery salt, Li2CO3, used in the manufacture of glass, ceramics, dyes, etc. and in psychiatry to treat manic-depressive disorders

litho (liθ´ou) pl. -os •n. short for LITHOGRAPH •vt., vi. -oed, -o·ing litho abbrev. 1 lithograph 2 lithography

litho- (liθ´ou, -э) combining form stone, rock, calculus {lithosphere, lithography, lithotomy} Also, before a vowel, lith- [< Gr lithos, a stone]

lithograph (liθ´э græf') •n. a print made by lithography •vi., vt. to make (prints or copies) by this process li·thog·ra·pher (li θäg´rэ fэr) •n.

lithography (li θäg´rэ fi:) •n. the art or process of printing from a flat stone or metal plate by a method based on the repulsion between grease and water: the design is put on the surface with a greasy material, and then water and printing ink are successively applied; the greasy parts, which repel water, absorb the ink, but the wet parts do not lith·o·graph·ic (liθ'э græf´ik) •adj. lith'o·graph´i·cal·ly •adv. [LITHO- + -GRAPHY]

lithoid (liθ´oid') •adj. having the nature of a stone; stonelike Also li·thoi·dal (li θoi´dэl) [Gr lithoeidēs: see LITH(O)- & -OID]

lithology (li θäl´э ji:) •n. 1 the scientific study of rocks, usually with the unaided eye or with little magnification 2 loosely, the structure and composition of a rock formation lith·o·log·ic (liθ'э läj´ik) or lith'o·log´i·cal •adj. lith'o·log´i·cal·ly •adv. [LITHO- + -LOGY]

lithomarge (liθ´ou märj', liθ´э-) •n. a smooth, closely packed variety of kaolin [< LITHO- + L marga, MARL¹]

lithometeor (liθ'ou mi:t´i: эr, liθ'э-) •n. solid material, except ice, suspended in the atmosphere, as dust, smoke, or pollen [< LITHO- + METEOR]

lithophyte (liθ´ou fait', liθ´э-) •n. a plant that grows on rock surfaces lith'o·phyt´ic (-fit´ik) •adj. [LITHO- + -PHYTE]

lithopone (-poun') •n. a white pigment made by mixing barium sulfate with zinc sulfide, used in paints, linoleum, etc. [< LITHO- + Gr ponos, work, product of work]

lithosphere (-sfir') •n. the solid, rocky part of the earth; earth's crust [LITHO- + -SPHERE]

lithotomy (li θät´э mi:) pl. -mies •n. Surgery the surgical removal of a calculus, or mineral concretion, by cutting into the bladder lith·o·tom·ic (liθ'э täm´ik) •adj. [LL lithotomia < Gr: see LITHO- & -TOMY]

lithotrity (li θä´trэ ti:) pl. -ties •n. the process of crushing a calculus in the bladder into very small pieces so that it can be eliminated in the urine [< LITHO- + L tritus, pp. of terere, to grind, rub: see THROW]

Lithuania (liθ'u: ei´ni: э, liθ'э wei´-) country in N Europe, on the Baltic Sea: from 1940 to 1991 it was a republic of the U.S.S.R.: 25,170 sq. mi. (65,200 sq. km); pop. 3,572,000; cap. Vilnius: formerly, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic

Lithuanian (-эn) •adj. of Lithuania, its people, or their language or culture •n. 1 a native or inhabitant of Lithuania 2 the Baltic language of the Lithuanians

litigable (lit´i gэ bэl) •adj. that gives cause for litigation, or a lawsuit; actionable

litigant (lit´i gэnt) •adj. [Rare] engaged in litigation •n. a party to a lawsuit [Fr < L litigans]

litigate (-geit') -gat'ed, -gat'ing •vt. to contest in a lawsuit •vi. to carry on a lawsuit lit´i·ga'tor •n. [< L litigatus, pp. of litigare, to dispute, carry on a suit < lis (gen. litis), dispute + agere, to do: see ACT]

litigation (lit'i gei´shэn) •n. 1 the act or process of carrying on a lawsuit 2 a lawsuit [LL litigatio]

litigious (li tij´эs) •adj. 1 a) given to carrying on lawsuits b) quarrelsome 2 disputable at law 3 of lawsuits li·ti´gious·ly •adv. li·ti´gious·ness •n. [ME < MFr litigieux < L litigiosus < litigium, strife < litigare: see LITIGATE]

litmus (lit´mэs) •n. a purple coloring matter obtained from various lichens and used as an acid-base indicator in chemical analysis: it turns blue in bases and red in acids [ON litmose, lichen used in dyeing < litr, color (akin to Goth wlits, face < IE *wltu-, appearance < base *wel-, to see > L voltus, expression, Welsh gweled, to see) + mosi, MOSS]

litmus paper absorbent paper treated with litmus and used as an acid-base indicator

litmus test 1 a test using litmus paper to determine whether a solution is an acid or a base 2 any test in which a single factor determines the finding {a litmus test for political candidates}

litotes (lai´tou ti:z', lit´ou-; also lai tou´-) •n. understatement for effect, esp. such understatement in which something is expressed by a negation of the contrary (Ex.: not a few regrets) li·tot·ic (lai tät´ik) •adj. [Gr litotēs < litos, smooth, simple, plain, akin to leios: see LIME¹]

litre (li:t´эr) •n. [Brit.] LITER

LittB or Litt.B. Bachelor of Letters; Bachelor of Literature [L Lit(t)erarum Baccalaureus]

LittD or Litt.D. Doctor of Letters; Doctor of Literature [L Lit(t)erarum Doctor]

litten (lit´ªn) •adj. [Archaic] lighted [extended < LIT]

litter (lit´эr) •n. 1 a framework having long horizontal shafts near the bottom and enclosing a couch on which a person can be carried 2 a stretcher for carrying the sick or wounded 3 straw, hay, leaves, etc. used as bedding for animals, as a protective covering for plants, etc. 4 a kind of granular clay used in an indoor receptacle (litter box) to absorb the waste of domestic cats 5 the young borne at one time by a dog, cat, or other animal which normally bears several young at a delivery 6 things lying about in disorder, esp., bits of rubbish scattered about 7 untidiness; disorder 8 Forestry the surface layer of the forest floor, in which the leaves are slightly decomposed •vt. 1 to supply with a bed, covering, etc. of straw, hay, or the like 2 to bring forth (a number of young) at one time: said of certain animals 3 to make messy with things scattered about 4 to scatter about carelessly •vi. to bear a litter of young [ME litere < OFr litiere < ML literia, lectaria < L lectus, a couch: see LIE¹]

littérateur (lit'эr э tør´; Fr li: tei řå tëř´) •n. a literary man; man of letters Also written litterateur [Fr]

litterbug (lit´эr bûg') •n. [Colloq.] a person who litters highways or other public places with waste paper, garbage, etc.

littermate (-meit') •n. an offspring in a litter in its relation to the others in the litter

littery (lit´эr i:) •adj. covered with litter; untidy

little (lit´ªl) lit´tler or less or less´er, lit´tlest or least •adj. 1 small in size; not big, large, or great 2 small in amount, number, or degree; not much 3 short in duration or distance; brief; not long 4 small in importance or power {the rights of the little man} 5 small in force, intensity, etc.; weak 6 trivial; trifling 7 lacking in breadth of vision; narrow-minded; illiberal {a little mind} 8 young: said of children or animals 9 younger {her little brother} Sometimes used with implications of pleasing or endearing qualities [bless your little heart] •adv. less, least 1 in a small degree; to a slight extent; only slightly; not much 2 not in the least {he little suspects the plot} •n. 1 a) small amount, degree, etc. (often used with a and having adverbial force) {a little crazy} b) not much {little will be done about it} 2 a short time or distance SYN. SMALL in little on a small scale; in miniature little by little by slow degrees or small amounts; gradually make little of to treat as not very important; depreciate not a little very much; very some little rather extensive; fairly full lit´tle·ness •n. [ME littel < OE lytel (akin to Ger dial. lützel) < base of lyt, small (< IE base *leud-, to stoop > Welsh lludded, fatigue), infl. by ON litill, small (akin to Goth leitils) < IE base *lei-, to decline, be lean > LESS]

Little America five operational bases established by the Admiral Byrd expeditions, on the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica

Little Bear the constellation Ursa Minor

Little Bighorn river in N Wyo., flowing north into the Bighorn in S Mont.: c. 90 mi. (145 km): in a battle near here (Battle of the Little Bighorn, 1876) General Custer's troops attacked Dakota and Cheyenne Indians and were annihilated

Little Corporal name for Napoleon BONAPARTE

Little Diomede see DIOMEDE ISLANDS

Little Dipper a dipper-shaped group of stars in the constellation Ursa Minor

little finger the finger farthest from the thumb; smallest finger twist (or wrap) around one's little finger to influence or control (another) with the greatest of ease

Little Hours R.C.Ch. the hours of prime, terce, sext, and none

Little John Eng. Legend a member of Robin Hood's band

little leaf a disease of stone fruits, apples, grapes, etc. caused by a deficiency of zinc and characterized by crinkled, small leaves and yellowing of the tips of new growth

Little League a league of baseball teams for youngsters through twelve years of age Little Leaguer

little magazine a noncommercial magazine of limited circulation, often, specif., one publishing experimental poetry or fiction

Little Missouri river in the NW U.S., flowing from NE Wyo. into the Missouri in N.Dak.: 560 mi. (901 km)

Little Office R.C.Ch. a short office patterned after a longer one of the breviary, used esp. in private devotion

little people 1 Folklore small, humanlike imaginary beings, as fairies, elves, dwarfs, or leprechauns 2 very small people; midgets

Little Rock capital of Ark., on the Arkansas River: pop. 176,000 [after a rocky promontory in the river]

little slam Bridge the winning of all but one trick in a deal by the declarer

Little St. Bernard Pass mountain pass in the Graian Alps, between France & Italy: 7,178 ft. (2,188 m) high

little theater 1 a small theater, as of a college, art group, etc., usually noncommercial and amateur, that produces experimental drama, often directed at a limited audience 2 drama produced by such theaters

littleneck (lit´ªl nek') •n. the young of the quahog, a round, thick-shelled clam, usually eaten raw Also littleneck clam [after Little Neck, Long Island]

littoral (lit´э rэl) •adj. designating or of the intertidal ecological zone (littoral zone) along the shore [L litoralis < litus (gen. litoris), seashore, coast, prob. < IE *leitos < base *lei-, to flow > Welsh lli, sea, flood]

liturgical (lэ tør´ji kэl) •adj. 1 of or constituting a liturgy 2 used in or using a liturgy li·tur´gi·cal·ly •adv. [< Gr leitourgikos + -AL]

liturgics (-jiks) •n.pl. [with sing. v.] the study of liturgies, or the forms of public worship

liturgist (lit´эr jist) •n. 1 a person who uses, or advocates the use of, a liturgy 2 a specialist in liturgies

liturgy (-ji:) pl. -gies •n. 1 prescribed forms or ritual for public worship in any of various religions or churches 2 the Eucharistic service, esp. (DIVINE LITURGY) in the Eastern Orthodox Church [Fr liturgie < ML(Ec) liturgia < Gr leitourgia, public service to the gods (in LXX & N.T., ministry of priests), ult. < leōs, laos, people + ergon, WORK]

Liturgy of the Hours R.C.Ch. a revision (promulgated in 1970) of the arrangement and texts of the Divine Office

livable (liv´э bэl) •adj. 1 fit or pleasant to live in; habitable: said of a city, house, room, etc. 2 that can be lived through; endurable: said of life or of a specified sort of existence 3 agreeable to live with: often used in combination with with: said of a person liv'a·bil´i·ty or liv´a·ble·ness •n.

live center the center in the revolving spindle of a lathe or other machine on which work is turned

live load Engineering any load not constant in its application, as moving traffic, which a bridge or other structure carries in addition to its own weight: opposed to DEAD LOAD

live oak 1 any of several American oaks; esp., a) a wide-spreading, evergreen oak (Quercus virginiana) native to the SE U.S. b) a large evergreen oak (Quercus agrifolia) native to California 2 the hard wood of these trees, used in shipbuilding and other construction

live steam steam that comes directly from the boiler before its expansion in work, as distinguished from exhaust steam

live wire 1 a wire carrying an electric current Æ 2 [Colloq.] a person who is energetic and enterprising

live¹ (liv) lived, liv´ing •vi. 1 to be alive; have life 2 a) to remain alive b) to last; endure 3 a) to pass one's life in a specified manner {to live happily} b) to regulate or conduct one's life {to live by a strict moral code} 4 to enjoy a full and varied life {to really know how to live} 5 a) to maintain life; support oneself {to live on a pension} b) to be dependent for a living (with off) 6 to feed; subsist; have as one's usual food {to live on fruits and nuts} 7 to make one's dwelling; reside 8 to remain in human memory of {men's good deeds live after them} •vt. 1 to practice or carry out in one's life {to live one's faith} 2 to spend; pass {to live a useful life} 3 to act (a role in a play) very convincingly or feelingly live and let live to do as one wishes and let other people do the same; be tolerant live down to live in such a way as to wipe out the memory or shame of (some fault, misdeed, etc.) live high to live in luxury live in to live at the place where one is in domestic service live it up [Slang] 1 to have a joyful, hilarious time 2 to indulge in pleasures, extravagances, etc. that one usually forgoes live out 1 to live until the end of; last through Æ 2 to sleep away from the place where one is in domestic service live up to 1 to live or act in accordance with (one's ideals, reputation, etc.) 2 to fulfill (something expected) live well 1 to live in luxury 2 to lead a virtuous life live with 1 to dwell with; be a lodger at the home of 2 to cohabit with 3 to tolerate; bear; endure where one lives [Slang] in a sensitive or vulnerable area [ME liven < OE libban (akin to ON lifa, Goth liban, Ger leben) < IE *lib(h)s- < base *leibh-, to live]

live² (laiv) •adj. 1 having life; not dead 2 of the living state or living beings 3 having positive qualities, as of warmth, vigor, vitality, brightness, brilliance, etc. {a live organization, a live color} Æ 4 of immediate or present interest {a live issue} 5 a) still burning or glowing {a live spark} b) not extinct {a live volcano} 6 not yet burned: said of a match 7 charged for explosion; unexploded {a live shell} 8 carrying electrical current {a live wire} 9 in the native state; not quarried or mined {live rocks} 10 having resilience or elasticity {a live rubber ball} 11 fresh; pure: said of the air 12 a) involving an appearance or performance in person, rather than a filmed or recorded one; transmitted during the actual performance {a live broadcast} b) recorded at a public performance 13 Mech. imparting motion or power 14 Printing set up ready to be printed 15 Sports in play {a live ball} •adv. in, from, or at an actual or public performance {recorded live at a nightclub} [aphetic for ALIVE]

liveable (liv´э bэl) •adj. LIVABLE

livebearer (laiv´ber'эr) •n. any of a family (Poeciliidae, order Atheriniformes) of small, tropical, American, freshwater bonyfishes commonly kept as aquarium fishes, as the guppy, swordtail, and molly

-lived (laivd; often livd) combining form having (a specified kind or duration of) life {long-lived} [< ME lyved: see LIFE & -ED]

live-forever (liv´fэr ev'эr) •n. SEDUM

live-in (liv´in') •adj. 1 living at the place where one is employed, esp. in domestic service {a live-in housekeeper} 2 designating a person who lives at the residence of his or her sexual partner without being married {a live-in girlfriend}

livelihood (laiv´li: hud') •n. means of living or of supporting life; subsistence [ME livelode < OE liflad, course of life < lif, LIFE + lad, course (see LOAD): form altered by assoc. with LIVELY & -HOOD]

livelong (liv´löŋ', laiv´-) •adj. long or tediously long in passing; whole; entire {the livelong day} [ME lefe longe, lit., lief long (see LIEF): the first word is merely intens.: altered by assoc. with LIVE¹]

lively (laiv´li:) -li·er, -li·est •adj. 1 full of life; active; vigorous 2 full of spirit; exciting; animated {a lively debate} 3 showing or inspiring liveliness; cheerful 4 moving quickly and lightly, as a dance 5 brisk {a lively breeze} 6 vivid; keen; intense {lively colors} Æ 7 bounding back with, or having, great resilience {a lively ball} •adv. in a lively manner live´li·ness •n. SYN.—lively implies a being full of life and energy and suggests an active or vigorous quality in something [a lively dance, talk, etc.]; animated is applied to that which is made alive or bright and suggests a spirited quality [an animated face, discussion, etc.]; vivacious and, more emphatically, sprightly suggest buoyancy of spirit or sparkling brightness [a vivacious manner, a sprightly tune]; gay suggests lightheartedness and unrestrained good spirits [a gay life] —ANT. dull [ME liflich < OE liflic: see LIFE & -LY¹]

liven (laiv´эn) •vt., vi. to make or become lively or gay; cheer: often with up liv´en·er •n. [< LIVE² + -EN]

liver extract an extract consisting of the water-soluble, nonprotein constituents of fresh mammalian liver, that can promote the formation of blood cells

liver fluke any of various trematodes (esp. Clonorchis sinensis) that in the adult stage live as parasites in the liver of various vertebrates, including humans

liver spot a yellowish-brown, red, or black spot or patch on the skin, formerly attributed to faulty functioning of the liver

liver¹ (liv´эr) •n. 1 the largest glandular organ in vertebrate animals, located in the upper or anterior part of the abdomen: it secretes bile, has an important function in the storage and metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and helps detoxify many poisonous substances that may be ingested 2 loosely, a similar organ or tissue in invertebrate animals 3 the liver of cattle, fowl, etc., used as food 4 the reddish-brown color of liver 5 [Archaic] the liver thought of as the seat of emotion or desire [ME livere < OE lifer, akin to Ger leber < ? IE base *leip-, to smear with fat > Gr liparos, fat]

liver² (liv´эr) •n. a person who lives (in a specified way or place) {a clean liver}

liveried (liv´эr i:d) •adj. wearing a livery

liverish (liv´эr ish) •adj. [Colloq.] 1 having a disordered liver; bilious 2 having a sour disposition; peevish; cross liv´er·ish·ness •n.

liverleaf (liv´эr li:f') •n. HEPATICA

Livermore (liv´эr mör) city in W Calif., east of San Francisco: pop. 57,000 [after R. Livermore, an English sailor who settled there (c. 1838)]

Liverpool (liv´эr pu:l') seaport in NW England, in Merseyside, on the Mersey estuary: pop. 497,000

Liverpudlian (liv'эr pûd´li: эn) •adj. of Liverpool or its inhabitants •n. a native or inhabitant of Liverpool [< Liverpuddle, jocular alteration of prec. + -IAN]

liverwort (liv´эr wørt') •n. any of two classes (Hepaticopsida and Anthocerotopsida) of bryophytes, often forming dense, green, mosslike mats on logs, rocks, or soil in moist places [ME: see LIVER¹ & WORT²: so called from having liver-shaped parts]

liverwurst (liv´эr wørst') •n. a sausage containing ground liver Also called liver sausage [partial transl. of Ger leberwurst < leber, LIVER¹ + wurst, sausage]

livery (liv´эr i:) pl. -er·ies •n. 1 an identifying uniform such as was formerly worn by feudal retainers or is now worn by servants or those in some particular group, trade, etc. 2 the people wearing such uniforms 3 characteristic dress or appearance 4 a) the keeping and feeding of horses for a fixed charge b) the keeping of horses, vehicles, or both, for hire Æ c) LIVERY STABLE Æ 5 a place where boats can be rented 6 [Historical] Eng. Law the legal delivery of property, esp. landed property, into the hands of the new owner [ME, allowance of food, gift of clothes to a servant, thing delivered < OFr livree, pp. of livrer, to deliver < L liberare, to LIBERATE]

livery company any of the London city companies that grew out of earlier trade guilds, characterized by distinctive ceremonial dress

livery stable a stable where horses and carriages can be had for hire, or where horses are kept for a fixed charge

liveryman (-mэn) pl. -men (-mэn) •n. 1 a liveried servant 2 a member of a livery company 3 a person who owns or works in a livery stable

lives (laivz) •n. pl. of LIFE

livestock (laiv´stäk') •n. domestic animals kept for use on a farm and raised for sale and profit

livid (liv´id) •adj. 1 discolored by a bruise; black-and-blue 2 grayish-blue; lead-colored: sometimes taken to mean pale, white, or red {livid with rage} SYN. PALE¹ li·vid·i·ty (li vid´i ti:) or liv´id·ness •n. [< Fr or L: Fr livide < L lividus, akin to livere, to be black and blue < IE *(s)līwos- < base *(s)li-, bluish > SLOE, OSlav sliva, plum]

living (liv´iŋ) •adj. 1 alive; having life; not dead 2 full of vigor; in active operation or use {a living institution} 3 of persons alive {within living memory} 4 in its natural state or place, or having its natural force, motion, etc. {hewn from the living rock, a living stream} 5 still spoken and undergoing changes {a living language} 6 true to reality; lifelike {the living image of his brother} 7 of life or the sustaining of life {living conditions} 8 suited for social and recreational activities in a house {the living area} 9 presented in person before a live audience {living theater} 10 very {the living daylights} •n. 1 the state of being alive 2 the means of sustaining life; livelihood {to work for a living} 3 manner of existence {the standard of living} 4 in England, a church benefice the living those that are still alive SYN.—living and alive, the latter usually a predicate adjective, are the simple, basic terms for organisms having life or existence, living figuratively connoting continued existence or activity [a living faith] and alive, full force or vigor [prejudices kept alive by ignorance]; animate, opposed to inanimate, is applied to living organisms as distinguished from lifeless ones or inorganic objects; animated is applied to inanimate things to which life or, in extended use, motion has been imparted [animated cartoons]; vital is applied to that which is essential to organic life [vital functions] or to the energy, force, etc. manifested by living things

living death a life of unrelieved misery

living room Æ a room in a home, with sofas, chairs, etc., used for social activities, entertaining guests, etc.

living wage a wage sufficient for living in reasonable comfort

living will a document, legal in some States, directing that all measures to support life be ended if the signer should be dying of an incurable condition

Livingston (liv´iŋ stэn), Robert R. 1746-1813; Am. statesman; helped draft the Declaration of Independence

Livingstone (liv´iŋ stэn), David 1813-73; Scot. missionary & explorer in Africa

Livonia (li vou´ni: э) 1 former province (1783-1918) of Russia, on the Gulf of Riga: divided (1918) between Latvia & Estonia 2 city in SE Mich.: suburb of Detroit: pop. 101,000 [after Russian province] Li·vo´ni·an •adj., n.

Livorno (lэ vör´nou; It li: vôř´nô) It. name of LEGHORN

livre (li:´vэr; Fr li:´vřª) •n. a former French money of account (discontinued in the late 18th cent.) orig. equivalent in value to a pound of silver [Fr < L libra, a pound]

Livy (liv´i:) (L. name Titus Livius) 59 B.C.-A.D. 17; Rom. historian

lixiviate (liks iv´i: eit') -at'ed, -at'ing •vt. LEACH¹ lix·iv'i·a´tion •n. [see LIXIVIUM & -ATE¹]

lixivium (liks iv´i: эm) pl. -i·ums or -i·a (-э) •n. a solution obtained by leaching, as lye [LL < L lixivius, made into lye < lix, ashes, lye, akin to liquere: see LIQUID]

lizard (liz´эrd) •n. 1 any of a suborder (Sauria, order Squamata) of reptiles characterized by a long slender body and tail, a scaly skin, and four legs, sometimes merely vestigial: most species live in hot, dry regions, as the gecko, horned toad, chameleon, and iguana 2 loosely, any of various similar reptiles or other animals, as alligators or salamanders [ME lesard < OFr < L lacerta, lizard: see LEG]

lizard fish any of a family (Synodontidae, order Myctophiformes) of small, brightly colored, marine bony fishes with a slender body, lizardlike head, and large mouth

Lizard Head (or Point) promontory at the tip of a peninsula (The Lizard) in SW Cornwall, England: southernmost point of Great Britain

Ljubljana (lu:´bli: ä´nä', lyu:'-) capital of Slovenia, in the central part: pop. 326,000

Lk 1 Lake 2 Bible Luke

ll lines LL 1 Late Latin 2 Low Latin

'll will or shall A shortened form used in contractions [she'll sing, I'll go]

llama (lä´mэ) pl. -mas or -ma •n. 1 any of a genus (Lama, family Camelidae) of South American ruminants without humps, including the alpaca, guanaco, and vicuña, esp., a domesticated species (L. glama glama) used as a beast of burden and as a source of wool, meat, and milk 2 cloth made from the wooly hair of this animal [Sp < Quechua]

Llanelly (lä nel´i:) seaport in Dyfed, SW Wales: pop. 41,000

llano (lä´nou; Sp lyä´nô) pl. -nos (-nouz; Sp, -nôs) •n. any of the level, grassy plains covering large areas in Spanish America [Sp < L planus, plain, PLANE¹]

Llano Estacado (lä´nou es'tэ kä´dou) extensive high plain in W Tex. & SE N.Mex.: S extension of the Great Plains: c. 40,000 sq. mi. (103,600 sq. km) [Sp, lit., staked plain]

LLB or LL.B. Bachelor of Laws [L Legum Baccalaureus]

LLD or LL.D. Doctor of Laws [L Legum Doctor]

Llewellyn (lu: el´in, lэ wel´in; -эn) a masculine name Also Llew·el´yn [Welsh Llewelyn, lit., prob., lionlike]

LLM or LL.M. Master of laws [L Legum Magister]

Lloyd (loid) a masculine name [Welsh Llwyd, lit., gray]

Lloyd George , David 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor 1863-1945; Brit. statesman: prime minister (1916-22)

Lloyd's (loidz) an association of insurance underwriters in London formed in the early 18th cent. to subscribe marine insurance policies and to publish shipping news: it now handles many kinds of insurance and publishes an annual descriptive list (Lloyd's Register) of the seagoing vessels of all countries [after Lloyd's coffeehouse, meeting place of the orig. assoc.]

lm lumen LM 1 Licentiate in Medicine 2 Lord Mayor

Ln Lane

LNG •n. liquefied natural gas: natural gas cooled and compressed into a liquid for shipment in pressurized containers

lo (lou) •interj. look! see!: now mainly in lo and behold! [ME < OE la]

lo mein (lou´mein) a Chinese dish made of soft noodles combined variously with meat, vegetables, and seasonings

loach (louch) •n. any of a family (Cobitidae, order Cypriniformes) of small, bottom-dwelling, freshwater, bony fishes with barbels around the mouth [ME loche < OFr]

load (loud) •n. 1 something carried or to be carried at one time or in one trip; burden; cargo 2 the amount that can be or usually is carried: a measure of weight or quantity varying with the type of conveyance, often used in combination {a carload of coal} 3 something carried with difficulty; specif., a) a heavy burden or weight b) a great mental or spiritual burden {a load off one's mind} 4 the weight that a structure bears or the stresses that are put upon it 5 a single charge, as of powder and bullets, for a firearm Æ 6 the amount of work carried by or assigned to a person, group, etc. {the course load of a student, the caseload of a social worker} 7 [often pl.] [Colloq.] a great amount or number {loads of friends} 8 Elec. a) the amount of power delivered by a generator, motor, etc. or carried by a circuit b) a device to which this power is delivered 9 Finance an amount added to the price of some mutual fund shares to cover sales commissions and other marketing costs 10 Mech. the rate at which work is done by an engine, etc.; specif., the external resistance offered to an engine by the machine that it is operating •vt. 1 to put something to be carried into or upon; esp., to fill or cover with as much as can be carried {to load a wagon with wheat} 2 to put into or upon a carrier {to load coal into a truck} 3 to weigh down with or as with a heavy load; burden; oppress 4 to supply in large quantities; give much of something to {to load a person with honors, a novel loaded with suspense} 5 to put a charge of ammunition into (a firearm, etc.) 6 to put (a roll of film or a plate) into (a camera) 7 to add weight to, esp. so as to make one end or one side heavier {dice fraudulently loaded to fall with a certain face up} 8 to add extra or excessive costs, profits, etc. to {to load an expense account} 9 to add (an adulterant, filler, etc.) to 10 to phrase (a question, etc.) so as to elicit a desired answer or reaction Æ 11 Baseball to have or cause to have runners on (first, second, and third bases) 12 Comput. to transfer (a program or data) into main memory from a disk, tape, etc. •vi. 1 to put a charge of ammunition into a firearm 2 to receive a charge of ammunition {mortars that load at the muzzle} 3 to put on, receive, or take on passengers, goods, fuel, etc. {the bus is loading} Æ get a load of [Slang] 1 to listen to or hear 2 to look at or see have a load on [Slang] to be intoxicated load´er •n. [ME lode < OE lad, a course, way, journey < Gmc *laidō, way < IE base *leit(h)-, to go, leave > LEAD¹, ON litha, Goth galeithan, to go: sense infl. by ME laden, LADE]

load displacement the displacement of a completely loaded ship

load factor Elec. the ratio of average load to greatest load

load line any of the lines on the hull of a merchant ship showing the depths to which it may legally be loaded under various circumstances

loaded (-id) •adj. 1 carrying a load 2 filled, charged, weighted, etc. (as indicated by various senses of LOAD, vt., vi.) 3 [Slang] under the influence of liquor or drugs Æ 4 [Slang] well supplied with money

loading (-iŋ) •n. 1 the act of one that loads 2 the thing with which something is loaded 3 the part of an insurance premium added by the insurer to cover expenses, increase surplus, etc. 4 LOAD (n. 9) 5 WING LOADING

loading coil a coil placed in an electric circuit, as of a telephone cable, to increase its inductance

loadstar (loud´stär') •n. LODESTAR

loadstone (loud´stoun') •n. LODESTONE

loaf¹ (louf) pl. loaves (louvz) •n. 1 a portion of bread baked in one piece, commonly of oblong shape and in a size convenient for table use 2 any mass of food shaped somewhat like a loaf of bread and baked {a salmon loaf} 3 LUMP¹ (n. 2b) 4 [Brit. Slang] head or brain [ME lof < OE hlaf, akin to Ger laib, OHG hlaib, ON hleifr, Goth hlaifs]

loaf² (louf) •vi. to spend time idly; loiter or lounge about; idle, dawdle, etc. •vt. to spend (time) idly: often with away [prob. back-form. < fol.]

loafer (-эr) •n. 1 a person who loafs; lounger; idler 2 a shoe similar to a Loafer [L-] trademark for a moccasinlike sport shoe for informal wear [prob. contr. < land-loafer < Ger landläufer, a vagabond (akin to Du landlooper, obs. E landloper) < land, LAND + laufen, to run: see LEAP]

loam (loum) •n. 1 a rich soil composed of clay, sand, and some organic matter 2 a mixture of moistened clay, sand, and some organic matter, as straw, used in plastering, making foundry molds, etc. 3 popularly, any rich, dark soil •vt. to fill or cover with loam loam´y, loam´i·er, loam´i·est, •adj. [ME lome < OE lam: see LIME¹]

loan (loun) •n. 1 the act of lending, esp. to use for a short time {the loan of a pen} 2 something lent; esp., a sum of money lent, often for a specified period and repayable with interest •vt., vi. to lend on loan lent for temporary use or service to another by the owner, regular employer, etc. [ME lone < ON lān (akin to OE læn, lending, loan, lænan, to lend) < IE base *leikw-, to leave behind > L linquere, Gr leipen, Sans rinákti, (he) leaves]

loan collection a collection of pictures, curios, etc. lent for temporary public exhibition

loan shark [Colloq.] a person who lends money at exorbitant or illegal rates of interest

loan translation CALQUE

loanable (loun´э bэl) •adj. designating or of funds which are available for making loans, often, specif., to governments and large corporations in the financial markets

loaner (-эr) •n. 1 a person who loans something 2 an automobile, TV, typewriter, etc. lent in place of one left for repair

loanshift (-shift') •n. a word borrowed from another language in which native morphemes have replaced some of the original ones in the borrowed word (Ex.: SMEARCASE < Ger schmierkäse)

loanword (-wørd') •n. a word of one language taken into another and naturalized (Ex.: KINDERGARTEN < Ger, CHAUFFEUR < Fr) [infl. by Ger lehnwort]

loath (louθ, louð) •adj. unwilling; reluctant: usually followed by an infinitive {to be loath to depart} SYN. RELUCTANT nothing loath not reluctant(ly); willing(ly) loath´ness •n. [ME loth < OE lath, hostile, hateful, akin to Ger leid, sorrow (orig. adj.) < IE base *leit-, to detest, abhor > Gr aleitēs, sinner]

loathe (louð) loathed, loath´ing •vt. to feel intense dislike, disgust, or hatred for; abhor; detest SYN. HATE loath´er •n. [ME lothen < OE lathian, to be hateful < base of lath: see LOATH]

loathful (louð´fэl) •adj. rare var. of LOATHSOME

loathing (-iŋ) •n. intense dislike, disgust, or hatred; abhorrence SYN. AVERSION [ME lothynge]

loathly¹ (louθ´li:, louð´-) •adv. [Rare] unwillingly; reluctantly [ME lothlie < OE lathlice: see LOATH & -LY²]

loathly² (louð´li:) •adj. rare var. of LOATHSOME [ME lothely < OE lathlice: see LOATHE & -LY¹]

loathsome (louð´sэm, louθ´-) •adj. causing loathing; disgusting; abhorrent; detestable loath´some·ly •adv. loath´some·ness •n. [ME lothsum]

loaves (louvz) •n. pl. of LOAF¹

lob (läb) •n. 1 [Brit. Dial.] a big, slow, clumsy person 2 Cricket a slow underhand throw 3 Tennis a stroke in which the ball is sent high into the air, usually so as to drop into the back of the opponent's court •vt. lobbed, lob´bing to throw, toss, etc. in a high curve •vi. 1 to move heavily and clumsily: often with along 2 to lob a ball lob´ber •n. [ME lobbe- (in lobbe-keling, large codfish), heavy, thick, akin to OE lobbe, spider, EFris, MLowG lobbe, hanging lump of flesh, OHG luppa, lumpy mass < IE base (s)leubh-, to hang loosely > SLOVEN]

Lobachevski (lô'bэ chef´ski:), Ni·ko·lai I·va·no·vich (ni: kô lai´ i: vä´nô vich) 1793-1856; Russ. mathematician

lobar (lou´bэr, -bär') •adj. of a lobe or lobes {lobar pneumonia} [ModL lobaris]

lobate (-beit') •adj. having or formed into a lobe or lobes lo´bate·ly •adv. [ModL lobatus]

lobation (lou bei´shэn) •n. 1 the condition of having lobes 2 the process of forming lobes 3 a lobe

lobby (läb´i:) pl. -bies •n. 1 a hall or large anteroom, as a waiting room or vestibule of an apartment house, hotel, theater, etc. 2 a large hall adjacent to the assembly hall of a legislature and open to the public Æ 3 a group of lobbyists representing the same special interest {the oil lobby} Æ -bied, -by·ing •vi. 1 to act as a lobbyist 2 to attempt to influence in favor of something: often with for Æ vt. 1 to attempt to influence (a public official) by acting as a lobbyist 2 to attempt to influence the passage of (a measure) by acting as a lobbyist [LL lobia: see LODGE]

lobbyist (-ist) •n. a person, acting for a special interest group, who tries to influence the introduction of or voting on legislation or the decisions of government administrators lob´by·ism' •n.

lobe (loub) •n. a rounded projecting part; specif., a) the fleshy lower end of the human ear b) any of the main divisions of an organ separated by fissures, etc. {a lobe of the brain, lung, or liver} c) any of the major divisions of a simple leaf that is not divided completely to the midrib or base d) any of the loops in the radiation pattern of a television antenna [Fr < LL lobus < Gr lobos < IE base *lob-, var. of *leb-, to hang down > LAP¹, SLEEP]

lobectomy (lou bek´tэ mi:) pl. -mies •n. the surgical removal of a lobe, as of a lung [prec. + -ECTOMY]

lobed (loubd) •adj. 1 LOBATE 2 having major divisions which extend almost to the base or center, as the leaves of oaks or maples

lobelia (lou bi:l´yэ, -bi:´li: э) •n. any of a genus (Lobelia) of annual or perennial plants of the bellflower family, having white, blue, or red flowers of very irregular shape [ModL, after Lobelius, Latinized name of Matthias de L'Obel (1538-1616), Fl botanist]

lobeline (lou´bэ li:n', -lin) •n. a yellow, crystalline alkaloid, C22H27NO2, related to nicotine, used in medicine and in products that help smokers quit smoking [< ModL Lobelia (see LOBELIA) + -INE³]

loblolly (läb´läl'i:) pl. -lies •n. 1 [Dial.] a thick gruel Æ 2 [Dial.] a mudhole; muddy puddle 3 a) a common pine (Pinus taeda) of the SE U.S., having long needles borne in pairs or threes b) the wood of this tree: also loblolly pine [16th-c., prob. < dial. lob, to bubble, boil + dial. lolly, broth, soup]

loblolly bay an evergreen tree (Gordonia lasianthus) of the tea family, found in the SE U.S. and having large, white, fragrant flowers

lobo (lou´bou') pl. -bos •n. GRAY WOLF [Sp < L lupus, WOLF]

lobotomize (lou bät´э maiz') -mized', -miz'ing •vt. 1 to perform a lobotomy on 2 to cause to behave in a machinelike way, as without vitality, emotion, or independent thought

lobotomy (lou bät´э mi:) pl. -mies •n. a surgical operation in which a lobe of the brain, esp. the frontal lobe of the cerebrum, is cut into or across: now rarely used as a treatment for psychoses [< LOBE + -TOMY]

lobscouse (läb´skaus') •n. a sailor's stew of meat, vegetables, and hardtack [lob (as in LOBLOLLY) + scouse < ?]

lobster (läb´stэr) pl. -sters or -ster •n. 1 any of various families (esp. Nephropidae) of marine, bottom-dwelling decapods with compound eyes, long antennae, and usually the first pair of legs modified into large, powerful pincers: lobsters are greenish or dark gray in color when alive, but turn bright red when boiled 2 the flesh of these animals used as food •vi. to fish for lobsters lob´ster·ing •n. [ME < OE loppestre, lopustre < loppe, spider (from the external resemblance: see LOB) + -estre: see -STER]

lobster pot a basketlike trap for catching lobsters

lobster shift (or trick) [Colloq.] the night shift of a newspaper staff, or now of any working force [< LOBSTER, used as slang term of derision (? because lobsters were considered to be stupid)]

lobster tail the flesh of the tail of any of various crustaceans, esp. the Cape crawfish, prepared as food, often by broiling in the shell

lobster thermidor (θør´mэ dör') a dish consisting of lobster flesh, mushrooms, etc. in a thick, creamy sauce, browned and served in half of a lobster shell [see THERMIDOR]

lobsterman (-mэn) •n. a person who catches lobsters for a living

lobule (läb´yu:l') •n. 1 a small lobe 2 a subdivision of a lobe lob´u·lar (-yu: lэr) •adj. lob´u·late' (-leit') •adj. [ModL lobulus, dim.]

lobworm (läb´wørm') •n. LUGWORM

loc. cit. in the place cited [L loco citato]

local (lou´kэl) •adj. 1 relating to place 2 of, characteristic of, or confined to a particular place or district {items of local interest} 3 not broad; restricted; narrow {local outlook} 4 of or for a particular part or specific area of the body; not general Æ 5 making all stops along its run {a local bus} •n. Æ 1 a local train, bus, etc. Æ 2 a newspaper item of local interest only Æ 3 a chapter or branch of a labor union 4 [Colloq.] a resident of a particular place {they tried to convince the locals} 5 [Brit. Colloq.] a neighborhood pub [ME locall < OFr local < LL localis < L locus, a place < IE *stlokos < base *stel-, to set up, stand, location > STALK¹, STALL¹, STILL¹, Gr stellein, to put]

local color behavior, speech, etc. characteristic of a certain region or time, depicted in a novel, play, etc. to add authenticity

local government 1 government of the affairs of a town, district, etc. by the people living there 2 the people chosen to administer this government

local option the right of determining by a vote of the residents whether something, as the sale of intoxicating liquors, shall be permitted in their locality

locale (lou kæl´) •n. a place or locality, esp. with reference to events or circumstances connected with it, often as a setting for a story, play, etc. [OFr local]

localism (lou´kэl iz'эm) •n. 1 a way of acting characteristic of one locality; local custom, practice, or mannerism 2 a word, meaning, expression, pronunciation, etc. peculiar to one locality 3 fondness for a particular locality 4 narrow outlook; provincialism lo'cal·is´tic •adj.

localite (lou´kªl ait') •n. a resident of a particular place

locality (lou kæl´э ti:) pl. -ties •n. 1 position with regard to surrounding objects, landmarks, etc. {a sense of locality} 2 a place; district; neighborhood [Fr localité < LL localitis: see LOCAL]

localize (lou´kэl aiz') -ized', -iz'ing •vt. 1 to make local; limit or confine to a particular place, area, or locality 2 to determine the specific local origin of, as a tradition 3 to concentrate in one area, esp. of the body lo´cal·iz'a·ble •adj. lo'cal·i·za´tion •n.

localizer (-эr) •n. a directional radio beam sent from the beginning of the runway and used to align an incoming airplane

locally (lou´kэl i:) •adv. 1 in a local way; with respect to place 2 within a given area or areas {the damage done by a tornado locally}

Locarno (lou kär´nou) town in S Switzerland, on Lake Maggiore: site of peace conference (1925): pop. 15,000

locate (lou´keit', lou keit´) -cat'ed, -cat'ing •vt. 1 to mark off or designate the site of (a mining claim, etc.) 2 to establish in a certain place {offices located downtown} 3 to discover the position of after a search {to locate a lost object} 4 to show the position of {to locate Guam on a map} 5 to assign to a particular place, function, occupation, etc. •vi. Æ [Colloq.] to make one's home or headquarters; settle {to locate in Boston} lo´cat'er or lo´ca'tor •n. [< L locatus, pp. of locare, to place < locus: see LOCAL]

location (lou kei´shэn) •n. 1 a locating or being located 2 position in space; place where a factory, house, etc. is or is to be; situation 3 an area marked off or designated for a specific purpose Æ 4 Film an outdoor set or setting, away from the studio, where scenes are photographed: chiefly in on location lo·ca´tion·al •adj. [L locatio]

locative (läk´э tiv) •adj. Linguis. designating, of, or in the case indicating place at which or in which, as in Latin, Greek, Sanskrit, etc. •n. Linguis. 1 the locative case 2 a word in the locative case [< L locatus (see LOCATE) + -IVE, by assoc. with VOCATIVE]

loch (läk, läkh) •n. [Scot.] 1 a lake 2 an arm of the sea, esp. when narrow and nearly surrounded by land [ME louch < Gael & OIr: for IE base see LAKE¹]

lochia (lou´ki: э, läk´i: э) •n. the uterine discharge from the vagina that occurs for several days after childbirth [ModL < Gr, neut. pl. of lochios, of childbirth < IE *loghos, bed < base *legh-, to LIE¹]

Lochinvar (läk´in vär') the hero of a ballad in Scott's Marmion, who boldly rides off with his sweetheart just as she is about to be married to another

loci (lou´sai') •n. pl. of LOCUS

lock step a way of marching in such close file that the corresponding legs of the marchers must keep step precisely

lock stitch the typical sewing-machine stitch formed by the interlocking of two threads

lock¹ (läk) •n. 1 a mechanical device furnished with a bolt and, usually, a spring, for fastening a door, strongbox, etc. by means of a key or combination 2 anything that fastens something else and prevents it from opening, turning, etc. 3 a locking together; jam 4 an enclosed part of a canal, waterway, etc. equipped with gates so that the level of the water can be changed to raise or lower boats from one level to another 5 the mechanism of a firearm used to explode the ammunition charge; gunlock 6 AIR LOCK (sense 1) 7 Wrestling a hold in which a part of the opponent's body is firmly gripped {armlock} •vt. 1 to fasten (a door, trunk, etc.) by means of a lock 2 to keep from going in or out; shut (up, in or out); confine {locked in jail} 3 to fit closely; link; intertwine {to lock arms} 4 to embrace tightly 5 to jam or force together so as to make immovable {locked gears, locked brakes} 6 to put in a fixed position {a throttle locked in the idle position} Æ 7 to equip (a canal, etc.) with a lock or locks 8 to move or pass (a ship) through a lock 9 Printing to fasten (type elements) in a chase or on the bed of a press by means of quoins: often with up •vi. 1 to become locked 2 to be capable of being locked 3 to intertwine or interlock; link together 4 to close tightly and firmly {his jaws locked} 5 to jam, as gears 6 to pass through the locks of a canal lock away to store or safeguard in a locked box, container, etc. lock on Aeron. to track and automatically follow a target, as by radar lock out 1 to shut out by or as by locking the door against 2 to keep (workers) from a place of employment in seeking to force terms upon them lock, stock, and barrel [Colloq.] completely; entirely lock up 1 to fasten the doors of (a house, etc.) by means of locks 2 to enclose or store in a locked container 3 to put in jail 4 to make certain to have the result one wants {to have an election locked up} under lock and key locked up; safely put away [ME < OE loc, a bolt, bar, enclosure, prison, akin to Ger loch, a hole, ON lok, a lid, prob. < IE base *leug-, to bend > Gr lygos, supple twig, L luctåri, to struggle]

lock² (läk) •n. 1 a curl, tress, or ringlet of hair 2 [pl.] [Old Poet.] the hair of the head 3 a tuft of wool, cotton, etc. [ME lokke < OE loc (akin to Ger locke): basic sense a bend, twist: IE base as in prec.]

lockage (läk´ij) •n. 1 a) the act of moving a ship through a lock or locks b) the charge for such a service 2 a system of canal locks

lockbox (läk´bäks') •n. 1 a box with a lock, used for securing items of value, as a safe-deposit box, a strongbox, a post-office box, etc. 2 an electronic device which can block designated cable TV channels to prevent viewing by unauthorized persons Also lock box

Locke (läk) 1 David Ross see Nasby, Petroleum51 2 John 1632-1704; Eng. empirical philosopher

locker (läk´эr) •n. 1 a person or thing that locks 2 a) a chest, closet, compartment, drawer, etc., usually of metal, which can be fastened with a lock, esp. such a container for individual or specified use Æ b) FOOTLOCKER Æ 3 a large compartment, as one rented in a cold-storage plant, for freezing and storing foods at or below 0°F

locker room a room equipped with lockers, as at a gymnasium, swimming pool, factory, etc., for storing one's clothes and equipment

locket (läk´it) •n. a small, hinged, ornamental case of gold, silver, etc., for holding a picture, lock of hair, etc.: it is usually worn suspended from a necklace or chain [OFr loquet, dim of loc, a latch, lock < Frank *lok, akin to OE loc, LOCK¹]

lockjaw (läk´jö') •n. TETANUS (sense 1) [short for earlier locked jaw]

lockmaker (-meik'эr) •n. a locksmith lock´mak'ing •n.

lockmaster (-mæs'tэr) •n. one in charge of a canal lock

locknut (-nût') •n. 1 a thin nut screwed down hard on an ordinary nut to prevent the latter from working loose 2 a specially designed nut that locks itself when screwed down tight: also lock nut

lockout (-aut') •n. the refusal by an employer to allow employees to come in to work until agreement is reached, as on contract terms

locksmith (-smiθ') •n. a person whose work is making or repairing locks and making keys

lockup (-ûp') •n. 1 the act of locking up 2 a being locked up, as in jail 3 a jail

loco (lou´kou) •n. 1 LOCOWEED 2 LOCO DISEASE •vt. -coed, -co·ing 1 to poison with locoweed 2 [Slang] to craze •adj. [Slang] crazy; demented [MexSp < Sp, mad < L ulucus, owl, akin to ulula, OWL]

loco- (lou´kou, -kэ) combining form from place to place {locomotion} [< L loco, abl. of locus, place: see LOCAL]

loco citato (lou´kou sai teit´ou) in the place cited or quoted: referring to a previously cited passage [L]

loco disease (lou´kou) a nervous disease of horses, sheep, and cattle caused by locoweed poison Also lo·co·ism (lou´kou iz'эm)

locofoco (lou'kou fou´kou) pl. -cos •n. 1 orig., a cigar or match ignited by friction 2 [L-] a) a faction of the Democratic Party in New York (c. 1835) b) a member of this faction 3 [Archaic] any Democrat [coined (c. 1834) after LOCO(MOTIVE), interpreted as self-(moving) + It fuoco, fire < L focus: see FOCUS: LOCOFOCOsense 2 from the use of such matches in Tammany Hall, Oct. 22, 1835, by one faction to restore lights extinguished by another]

locomobile (lou'kэ mou´bэl) •adj. [Rare] moving by its own power; self-propelled [loco- (see LOCOFOCO) + MOBILE]

locomotion (-mou´shэn) •n. motion, or the power of moving, from one place to another [LOCO- + MOTION]

locomotive (-mout´iv) •adj. 1 of locomotion 2 moving or capable of moving from one place to another; not stationary 3 designating or of engines that move under their own power {locomotive design} •n. an engine that can move about by its own power; esp., an electric, steam, or diesel engine on wheels, designed to push or pull a railroad train [< LOCO- + LL motivus, moving]

locomotor (lou'kэ mout´эr, lou´kэ mout-) •n. a machine or organism with power of locomotion •adj. of or relating to locomotion lo'co·mo´to·ry •adj. [LOCO- + L motor, mover]

locomotor ataxia TABES DORSALIS

locoweed (lou´kou wi:d') •n. any of several perennial plants (genera Astragalus and Oxytropis) of the pea family, which are common in W North America and cause the loco disease of cattle, sheep, and, esp., horses

Locris (lou´kris) region of ancient Greece, north of the Gulf of Corinth Lo·cri·an (lou´kri: эn, lök´ri:-) •adj., n.

locular (läk´yu: lэr, -yэ-) •adj. Biol. of, having the nature of, or consisting of loculi, or cavities

loculate (-lit, -leit') •adj. LOCULAR

loculicidal (läk'yu: li said´ªl) •adj. Bot. splitting open along the midribs of the carpels of which it is formed: said of a capsule [< fol. + -i- + -CIDAL]

loculus (läk´yu: lэs, -yэ-) pl. -li' (-lai') any small cavity or chamber in plant or animal tissue Also loc´ule' (-yu:l') •n. [ModL < L, dim. of locus, place: see LOCAL]

locum tenens (lou´kэm ti:´nэnz) [Chiefly Brit.] a person taking another's place for the time being; temporary substitute, as for a doctor or a member of the clergy Also lo´cum •n. [ML, lit., holding the place < L locum, acc. of locus, a place (see LOCAL) + tenens, prp. of tenere, to hold: see THIN]

locus (lou´kэs) pl. lo·ci (lou´sai') •n. 1 a place 2 Genetics the position on a chromosome occupied by a particular gene 3 Math. a) any system of points, lines, etc. which satisfies one or more given conditions b) a line, plane, etc. every point of which satisfies a given condition and which contains no point that does not satisfy this condition [L: see LOCAL]

locus classicus (lou´kэs klæs´i kэs) pl. lo·ci clas·si·ci (lou´sai' klæs´i sai') a passage often cited as authoritative in illustrating a certain point or subject [L]

locus in quo (lou'kэs in kwou´) the place in which [L]

locust (lou´kэst) •n. 1 any of various large grasshoppers; specif., a migratory grasshopper often traveling in great swarms and destroying nearly all vegetation in areas visited 2 SEVENTEEN-YEAR LOCUST 3 a) a spiny tree (Robinia pseudoacacia) of the pea family, native to the E or Central U.S. and having long pendulous racemes of fragrant white flowers (also called black locust or yellow locust) b) the yellowish, hard, durable wood of this tree 4 any honeylocust 5 CAROB (sense 1) [ME < L locusta, prob. akin to lacerta, LIZARD]

locution (lou kyu:´shэn) •n. 1 a word, phrase, or expression 2 a particular style of speech; phraseology [ME locucion < L locutio, a speaking < pp. of loqui, to speak]

Lod (loud) city in central Israel: pop. 31,000

lode (loud) •n. Mining 1 a vein containing important quantities of metallic ore and filling a well-defined fissure in the rock 2 any flat deposit of valuable ore separated from the adjoining rock by definite boundaries 3 any abundant or rich source [var. of LOAD (ME lode < OE lad) retaining etym. senses course, way]

loden (lou´dэn, loud´ªn) •adj. 1 a fulled, waterproof wool cloth with a short pile, used for coats 2 a dark olive green often used for this cloth: also loden green [Ger < MHG lode < OHG lodo, coarse cloth, akin to OE lotha, cloak < IE base *(s)leu-, to hang loosely > SLOUCH, SLEET]

lodestar (loud´stär') •n. 1 a star by which one directs one's course; esp., the North Star 2 a guiding principle or ideal [ME lodesterre: see LODE & STAR]

lodestone (-stoun') •n. 1 a strong magnetic variety of the mineral magnetite 2 something that attracts as with magnetic force [LODE + STONE]

lodge (läj) •n. 1 a) a small house, esp. one for a servant, or one for use during a special season {a caretaker's lodge, hunting lodge} b) a resort hotel or motel 2 a) the meeting place of a local chapter, as of a fraternal organization b) such a local chapter 3 the den or typical lair of certain wild animals, esp. beavers Æ 4 a) the hut or tent of an American Indian b) those who live in it •vt. lodged, lodg´ing [ME loggen < OFr logier (> Fr loger)] 1 to provide with a place of temporary residence; house 2 to rent rooms to; take as a paying guest 3 to serve as a temporary dwelling for 4 to serve as a container for 5 to place or deposit for safekeeping 6 to put or send into a place or position by shooting, thrusting, etc.; place; land: with in {to lodge an arrow in a target} 7 to bring (an accusation, complaint, etc.) before legal authorities 8 to confer (powers) upon: with in 9 to beat down (growing crops), as rain •vi. 1 to live in a certain place for a time 2 to live (with another or in his home) as a paying guest 3 to come to rest or be placed and remain firmly fixed: with in {a bone lodged in her throat} [ME loge, hut, masons' workshop (> sense 2) < OFr, summer house, arbor (> LOGE) < LL lobia < Gmc *laubja, sheltered place, leafy arbor (> OHG louba, upper roof, porch, leafy cover): for IE base see LEAF] Lodge (läj), Henry Cabot 1850-1924; U.S. senator (1893-1924)

lodgepole (pine) (läj´poul') 1 a Rocky Mountain pine (Pinus contorta) used for lumber, poles, etc. 2 its wood

lodger (läj´эr) •n. a person or thing that lodges; esp., one who lives in a rented room in another's home

lodging (-iŋ) •n. 1 the act of one that lodges 2 a place to live in, esp. temporarily; quarters 3 [pl.] a room or rooms rented in a private home [ME loggyng: see LODGE, vt.]

lodging house ROOMING HOUSE

lodgment (-mэnt) •n. 1 a lodging or being lodged 2 a lodging place 3 an accumulation of deposited material, often in the nature of an obstruction 4 Mil. a foothold gained in territory held by the enemy Also sp. lodge´ment [Fr logement]

Lodi (lou´di:) city in Lombardy, NW Italy: scene of Napoleon's defeat of the Austrians (1796): pop. 37,000

lodicule (läd´i kyu:l') •n. one of the usually two minute, flat or fleshy outgrowths at the base of the flower of a grass, that swell up at flowering, assisting the escape of anthers and stigmas [L lodicula, a small coverlet, dim. of lodix, a coverlet]

Łódź (lu:j) city in central Poland: pop. 845,000

Loeb (loub), Jacques (zhäk) 1859-1924; U.S. physiologist & biologist, born in Germany

loess (lou´es'; also les, løs) •n. a fine-grained, yellowish-brown, extremely fertile loam deposited mainly by the wind and found widely in North America, Asia, and Europe lo·ess·i·al (lou es´i: эl) •adj. [Ger löss, arbitrary use of dial. lösch, loose < base of lösen, to loosen: for IE base see LOSE]

Loewy (lou´i:), Raymond (Fernand) 1893-1986; U.S. industrial designer, born in France

Lofoten Islands (lou´fu:t'ªn) group of Norwegian islands within the Arctic circle, off the NW coast of Norway: c. 550 sq. mi. (1,425 sq. km)

loft (löft, läft) •n. 1 a) an attic or atticlike space, usually not partitioned off into rooms, immediately below the roof of a house, barn, etc. Æ b) any of the upper stories of a warehouse or factory; now often, specif., a dwelling space, artist's studio, etc. on an upper story of a converted warehouse or factory 2 a gallery {the choir loft in a church} 3 a) the slope given to the face of a golf club to aid in knocking the ball in a high curve b) the height attained by hitting or throwing a ball in a high curve •vt. 1 to store in a loft 2 a) to hit or throw (a golf ball, baseball, etc.) into the air in a high curve b) to throw (a bowling ball) so that it strikes the alley sharply some distance past the foul line •vi. to loft a ball loft´er •n. [ME lofte < Late OE loft < ON lopt, upper room, air, sky (akin to OE lyft, air sky) < IE base *leup-, *leubh-, to peel off > LEAF]

loft bed a bed raised, as on supports, high enough overhead to allow the use of the floor area below for various purposes, as for part of a living room

Lofting (löf´tiŋ), Hugh (John) 1886-1947; U.S. writer & illustrator, esp. of children's books, born in England

lofty (löf´ti:) loft´i·er, loft´i·est •adj. 1 very high {a lofty peak in the Alps} 2 elevated; noble; sublime 3 haughty; arrogant loft´i·ly •adv. loft´i·ness •n.

-log (lög, läg) combining form -LOGUE

log¹ (lög, läg) •n. 1 a section of the trunk or of a large branch of a felled tree, either in its natural state or cut up for use in building, as firewood, etc. 2 any of various devices for measuring the speed of a ship [because orig. a quadrant of WOOD¹] 3 a daily record of a ship's speed, progress, etc., and of the events in its voyage; logbook 4 a) a similar record of an aircraft's flight b) a record of a pilot's flying time, experience, etc. 5 any record of progress or occurrences, as on a journey, in an experiment, etc. •adj. made of a log or logs •vt. logged, log´ging 1 to saw (trees) into logs Æ 2 to cut down the trees of (a region) for use as lumber or logs 3 to enter or record in a log 4 to sail or fly (a specified distance) 5 to be credited with a record of (certain accomplishments) Æ vi. to cut down trees and transport the logs to a sawmill log on (or off) to enter the necessary information to begin (or end) a session on a computer terminal [ME logge, prob. < or akin to ON lāg (Dan laag), felled tree < base of liggia, to lie, akin to OE licgan, to LIE¹]

log² (lög, läg) •n. short for LOGARITHM

Logan (lou´gэn), Mount mountain in the St. Elias range, SW Yukon, Canada: highest mountain in Canada: 19,850 ft. (6,050 m) [after Sir W. E. Logan (1798-1875), Cdn geologist]

loganberry (lou´gэn ber'i:) pl. -ries •n. 1 a hybrid bramble (Rubus loganobaccus) of the rose family, developed from the blackberry and the red raspberry and extensively grown for its fruit 2 the highly acid, purplish-red fruit of this shrub [after Judge J. H. Logan (1841-1928), who developed it (1881)]

logania (lou gei´ni: э) •adj. designating a family (Loganiaceae, order Gentianales) of chiefly tropical and subtropical, often poisonous dicotyledonous plants, including buddleia, nux vomica, and gelsemium [ModL, after J. Logan (1674-1751), Ir botanist + -IA]

logarithm (lög´э rið эm, läg´-) •n. Math. the exponent expressing the power to which a fixed number (the base) must be raised in order to produce a given number (the antilogarithm): logarithms computed to the base 10 are often used for shortening mathematical calculations log'a·rith´mic •adj. log'a·rith´mi·cal·ly •adv. [ModL logarithmus < Gr logos, a word, proportion, ratio (see LOGIC) + arithmos, number (see ARITHMETIC)]

logbook (lög´buk') •n. LOG¹ (senses 3, 4, & 5)

loge (louzh) •n. 1 a box in a theater 2 the forward section of a mezzanine or balcony in a theater, set off by an aisle or railing [OFr: see LODGE]

logger (lög´эr) •n. a person whose work is logging; lumberjack

loggerhead (lög´эr hed', läg´-) •n. 1 a long-handled tool with a ball, or bulb, at the end, used when heated to melt tar, heat liquids, etc. 2 any of a genus (Caretta, family Cheloniidae) of sea turtles with a hard shell and a large head: also loggerhead turtle 3 [Dial.] a stupid fellow; blockhead at loggerheads in disagreement; quarreling [dial. logger, heavy block of wood (< LOG¹) + HEAD]

loggerhead shrike a common North American shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), white below with black markings on the upper parts

loggia (lä´jэ, lö´-; -ji: э) pl. -gi·as or log´gie' (-jei') •n. an arcaded or roofed gallery built into or projecting from the side of a building, esp. one overlooking an open court [It < OFr loge: see LODGE]

logging (lög´iŋ) •n. the occupation of cutting down trees, cutting them into logs, and transporting the logs to the sawmill

logia (lou´gi: э; also lä´-) sing. lo´gi·on' (-än') •n.pl. 1 maxims attributed to a religious leader 2 [L-] AGRAPHA [Gr, pl., sayings < logos, a word: see LOGIC]

logic (läj´ik) •n. 1 the science of correct reasoning; science which describes relationships among propositions in terms of implication, contradiction, contrariety, conversion, etc.: see also SYMBOLIC LOGIC 2 a book dealing with this science 3 correct reasoning; valid induction or deduction {the lack of logic in his scheme} 4 way of reasoning, whether correct or incorrect {to use faulty logic} 5 the system of principles underlying any art or science 6 necessary connection or outcome, as through the working of cause and effect {the logic of events} 7 the systematized interconnection of switching functions, circuits, or devices, as in electronic computers [ME logike < OFr logique < L logica < Gr logikē (technē), logical (art) < logikos, of speaking or reasoning < logos, a word, reckoning, thought < legein, to speak, choose, read < IE base *leg-, to gather > L legere, to collect, OE læce, LEECH¹]

logical (läj´i kэl) •adj. 1 of or used in the science of logic 2 according to the principles of logic, or correct reasoning 3 necessary or to be expected because of what has gone before; that follows as reasonable 4 using or accustomed to use correct reasoning log'i·cal´i·ty (-kæl´i ti:) or log´i·cal·ness •n. log´i·cal·ly •adv. [ML logicalis]

-logical (läj´i kэl) suffix forming adjectives of or relating to the science, doctrine, or theory of Also -log·ic [< Gr -logikos (< logikos: see LOGIC) + -AL]

logical positivism a movement in philosophy which tests all statements by reference to experience or the structure of language and is concerned with the unification of the sciences through a common logical language Also called logical empiricism

logician (lou jish´эn) •n. an expert in logic

logistic¹ (lou jis´tik) •adj. of logistics Also lo·gis´ti·cal lo·gis´ti·cal·ly •adv.

logistic² (lou jis´tik) •adj. of calculation •n. [Rare] the art of calculation; common arithmetic lo·gis´ti·cal·ly •adv. [ML logisticus < Gr logistikos, skilled in calculation < logizesthai, to calculate < logos, a word: see LOGIC]

logistics (-tiks) •n.pl. 1 the branch of military science having to do with procuring, maintaining, and transporting materiel, personnel, and facilities 2 the managing of the details of an undertaking [Fr logistique < logis, lodgings (< loger, to quarter: see LODGE): form as if < ML logisticus: see LOGISTIC2]

logjam (lög´jæm') •n. 1 an obstacle formed by logs jamming together in a stream 2 an obstacle formed by the accumulation of many items to deal with 3 a deadlock or impasse

logo (lö´gou') •n. short for LOGOTYPE

logo- (lög´ou, -э; läg´-) combining form word, speech, discourse {logogram} [Gr < logos: see LOGIC]

logogram (lög´ou græm', lög´э-) •n. a letter, character, or symbol used to represent an entire word (Ex.: $ for dollar) Also log´o·graph' (-græf') log'o·gram·mat´ic (-grэ mæt´ik) •adj. [prec. + -GRAM]

logography (lou gäg´rэ fi:) •n. the use of logotypes in printing [Gr logographia, writing of speeches, office of official recorder in a law court: see LOGO- & -GRAPHY]

logogriph (lög´ou grif', lög´э-) •n. a word puzzle, as an anagram [LOGO- + Gr griphos, fishing basket, riddle, prob. < IE *grebh- > CRIB]

logomachy (lou gäm´э ki:) pl. -chies •n. strife or contention in words only, or an argument about words [Gr logomachia < logos, a word (see LOGIC) + -machia, -MACHY]

logorrhea (lög'э ri:´э) •n. excessive talkativeness, esp. when incoherent and uncontrollable log'or·rhe´ic (-ik) •adj. [ModL: see LOGO- & -RRHEA]

Logos (lou´gous', -gös'; lö´-; -gäs'; also lä´-) 1 [sometimes l-] Gr. Philos. reason, thought of as constituting the controlling principle of the universe and as being manifested by speech 2 Christian Theol. the eternal thought or word of God, made incarnate in Jesus Christ: John 1 [L logos < Gr, a word: see LOGIC]

logotype (lög´э taip', läg´-) •n. 1 a single type body or matrix containing a short, often-used set of letters, or word, as an, qu: cf. LIGATURE 2 a distinctive company signature, trademark, colophon, motto, newspaper nameplate, etc. [LOGO- + -TYPE]

logroll (lög´roul') •vi. to take part in logrolling •vt. to get passage of (a bill) by logrolling log´roll'er •n. [back-form. < fol.]

logrolling (-roul'iŋ) •n. 1 the act of rolling logs, as when a group of neighbors help to clear off land by rolling logs into some spot for burning, etc. 2 a) a giving of help, praise, etc. in return for help, praise, etc. b) Politics mutual aid among politicians, as by reciprocal voting for each other's bills 3 BIRLING

Logroño (lэ groun´you') city in N Spain: pop. 110,000

-logue (lög, läg) combining form 1 a (specified kind of) speaking or writing {Decalogue} 2 a student or scholar (in a specified field) {Sinologue} [Fr < L -logus < Gr -logos < logos: see LOGIC]

logwood (lög´wud') •n. 1 the hard, brownish-red wood of a tropical tree (Haematoxylon campechianum) of the caesalpinia family, native to Central America and the West Indies: it yields a dye much used in biological stains and for dyeing fabrics 2 this tree, having thorny branches and small, yellow flowers 3 the dye [so called from being imported in logs]

logy (lou´gi:) -gi·er, -gi·est •adj. [Colloq.] dull or sluggish, as from overeating lo´gi·ness •n. [< ? Du log, heavy, dull]

-logy (lэ ji:) combining form 1 a (specified kind of) speaking {eulogy} 2 science, doctrine, or theory of {biology, theology} [ME -logie < OFr < L -logia < Gr < logos, word: see LOGIC]

Lohengrin (lou´эn grin') Gmc. Legend a knight of the Holy Grail, son of Parsifal

loin (loin) •n. 1 [usually pl.] the lower part of the back on either side of the backbone between the hipbones and the ribs 2 the front part of the hindquarters of beef, lamb, mutton, veal, etc. with the flank removed: see BEEF, illus. 3 [pl.] the hips and the lower abdomen regarded as a part of the body to be clothed or as the region of strength and procreative power gird (up) one's loins to get ready to do something difficult or strenuous [ME loine < OFr loigne < VL *lumbea < L lumbus: see LUMBAR]

loincloth (-klöθ') •n. a cloth worn about the loins, as by some peoples in warm climates

Loire (lэ wär´; Fr lwåř) river flowing from S France north & west into the Bay of Biscay: 625 mi. (1,006 km)

Lois (lou´is) a feminine name [LL(Ec) < Gr(Ec) Lōis: see 2 Tim. 1:5]

loiter (loit´эr) •vi. 1 to linger in an aimless way; spend time idly: often with about 2 to walk or move slowly and indolently, with frequent stops and pauses •vt. to spend (time) idly {loitered away the day} loi´ter·er •n. SYN.—loiter implies aimlessness or slowness of movement and may suggest a wasting of time in lingering or lagging [to loiter around street corners]; dawdle implies a wasting of time over trifles or a frittering away of time that makes for slow progress [to dawdle over a cup of tea]; dally suggests a spending of time in trifling or frivolous pursuits; idle suggests habitual avoidance of work, or inactivity, indolence, etc. [to idle away the hours] [ME loitren < MDu loteren (Du leuteren, to dawdle), akin to OE loddere, beggar < IE base *(s)leu-, to hang loosely > SLEET, SLUR]

Loki (lou´ki:) Norse Myth. the god who constantly creates discord and mischief [ON, lit., destroyer < IE base *leug-, to break > Sans rugná-, broken]

loll (läl) •vi. 1 to lean or lounge about in a relaxed or lazy manner 2 to hang in a relaxed manner; droop {the dog's tongue lolled out} •vt. to let droop or hang loosely •n. [Archaic] the act of lolling loll´er •n. [ME lollen < MD, to mumble, doze, of echoic orig.]

Lolland (läl´эnd; Dan lôl´ån) island of Denmark, in the Baltic Sea, south of Zealand: 479 sq. mi. (1,240 sq. km)

lollapalooza or lollapaloosa (läl'э pэ lu:´zэ) •n. [Slang] something or someone very striking or exceptional [< ?]

Lollard (läl´эrd) •n. any of the followers of John Wycliffe in 14th- and 15th-cent. England [ME < MDu lollaerd, lit., mutterer (of prayers, psalms) < lollen: see LOLL]

lollipop or lollypop (läl´i: päp') •n. a piece of hard candy fixed to the end of a small stick; sucker [child's word: prob. after dial. lolly, the tongue + pop]

lollop (läl´эp) •vi. [Chiefly Brit.] 1 to lounge about; loll 2 to move in a clumsy, or relaxed way, bobbing up and down or from side to side [extended < LOLL, prob. by assoc. with GALLOP]

lolly (läl´i:) pl. -lies •n. [Brit. Slang] 1 money 2 piece of hard candy [contr. < LOLLYPOP]

lollygag (läl´i: gæg') -gagged', -gag'ging •vi. [Colloq.] to waste time in trifling or aimless activity; fool around [var. of lallygag < ?]

Lomas (lou´mäs') city in E Argentina: a suburb of Buenos Aires: pop. 509,000: in full Lo·mas de Za·mo·ra (-mäz' dэ zэ mour´э, -mör-)

Lomax (lou´mæks'), Alan 1915- ; U.S. scholar of folk music

Lombard (läm´bärd', -bэrd) •n. 1 a native or inhabitant of Lombardy 2 a member of an ancient Germanic tribe that settled in Po Valley 3 a banker or moneylender [from the activity of the medieval Lombards as pawnbrokers] •adj. of Lombardy or the Lombards Lom·bar´dic (-bär´dik) •adj. [ME Lumbarde < ML Lombardus < L Langobardus < Gmc *lango-, LONG¹ + *barda, BEARD]

Lombardy (läm´bэr di:) region of N Italy, on the border of Switzerland: 9,210 sq. mi. (23,856 sq. km); pop. 8,885,000; chief city, Milan: It. name Lom·bar·dia (lôm bäř´dyä) [the region was invaded and settled by Lombards in the 6th-c. A.D.]

Lombardy poplar a tall, slender poplar (Populus nigra), with upward-curving branches

Lombok (läm bäk´) island of Indonesia, between Bali & Sumbawa: 1,825 sq. mi. (4,725 sq. km)

Lombrosian (läm brou´zhэn, -zi: эn) •adj. designating or of the theories and methods of Lombroso, who regarded the criminal as a distinct and atavistic type of person

Lombroso (lôm břô´sô), Ce·sa·re (che´zä ře) 1836-1909; It. physician & criminologist

Lomé (lô mei´) capital of Togo: seaport on the Bight of Benin: pop. 366,000

loment (lou´ment') •n. a legume fruit that separates at its constrictions into one-seeded segments when ripe [ModL < L lomentum, bean meal < pp. of lavare, to wash (see LAVE¹): Roman women used it in a cosmetic wash]

Lomond (lou´mэnd), Loch lake in WC Scotland, between Strathclyde & Central regions: c. 27 sq. mi. (70 sq. km)

Lomotil (lou´mэ til') trademark for a drug, C30H32N2O2·HCl, related to meperidine and used in treating diarrhea [contr. < LO(W)¹ + MOTIL(ITY)]

London (lûn´dэn), Jack (born John Griffith London) 1876-1916; U.S. novelist & short-story writer London (lûn´dэn) 1 administrative area in SE England, consisting of the City of London and 32 boroughs: capital of England, the United Kingdom, & the Commonwealth: 610 sq. mi. (1,580 sq. km); pop. 6,754,000: called Greater London 2 city in SE Ontario, Canada: pop. 275,000 [after London, England] 3 City of historic center of London, with its ancient boundaries: 677 acres or 1.06 sq. mi.

London broil a boneless cut of beef, as of the flank, that is marinated, then broiled, and served in thin slices cut usually on a diagonal

Londonderry (-der'i:) 1 district in NW Northern Ireland, in the E part of a former, much larger county (also called Londonderry) 2 seaport in this district, on an inlet of the Atlantic: pop. 63,000

lone (loun) •adj. 1 by oneself; alone; solitary 2 [Rare] lonesome 3 [Rare] unmarried or widowed 4 a) standing apart from others of its kind; isolated b) [Old Poet.] unfrequented (said of places) SYN. ALONE lone´ness •n. [ME, aphetic < alone]

lone hand 1 a hand, esp. in euchre, played without using a partner's hand 2 a person who manages any activity without help 3 a position different from that taken by one's friends, associates, etc.

Lone Star State name for TEXAS

lone wolf LONER

lonely (loun´li:) -li·er, -li·est •adj. 1 alone; solitary 2 a) standing apart from others of its kind; isolated b) unfrequented or uninhabited 3 unhappy at being alone; longing for friends, company, etc. 4 causing such a feeling SYN. ALONE lone´li·ly •adv. lone´li·ness •n.

lonely hearts single persons who are looking for companionship lone´ly-hearts' •adj.

loner (loun´эr) •n. [Colloq.] one who prefers to be independent of others, as by living or working alone

lonesome (loun´sэm) •adj. 1 having or causing a lonely feeling 2 unfrequented; desolate •n. [Colloq.] self {all by my lonesome} SYN. ALONE lone´some·ly •adv. lone´some·ness •n.

Long (löŋ), Hu·ey Pierce (hyu:´i:) 1893-1935; U.S. political leader: assassinated long abbrev. longitude

Long Beach seaport in SW Calif., on the Pacific: see LOS ANGELES [descriptive]

long distance a long-distance telephone service

long division the process of dividing a number by another number containing, ordinarily, two or more figures, and of putting the steps down in full

long dozen thirteen

long face a glum, sad, or disconsolate facial expression long-faced (löŋ´feist') •adj.

long green [Slang] PAPER MONEY

long house a long communal home, esp. of the Iroquois

long hundredweight the British hundredweight, equal to 112 pounds avoirdupois: see HUNDREDWEIGHT

Long Island island in SE N.Y. between Long Island Sound & the Atlantic: 1,411 sq. mi. (3,655 sq. km) [descriptive]

Long Island Sound arm of the Atlantic, between N Long Island & S Conn.: c. 100 mi. (161 km) long

long johns [Colloq.] long underwear

long jump a track-and-field event that is a jump for distance rather than height, made either from a stationary position or with a running start

long measure LINEAR MEASURE

long moss SPANISH MOSS

Long Parliament the English Parliament that met in 1640, was expelled by Cromwell in 1653, reconvened briefly in 1659, and was dissolved in 1660

long pig human flesh or a human body as food for cannibals: from the Maori and Polynesian term

long shot 1 [Colloq.] a) in betting, a choice that has only a slight chance of winning and, hence, carries great odds b) any venture with only a slight chance of success, but offering great rewards if successful 2 Film, TV a scene shot with or as with the camera at some distance from the subject or action Æ not by a long shot [Colloq.] absolutely not

long suit 1 Card Games the suit in which a player holds the most cards 2 something at which one excels

long ton see TON (sense 2)

long wave an electromagnetic wave that is longer than those used in commercial broadcasting, usually a radio wave longer than 1,000 meters and below 300 kilohertz in frequency long´-wave' •adj.

long¹ (löŋ; also läŋ) •adj. 1 measuring much from end to end in space or from beginning to end in time; not short or brief 2 measured from end to end rather than from side to side {the long dimension} 3 of a specified extent in length {a foot long} 4 of greater than usual or standard length, height, quantity, etc. {a long game, a long window, a long ton} 5 containing many items or members: said of a series, list, etc. 6 overextended in length 7 taking too much time; tedious; slow 8 extending to what is distant in space or time; far-reaching {a long view of the matter} 9 large; big {the long odds of 100 to 1, to take a long chance} 10 having an abundance of: with of or on {long on excuses} Æ 11 Finance holding a commodity or security in anticipation of a rise in price 12 a) Phonet. lasting for a relatively long time (said of a speech sound) b) popularly, diphthongized {the long a in pain} (opposed to SHORT, adj. 13b)) 13 Prosody a) requiring a relatively long time to pronounce (said of syllables in quantitative verse) b) stressed (said of syllables in accentual verse) •adv. 1 for a long time 2 for the duration of; from the beginning to the end {all day long} 3 at a much earlier or a much later time than the time indicated; remotely {to stay long after midnight} •n. 1 a variation of clothing size longer than the average for that size 2 [pl.] long pants 3 a signal, syllable, etc. of long duration 4 a long time {it won't take long to finish the work} as (or so) long as 1 of the same length as 2 during the time that 3 seeing that; since 4 provided that before long soon the long and (the) short of the whole story of in a few words; gist or point of [ME < OE, akin to Ger lang < Gmc *lango- > ON langr, Goth laggs: ? akin to L longus]

long² (löŋ) •vi. to feel a strong yearning; wish earnestly {to long to go home, to long for affection} [ME longen < OE langian (akin to Ger langen, to reach, extend) < base of lang: see LONG1]

long³ (löŋ) •vi. [Archaic] to be fitting or appropriate [ME longen < OE langian, to belong]

longan (läŋ´gэn) •n. 1 an Asiatic tree (Euphoria longana) of the soapberry family, bearing an edible fruit resembling a small litchi 2 this fruit [Cantonese long-yan, lit., dragon's eye: in allusion to the white pulp of the fresh fruit surrounding a single seed]

longanimity (löŋ'gэ nim´э ti:) •n. patient endurance of injuries; forbearance [LL longanimitas < L longus, LONG¹ + animus, mind: see ANIMAL]

longboat (löŋ´bout') •n. the largest boat carried on a merchant sailing ship

longbow (-bou') •n. a large bow drawn by hand and shooting a long, feathered arrow: cf. CROSSBOW draw (or pull) the longbow to exaggerate in telling something

longcloth (-klöθ') •n. a soft cotton fabric of fine quality [so called because made in long pieces]

long-day (-dei´) •adj. Bot. maturing and blooming under long periods of light and short periods of darkness