lo ['lō] -interj

  1. used to call attention or to express wonder or surprise
    • lo these many years

LO -abbr

  1. liaison officer

LOA -abbr

  1. length overall

loach ['lōch] -n

  1. any of a family (Cobitidae) of small Old World freshwater fishes related to the carps

load ['lōd] -n

  1. the quantity that can be carried at one time by a specified means
  2. a measured quantity of a commodity fixed for each type of carrier often used in combination
    • a boat load of tourists
  3. whatever is put on a person or pack animal to be carried : pack
  4. whatever is put in a ship or vehicle or airplane for conveyance : cargo
  5. a quantity of material assembled or packed as a shipping unit
  6. a mass or weight supported by something
    • branches bent low by their load of fruit
  7. the forces to which a structure is subjected due to superposed weight or to wind pressure on the vertical surfaces
  8. the forces to which a given object is subjected
  9. something that weighs down the mind or spirits
    • took a load off her mind
  10. a burdensome or laborious responsibility
    • always carried his share of the load
  11. an intoxicating amount of liquor drunk
  12. a large quantity : lot usu. used in pl.
  13. a charge for a firearm
  14. the quantity of material loaded into a device at one time
  15. external resistance overcome by a machine or prime mover
  16. power output (as of a power plant) or power consumption (as by a device)
  17. a device to which power is delivered
  18. the amount of work that a person carries or is expected to carry
  19. the amount of authorized work to be performed by a machine, a group, a department, or a factory
  20. the demand on the operating resources of a system (as a telephone exchange or a refrigerating apparatus)
  21. eyeful used in the phrase get a load of
  22. the amount of a deleterious microorganism, parasite, growth, or substance present in a human or animal body
    • measure viral load in the blood
    • the worm load in rats
    called also burden
  23. an amount added (as to the price of a security or the net premium in insurance) to represent selling expense and profit to the distributor
  24. genetic load
  25. to put a load in or on
    • load a truck
  26. to place in or on a means of conveyance
    • load freight
  27. to encumber or oppress with something heavy, laborious, or disheartening : burden
    • a company load ed down with debts
  28. to place as a burden or obligation
    • load more work on him
  29. to increase the weight of by adding something heavy
  30. to add a conditioning substance (as a mineral salt) to for body
  31. to weight or shape (dice) to fall unfairly
  32. to pack with one-sided or prejudicial influences : bias
  33. to charge with multiple meanings (as emotional associations or hidden implications)
  34. to weight (as a test) with factors influencing validity or outcome
  35. to supply in abundance or excess : heap, pack
  36. to put runners on (first, second, and third bases) in baseball
  37. to put a load or charge in (a device or piece of equipment)
    • load a gun
  38. to place or insert esp. as a load in a device or piece of equipment
    • load film in a camera
  39. to copy or transfer (as a program or data) into a computer's memory esp. from an external source (as a disk drive or the Internet)
  40. to alter (as an alcoholic drink) by adding an adulterant or drug
  41. to add a load to (an insurance premium)
  42. to add a sum to after profits and expenses are accounted for
    • load ed prices
  43. to receive a load
  44. to put a load on or in a carrier, device, or container
  45. to insert the charge or cartridge in the chamber of a firearm
  46. to go or go in as a load
    • tourists load ing onto a bus
  47. to become loaded into a computer's memory
    • the program load s quickly

load·ed ['lō-dəd] -adj

  1. high
  2. having a large amount of money
  3. equipped with an abundance of options
    • bought a fully loaded car
  4. staffed with excellent players
    • a loaded basketball team

load factor -n

  1. the percentage of available seats paid for and occupied in an aircraft

load·ing ['lō-diŋ] -n

  1. a cargo, weight, or stress placed on something
  2. load
  3. material used to load something : filler

load line -n

  1. the line on a ship indicating the depth to which it sinks in the water when properly loaded

load·mas·ter ['lōd-,mas-tər] -n

  1. a crew member of a transport aircraft who is in charge of the cargo

loadstar ['lōd-,stär] -n

(variant of lodestar)

  1. a star that leads or guides
  2. north star
  3. one that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide

loadstone [-,stōn] -n

(variant of lodestone)

  1. magnetite possessing polarity
  2. something that strongly attracts

loaf ['lōf] -n

  1. a shaped or molded mass of bread
  2. a shaped or molded often symmetrical mass of food
  3. head, mind
  4. to spend time in idleness

loaf·er ['lō-fər] -n

  1. one that loafs : idler
  2. a low step-in shoe

loam ['lōm, chiefly Northern & Midland 'lüm, NewEng also 'lu̇m] -n, adj

  1. a mixture (as for plastering) composed chiefly of moistened clay
  2. a coarse molding sand used in founding
  3. soil
  4. a soil consisting of a friable mixture of varying proportions of clay, silt, and sand

loan ['lōn] -n

  1. money lent at interest
  2. something lent usu. for the borrower's temporary use
  3. the grant of temporary use
  4. the temporary duty of a person transferred to another job for a limited time
  5. loanword
  6. lend

lo and behold -interj

  1. used to express wonder or surprise

loan·er ['lō-nər] -n

  1. one (as a car or a watch) that is lent esp. as a replacement for something being repaired

loan·ing ['lō-niŋ] -n

  1. lane
  2. a milking yard

loan shark -n

  1. one who lends money to individuals at exorbitant rates of interest

loanshark·ing [-,shär-kiŋ] -n

  1. the practice of lending money at exorbitant rates of interest

loan translation -n

  1. a compound, derivative, or phrase that is introduced into a language through translation of the constituents of a term in another language (as supermanfrom German Ubermensch)

loan·word ['lōn-,wərd] -n

  1. a word taken from another language and at least partly naturalized

loath ['lōth, 'lōth] -adj, n

  1. unwilling to do something contrary to one's ways of thinking : reluctant

loathe ['lōth] -vt, n

  1. to dislike greatly and often with disgust or intolerance : detest

loathing -n

  1. extreme disgust : detestation

loath·ly ['lōth-lē, 'lōth-] -adj

  1. loathsome, repulsive
  2. not willingly : reluctantly

loath·some ['lōth-səm, 'lōth-] -adj, adv, n

  1. giving rise to loathing : disgusting

lob ['läb] -n

  1. a dull heavy person : lout
  2. to let hang heavily : droop
  3. to throw, hit, or propel easily or in a high arc
  4. to direct (as a question or comment) so as to elicit a response
  5. to move slowly and heavily
  6. to move in an arc
  7. to hit a tennis ball easily in a high arc
  8. a soft high-arching shot, throw, or kick

lob- -comb form

  1. lobe
    • lob ar
    • lobo tomy

lo·bar ['lō-bər, -,bär] -adj

  1. of or relating to a lobe

lo·bate ['lō-,bāt] -adj, n

  1. lobed
  2. resembling a lobe

lob·by ['lä-bē] -n

  1. : a corridor or hall connected with a larger room or series of rooms and used as a passageway or waiting room: as
  2. an anteroom of a legislative chamber
  3. one of two anterooms of a British parliamentary chamber to which members go to vote during a division
  4. a large hall serving as a foyer (as of a hotel or theater)
  5. a group of persons engaged in lobbying esp. as representatives of a particular interest group

lobby [-,i-zəm] -vb, n

  1. to conduct activities aimed at influencing public officials and esp. members of a legislative body on legislation
  2. to promote (as a project) or secure the passage of (as legislation) by influencing public officials
  3. to attempt to influence or sway (as a public official) toward a desired action

lob·by·gow ['lä-bē-,gau̇] -n

  1. an errand boy

lobe ['lōb] -n

  1. a curved or rounded projection or division
  2. a usu. somewhat rounded projection or division of a bodily organ or part

lo·bec·to·my [lō-'bek-tə-mē] -n

  1. surgical removal of a lobe of an organ (as a lung) or gland (as the thyroid)

lobed ['lōbd] -adj

  1. having lobes
    • palmately lobed leaves

lobefin ['lōb-,fin] -n, adj

  1. crossopterygian

lo·be·lia [lō-'bēl-yə, -'bē-lē-ə] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Lobeliaof the family Lobeliaceae, the lobelia family) of widely cultivated plants having terminal clusters of showy lipped flowers
  2. the leaves and tops of Indian tobacco

lo·be·line ['lō-bə-,lēn] -n

  1. a crystalline alkaloid C 22H 27NO 2that is obtained from Indian tobacco and is used chiefly as a respiratory stimulant and as a smoking deterrent

lob·lol·ly ['läb-,lä-lē] -n

  1. a thick gruel
  2. mire, mudhole
  3. lout
  4. loblolly pine

loblolly pine -n

  1. a pine ( Pinus taeda) of the southeastern U.S. with flaky bark, long needles in groups of three, and cones having spine-tipped scales
  2. its coarse-grained wood

lo·bo ['lō-(,)bō] -n

  1. gray wolf

lo·bot·o·mise [lō-'bä-tə-,mīz] -vt

(variant of lobotomize)

  1. to perform a lobotomy on
  2. to deprive of sensitivity, intelligence, or vitality
    • fear of prosecution was causing the press to lobotomize itself -- Tony Eprile

lo·bot·o·mize [lō-'bä-tə-,mīz] -vt

  1. to perform a lobotomy on
  2. to deprive of sensitivity, intelligence, or vitality
    • fear of prosecution was causing the press to lobotomize itself -- Tony Eprile

lo·bot·o·my [lō-'bä-tə-mē] -n

  1. surgical severance of nerve fibers connecting the frontal lobes to the thalamus performed esp. formerly for the relief of some mental disorders

lob·scouse ['läb-,skau̇s] -n

  1. a sailor's dish of stewed or baked meat with vegetables and hardtack

lob·ster ['läb-stər] -n, adj

  1. any of a family (Nephropidae and esp. Homarus americanus) of large edible marine decapod crustaceans that have stalked eyes, a pair of large claws, and a long abdomen and that include species from coasts on both sides of the No. Atlantic and from the Cape of Good Hope
  2. spiny lobster

lob·ster·ing ['läb-st(ə-)riŋ] -n

  1. the activity or business of catching lobsters

lob·ster·man [-mən] -n

  1. one whose business is lobstering

lobster pot -n

  1. an oblong case with slat sides and a funnel-shaped net used to trap lobsters called also lobster trap

lobster shift -n

  1. a work shift (as on a newspaper) that covers the late evening and early morning hours called also lobster trick

lobster ther·mi·dor [-'thər-mə-,dȯr] -n

  1. cooked lobster meat in a rich wine sauce stuffed into a lobster shell and browned

lob·u·lar ['lä-byə-lər] -adj

  1. of, relating to, affecting, or resembling a lobule

lob·u·lat·ed ['lä-byə-,lā-təd] -adj, n

  1. made up of or having lobules
    • the pancreas is a lobulated organ

lob·ule ['lä-(,)byül] -n

  1. a small lobe
  2. a subdivision of a lobe

lo·cal ['lō-kəl] -adj

  1. characterized by or relating to position in space : having a definite spatial form or location
  2. of, relating to, or characteristic of a particular place : not general or widespread
  3. of, relating to, or applicable to part of a whole
  4. primarily serving the needs of a particular limited district
  5. making all the stops on a route
  6. involving or affecting only a restricted part of the organism : topical
    • a local anesthetic
  7. of or relating to telephone communication within a specified area

local -n

  1. : a local person or thing: as
  2. a local public conveyance (as a train or an elevator)
  3. a local or particular branch, lodge, or chapter of an organization (as a labor union)
  4. a nearby or neighborhood pub

local area network -n

  1. a network of personal computers in a small area (as an office) for sharing resources (as a printer) or exchanging data

local color -n

  1. the presentation of the features and peculiarities of a particular locality and its inhabitants in writing

lo·cale [lō-'kal] -n

  1. a place or locality esp. when viewed in relation to a particular event or characteristic
  2. site, scene
    • the locale of a story

local government -n

  1. the government of a specific local area constituting a subdivision of a major political unit (as a nation or state)
  2. the body of persons constituting such a government

lo·cal·ise ['lō-kə-,līz] -vb, n, adj

(variant of localize)

  1. to make local : orient locally
  2. to assign to or keep within a definite locality
  3. to accumulate in or be restricted to a specific or limited area
    • an infection that localize s in the ear

lo·cal·ism ['lō-kə-,li-zəm] -n

  1. a local idiom
  2. a local peculiarity of speaking or acting
  3. affection or partiality for a particular place : sectionalism

lo·cal·ite ['lō-kə-,līt] -n

  1. a native or resident of the locality under consideration : local

lo·cal·i·ty [lō-'ka-lə-tē] -n

  1. the fact or condition of having a location in space or time
  2. a particular place, situation, or location

lo·cal·ize ['lō-kə-,līz] -vb, n, adj

  1. to make local : orient locally
  2. to assign to or keep within a definite locality
  3. to accumulate in or be restricted to a specific or limited area
    • an infection that localize s in the ear

lo·cal·ly ['lō-k(ə-)lē] -adv

  1. with respect to a particular place or situation
  2. nearby
  3. in the region of origin

local option -n

  1. the power granted by a legislature to a political subdivision to determine by popular vote the local applicability of a law on a controversial issue (as the sale of liquor)

local time -n

  1. time based on the meridian through a particular place as contrasted with that of a time zone

lo·cate ['lō-,kāt, lō-'] -vb, adj

  1. to establish oneself or one's business : settle
  2. to determine or indicate the place, site, or limits of
  3. to set or establish in a particular spot : station
  4. to seek out and determine the location of
  5. to find or fix the place of esp. in a sequence : classify

lo·ca·tion [lō-'kā-shən] -n, adj, adv

  1. a position or site occupied or available for occupancy or marked by some distinguishing feature : situation
  2. a tract of land designated for a purpose
  3. farm, station
  4. a place outside a motion-picture studio where a picture or part of it is filmed usu. used in the phrase on location
  5. the act or process of locating
  6. the placement of baseball pitches in a particular area of the strike zone
  7. the ability to control the placement of pitches

loc·a·tive ['lä-kə-tiv] -n

  1. the locative case
  2. a word in that case

locative -adj

  1. of or being a grammatical case that denotes place or the place where or wherein

lo·ca·tor ['lō-,kā-tər, lō-'] -n

  1. one that locates something (as a mining claim or the course of a road)

lo·ca·vore ['lō-kə-,vȯr] -n

  1. one who eats foods grown locally whenever possible

loc cit -abbr

  1. in the place cited

loch ['läk, 'läk̲] -n

  1. lake
  2. a bay or arm of the sea esp. when nearly landlocked

loch·an ['lä-k̲ən] -n

  1. a small lake

loci ['lō-kəs] -n

(variant of locus)

  1. the place where something is situated or occurs : site, location
    • was the culture of medicine in the beginning dispersed from a single focus or did it arise in several loci ? -- S. C. Harvey
  2. a center of activity, attention, or concentration
    • in democracy the locus of power is in the people -- H. G. Rickover
  3. the set of all points whose location is determined by stated conditions
  4. the position in a chromosome of a particular gene or allele

lock ['läk] -n

  1. a tuft, tress, or ringlet of hair
  2. the hair of the head
  3. a cohering bunch (as of wool, cotton, or flax) : tuft
  4. dreadlock
  5. a fastening (as for a door) operated by a key or a combination
  6. the mechanism for exploding the charge or cartridge of a firearm
  7. an enclosure (as in a canal) with gates at each end used in raising or lowering boats as they pass from level to level
  8. air lock
  9. a locking or fastening together
  10. an intricate mass of objects impeding each other (as in a traffic jam)
  11. a hold in wrestling secured on one part of the body
  12. a controlling hold
    • his paper...had a lock on a large part of the state -- John Corry
  13. one that is assured of success or favorable outcome
  14. to fasten the lock of
  15. to make fast with or as if with a lock
    • lock up the house
  16. to fasten in or out or to make secure or inaccessible by or as if by means of locks
    • lock ed himself away from the curious world
  17. to fix in a particular situation or method of operation
    • a team firmly lock ed in last place
  18. to make fast, motionless, or inflexible esp. by the interlacing or interlocking of parts
    • lock wheels
    • lock a knee
  19. to hold in a close embrace
  20. to grapple in combat
  21. to bind closely
    • administration and students were lock ed in conflict
  22. to invest (capital) without assurance of easy convertibility into money
  23. to move or permit to pass (as a ship) by raising or lowering in a lock
  24. to become locked
  25. to be capable of being locked
  26. interlace, interlock
  27. to go or pass by means of a lock (as in a canal)

lock·box ['läk-,bäks] -n

  1. a box (as a post-office box) that locks

lock·down [-,dau̇n] -n

  1. the confinement of prisoners to their cells for all or most of the day as a temporary security measure

lockedin ['läkt-'in] -adj

  1. not subject to adjustment : fixed
    • lockedin interest rates
  2. unable or unwilling to shift invested funds because of the tax effect of realizing capital gains

lock·er ['lä-kər] -n

  1. a drawer, cupboard, or compartment that may be closed with a lock
  2. one for individual storage use
  3. a chest or compartment on shipboard for compact stowage of articles
  4. a refrigerated compartment or room for the storage of fresh or frozen foods
    • a meat locker
  5. one that locks

lock·erroom ['lä-kə(r)-,rüm] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or suitable for use in a locker room
  2. of a coarse or sexual nature
    • lockerroom talk

locker room -n

  1. a room for changing clothes and for storing clothing and equipment in lockers
  2. one for use by sports players

lock·et ['lä-kət] -n

  1. a small case usu. of precious metal that has space for a memento and that is worn typically suspended from a chain or necklace

lock·jaw ['läk-,jȯ] -n

  1. an early symptom of tetanus characterized by spasm of the jaw muscles and inability to open the jaws
  2. tetanus

lock·keep·er ['läk-,kē-pər] -n

  1. a person in charge of a lock (as on a canal)

lock·nut [-,nət] -n

  1. a nut screwed down hard on another to prevent it from slacking back
  2. a nut so constructed that it locks itself when screwed tight against another part

lock·out ['läk-,au̇t] -n

  1. the withholding of employment by an employer and the whole or partial closing of the business establishment in order to gain concessions from or resist demands of employees

lock out -vt

  1. to subject (a body of employees) to a lockout

lock·ram ['lä-krəm] -n

  1. a coarse plain-woven linen formerly used in England

lock·smith ['läk-,smith] -n

  1. a person who makes or repairs locks

lock·smith·ing [-,smi-thiŋ] -n

  1. the work or business of a locksmith

lock·step ['läk-,step] -n

  1. a mode of marching in step by a body of persons going one after another as closely as possible
  2. a standard method or procedure that is mindlessly adhered to or that minimizes individuality

lock·stitch ['läk-,stich] -n, vb

  1. a sewing machine stitch formed by the looping together of two threads one on each side of the material being sewn

lock, stock, and barrel -adv

  1. wholly, completely
    • the only thing which had not been sold lock, stock, and barrel with the...house was this piano -- Marcia Davenport

lock·up ['läk-,əp] -n

  1. jail
  2. a local jail where persons are detained prior to court hearing
  3. an act of locking : the state of being locked

lo·co ['lō-(,)kō] -adv or adj

  1. in the register as written used as a direction in music

loco -n

  1. locoweed
  2. locoism
  3. to poison with locoweed
  4. to make frenzied or crazy
  5. mentally disordered : crazy, frenzied

Lo·co·fo·co [,lō-kə-'fō-(,)kō] -n

  1. a member of a radical group of New York Democrats organized in 1835 in opposition to the regular party organization
  2. democrat

lo·co·ism ['lō-(,)kō-,i-zəm] -n

  1. a disease usu. of horses, cattle, and sheep that is caused by chronic poisoning with locoweeds

lo·co·mote ['lō-kə-,mōt] -vi

  1. to move about

lo·co·mo·tion [,lō-kə-'mō-shən] -n

  1. an act or the power of moving from place to place
  2. travel
    • interest in free locomotion and choice of occupation -- Zechariah Chafee Jr.

lo·co·mo·tive [,lō-kə-'mō-tiv] -adj

  1. locomotory
  2. of or relating to travel
  3. of, relating to, or being a machine that moves about by operation of its own mechanism

locomotive -n

  1. a self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails and is used for moving railroad cars
  2. a school or college cheer characterized by a slow beginning and a progressive increase in speed

lo·co·mo·tor [,lō-kə-'mō-tər] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or functioning in locomotion
  2. affecting or involving the locomotor organs

locomotor ataxia -n

  1. tabes dorsalis

lo·co·mo·to·ry [,lō-kə-'mō-tə-rē] -adj

  1. locomotor
    • locomotory appendages
  2. capable of moving independently from place to place
    • locomotory animals

lo·co·weed ['lō-(,)kō-,wēd] -n

  1. any of several leguminous plants (genera Astragalusand Oxytropis) of western No. America that cause locoism esp. in livestock

loc·u·lar ['lä-kyə-lər] -adj

  1. having or composed of loculi often used in combination
    • uni locular

loc·ule ['lä-(,)kyül] -n, adj

  1. loculus
  2. any of the cells of a compound ovary of a plant

loc·u·li·ci·dal [,lä-kyə-lə-'sī-dᵊl] -adj

  1. dehiscing longitudinally so as to bisect each loculus
    • loculicidal fruit

loc·u·lus ['lä-kyə-ləs] -n

  1. a small chamber or cavity esp. in a plant or animal body

lo·cum ['lō-kəm] -n

  1. locum tenens

locum te·nens [-'tē-,nenz, -'te-, -nənz] -n

  1. one filling an office for a time or temporarily taking the place of another used esp. of a doctor or clergyman

lo·cus ['lō-kəs] -n

  1. the place where something is situated or occurs : site, location
    • was the culture of medicine in the beginning dispersed from a single focus or did it arise in several loci ? -- S. C. Harvey
  2. a center of activity, attention, or concentration
    • in democracy the locus of power is in the people -- H. G. Rickover
  3. the set of all points whose location is determined by stated conditions
  4. the position in a chromosome of a particular gene or allele

locus clas·si·cus [-'kla-si-kəs] -n

  1. a passage that has become a standard for the elucidation of a word or subject
  2. a classic case or example

locus coe·ru·le·us [-si-'rü-lē-əs] -n

  1. a bluish area of the brain stem with many norepinephrine-containing neurons

lo·cust ['lō-kəst] -n

  1. short-horned grasshopper
  2. a migratory grasshopper often traveling in vast swarms and stripping the areas passed of all vegetation
  3. cicada
  4. : any of various leguminous trees: as
  5. carob
  6. black locust
  7. honey locust
  8. the wood of a locust tree

locust bean -n

  1. carob

lo·cu·tion [lō-'kyü-shən] -n

  1. a particular form of expression or a peculiarity of phrasing
  2. a word or expression characteristic of a region, group, or cultural level
  3. style of discourse : phraseology

lode ['lōd] -n

  1. waterway
  2. an ore deposit
  3. something that resembles a lode : an abundant store

lo·den ['lō-dᵊn] -n

  1. a thick woolen cloth used for outer clothing
  2. a variable color averaging a dull grayish green

lode·star ['lōd-,stär] -n

  1. a star that leads or guides
  2. north star
  3. one that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide

lode·stone [-,stōn] -n

  1. magnetite possessing polarity
  2. something that strongly attracts

lodge ['läj] -vb

  1. to provide temporary quarters for
  2. to rent lodgings to
  3. to establish or settle in a place
  4. to serve as a receptacle for : contain
  5. to beat (as a crop) flat to the ground
  6. to bring to an intended or a fixed position (as by throwing or thrusting)
  7. to deposit for safeguard or preservation
  8. to place or vest esp. in a source, means, or agent
  9. to lay (as a complaint) before a proper authority : file
  10. to occupy a place temporarily : sleep
  11. to have a residence : dwell
  12. to be a lodger
  13. to come to a rest
  14. to fall or lie down used esp. of hay or grain crops
  15. a rude shelter or abode
  16. a house set apart for residence in a particular season (as the hunting season)
  17. a resort hotel : inn
  18. a house on an estate orig. for the use of a gamekeeper, caretaker, or porter
  19. a shelter for an employee (as a gatekeeper)
  20. a den or lair esp. of gregarious animals (as beavers)
  21. the meeting place of a branch of an organization and esp. a fraternal organization
  22. the body of members of such a branch
  23. wigwam
  24. a family of No. American Indians

lodge·pole pine ['läj-,pōl-] -n

  1. : any of several pines of western No. America with needles in pairs and short ovoid usu. asymmetric cones: as
  2. a small chiefly coastal pine ( Pinus contortavar. contorta) with thick deeply furrowed bark and hard strong coarse-grained medium-light wood
  3. a tall straight pine ( P. contortavar. latifolia) with thin and little furrowed bark and soft weak fine-grained lightweight wood

lodg·er ['lä-jər] -n

  1. roomer

lodging -n

  1. a place to live : dwelling
  2. lodgment
  3. sleeping accommodations
    • found lodging in the barn
  4. a temporary place to stay
    • a lodging for the night
  5. a room in the house of another used as a residence usu. used in pl.
  6. the act of lodging

lodging house -n

  1. rooming house

lodg·ment ['läj-mənt] -n

  1. a lodging place : shelter
  2. accommodations, lodgings
    • found lodgment in the city
  3. the act, fact, or manner of lodging
    • a hut for temporary lodgment of cattlemen
  4. a placing, depositing, or coming to rest
  5. an accumulation or collection deposited in a place or remaining at rest
  6. a place of rest or deposit

lod·i·cule ['lä-di-,kyül] -n

  1. one of usu. two delicate membranous hyaline scales at the base of the ovary of a grass that by their swelling assist in anthesis

loess ['les, 'ləs, 'lō-əs, 'lərs] -n, adj

  1. an unstratified usu. buff to yellowish brown loamy deposit found in No. America, Europe, and Asia and believed to be chiefly deposited by the wind

lofi ['lō-'fī] -n, adj

  1. the production or reproduction of audio characterized by an unpolished or rough sound quality

loft ['lȯft] -n, adj

  1. an upper room or floor : attic
  2. a gallery in a church or hall
  3. one of the upper floors of a warehouse or business building esp. when not partitioned
    • living in a converted loft
  4. hayloft
  5. the backward slant of the face of a golf-club head
  6. the act of lofting
  7. the thickness of a fabric or insulating material (as goose down)
  8. to place, house, or store in a loft
  9. to propel through the air or into space
    • loft ed a long hit to center
    • instruments loft ed by a powerful rocket
  10. to lay out a full-sized working drawing of the lines and contours of (as a ship's hull)
  11. to propel a ball high into the air
  12. to rise high

lofty ['lȯf-tē] -adj, adv, n

  1. elevated in character and spirit : noble
    • lofty ideals
  2. elevated in status : superior
  3. having a haughty overbearing manner : supercilious
  4. rising to a great height : impressively high
    • lofty mountains
  5. remote, esoteric
  6. having full-bodied, firm, and resilient textile fibers
    • lofty flannel

log ['lȯg, 'läg] -n

  1. a usu. bulky piece or length of a cut or fallen tree
  2. a length of a tree trunk ready for sawing and over six feet (1.8 meters) long
  3. an apparatus for measuring the rate of a ship's motion through the water that consists of a block fastened to a line and run out from a reel
  4. the record of the rate of a ship's speed or of her daily progress
  5. the full nautical record of a ship's voyage
  6. the full record of a flight by an aircraft
  7. a record of performance, events, or day-to-day activities
  8. to cut (trees) for lumber
  9. to clear (land) of trees in lumbering often used with off
  10. to make a note or record of : enter details of or about in a log
  11. to move (an indicated distance) or attain (an indicated speed) as noted in a log
  12. to sail a ship or fly an airplane for (an indicated distance or period of time)
  13. to have (an indicated record) to one's credit : achieve
  14. lumber
  15. logarithm
  16. logic

log- -comb form

  1. word : thought : speech : discourse
    • logo gram
    • logo rrhea

lo·gan·ber·ry ['lō-gən-,ber-ē] -n

  1. a red-fruited upright-growing dewberry ( Rubus loganobaccus) usu. regarded as a hybrid of a western dewberry and a red raspberry or sometimes as a variety ( R. ursinus loganobaccus) of a western dewberry
  2. its berry

log·a·oe·dic [,lä-gə-'ē-dik] -adj, n

  1. marked by the mixture of several meters
  2. having a rhythm that uses both dactyls and trochees or anapests and iambs

log·a·rithm ['lȯ-gə-,ri-thəm, 'lä-] -n, adj, adv

  1. the exponent that indicates the power to which a base number is raised to produce a given number
    • the logarithm of 100 to the base 10 is 2

logarithmic function -n

  1. a function (as y log a xor y ln x) that is the inverse of an exponential function (as y a x or y e x ) so that the independent variable appears in a logarithm

log·book ['lȯg-,bu̇k, 'läg-] -n

  1. log
  2. log

loge ['lōzh] -n

  1. a small compartment : booth
  2. a box in a theater
  3. a small partitioned area
  4. a separate forward section of a theater mezzanine or balcony
  5. a raised section or level of seats in a sports stadium

logged ['lȯgd, 'lägd] -adj

  1. heavy, sluggish
  2. sodden esp. with water

log·ger ['lȯ-gər, 'lä-] -n

  1. one engaged in logging

log·ger·head ['lȯ-gər-,hed, 'lä-] -n

  1. blockhead
  2. head
  3. a disproportionately large head
  4. a very large chiefly carnivorous sea turtle ( Caretta caretta) of subtropical and temperate waters
  5. alligator snapping turtle
  6. an iron tool consisting of a long handle terminating in a ball or bulb that is heated and used to melt tar or to heat liquids

loggerhead shrike -n

  1. a large-headed gray shrike ( Lanius ludovicianus) of No. America with a black mask around the eyes

log·gets ['lȯ-gəts, 'lä-] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a game formerly played in England in which participants throw pieces of wood at a stake

log·gia ['lō-jē-ə, 'lȯ-(,)jä] -n

  1. a roofed open gallery esp. at an upper story overlooking an open court

log·ic ['lä-jik] -n

  1. a science that deals with the principles and criteria of validity of inference and demonstration : the science of the formal principles of reasoning
  2. a branch or variety of logic
    • modal logic
    • Boolean logic
  3. a branch of semiotic
  4. syntactics
  5. the formal principles of a branch of knowledge
  6. a particular mode of reasoning viewed as valid or faulty
  7. relevance, propriety
  8. interrelation or sequence of facts or events when seen as inevitable or predictable
  9. the arrangement of circuit elements (as in a computer) needed for computation
  10. the circuits themselves
  11. something that forces a decision apart from or in opposition to reason
    • the logic of war

log·i·cal ['lä-ji-kəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. of, relating to, involving, or being in accordance with logic
  2. skilled in logic
  3. formally true or valid : analytic, deductive
  4. capable of reasoning or of using reason in an orderly cogent fashion
    • a logical thinker

logical positivism -n

  1. a 20th century philosophical movement that holds characteristically that all meaningful statements are either analytic or conclusively verifiable or at least confirmable by observation and experiment and that metaphysical theories are therefore strictly meaningless called also logical empiricism

logic bomb -n

  1. a computer program often hidden within another seemingly innocuous program that is designed to perform usu. malicious actions (as deleting files) when certain conditions have been met

log in ['lȯg-,in, 'läg-] -vi, n

  1. log on

lo·gi·on ['lō-gē-,än] -n

  1. saying
  2. a saying attributed to Jesus

lo·gis·tic [lō-'jis-tik, lə-] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to symbolic logic
  2. of or relating to the philosophical attempt to reduce mathematics to logic
  3. of or relating to logistics
  4. of, represented by, or relating to a logistic curve
    • a logistic process

logistic -n

  1. symbolic logic

logistic curve -n

  1. an S-shaped curve that represents an exponential function and is used in mathematical models of growth processes

lo·gis·ti·cian [,lō-jəs-'ti-shən] -n

  1. a specialist in logistics

lo·gis·tics [lō-'jis-tiks, lə-] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. the aspect of military science dealing with the procurement, maintenance, and transportation of military materiel, facilities, and personnel
  2. the handling of the details of an operation

log·jam ['lȯg-,jam, 'läg-] -n, vt

  1. a jumble of logs jammed together in a watercourse
  2. deadlock, impasse
    • trying to break the logjam in negotiations
  3. blockage
  4. jam, crowd

log·nor·mal [,lȯg-'nȯr-məl, ,läg-] -adj, n, adv

  1. relating to or being a normal distribution that is the distribution of the logarithm of a random variable
  2. relating to or being such a random variable

logo ['lō-(,)gō also 'lä-] -n

  1. logotype
  2. an identifying statement : motto

Lo·go ['lō-(,)gō] -n

  1. a computer programming language that employs simple English commands and is used esp. for introducing school children to computers

logo·cen·trism [,lō-gə-'sen-tri-zəm, -gō-, ,lä-] -n, adj

  1. a philosophy holding that all forms of thought are based on an external point of reference which is held to exist and given a certain degree of authority
  2. a philosophy that privileges speech over writing as a form of communication because the former is closer to an originating transcendental source

log off -vi

  1. to terminate a connection with a time-shared computer or network

logo·gram ['lȯ-gə-,gram, 'lä-] -n, adj

  1. a letter, symbol, or sign used to represent an entire word
    • the ampersand and dollar sign are logogram s

logo·graph ['lȯ-gə-,graf, 'lä-] -n

  1. logogram

logo·graph·ic [,lȯ-gə-'gra-fik, ,lä-] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or marked by the use of logographs : consisting of logographs

logo·griph ['lȯ-gə-,grif, 'lä-] -n

  1. a word puzzle (as an anagram)

lo·gom·a·chy [lō-'gä-mə-kē] -n

  1. a dispute over or about words
  2. a controversy marked by verbiage

log on ['lȯg-,ȯn, 'läg-,än] -vi, n

  1. to establish communication and initiate interaction with a time-shared computer or network often used with to

log·or·rhea [,lȯ-gə-'rē-ə, ,lä-] -n, adj

  1. excessive and often incoherent talkativeness or wordiness

Lo·gos ['lō-,gäs, -,gōs] -n

  1. the divine wisdom manifest in the creation, government, and redemption of the world and often identified with the second person of the Trinity
  2. reason that in ancient Greek philosophy is the controlling principle in the universe

logo·type ['lȯ-gə-,tīp, 'lä-] -n

  1. a single piece of type or a single plate faced with a term (as the name of a newspaper or a trademark)
  2. an identifying symbol (as for use in advertising)

log·roll ['lȯg-,rōl, 'läg-] -vb, n

  1. to take part in logrolling
  2. to promote passage of by logrolling

log·roll·ing [-,rō-liŋ] -n

  1. the exchanging of assistance or favors
  2. the trading of votes by legislators to secure favorable action on projects of interest to each one
  3. the rolling of logs in water by treading
  4. a sport in which contestants treading logs try to dislodge one another

log·wood ['lȯg-,wu̇d, 'läg-] -n

  1. a leguminous tree ( Haematoxylon campechianum) of Mexico and the West Indies
  2. the very hard brown or brownish-red heartwood of logwood
  3. a dye extracted from the heartwood of logwood

lo·gy ['lō-gē] -adj

  1. sluggish, groggy

Lo·hen·grin ['lō-ən-,grin] -n

  1. a son of Parsifal and knight of the Holy Grail in Germanic legend

loin ['lȯin] -n

  1. the part of a human being or quadruped on each side of the spinal column between the hipbone and the false ribs
  2. a cut of meat comprising this part of one or both sides of a carcass with the adjoining half of the vertebrae included but without the flank
  3. the upper and lower abdominal regions and the region about the hips
  4. the pubic region
  5. the reproductive organs

loin·cloth [-,klȯth] -n

  1. a cloth worn about the loins often as the sole article of clothing in warm climates

loi·ter ['lȯi-tər] -vi, n

  1. to delay an activity with idle stops and pauses : dawdle
  2. to remain in an area for no obvious reason
  3. to lag behind

Lo·ki ['lō-kē] -n

  1. a Norse god who contrives evil and mischief for his fellow gods

LOL -abbr

  1. laugh out loud; laughing out loud

Lo·li·ta [lō-'lē-tə] -n

  1. a precociously seductive girl

loll ['läl] -vb, n

  1. to hang loosely or laxly : droop
  2. to act or move in a lax, lazy, or indolent manner : lounge
  3. to let droop or dangle
  4. the act of lolling : a relaxed posture

lol·la·pa·loo·za [,lä-lə-pə-'lü-zə] -n

  1. one that is extraordinarily impressive
  2. an outstanding example

Lol·lard ['lä-lərd] -n

  1. one of the followers of Wycliffe who traveled in the 14th and 15th centuries as lay preachers throughout England and Scotland

lol·li·pop ['lä-li-,päp] -n

  1. a piece of hard candy on the end of a stick
  2. a round stop sign on a pole used to stop traffic (as at a school crossing)

lol·lop ['lä-ləp] -vi

  1. loll
  2. to proceed with a bounding or bobbing motion

lol·ly ['lä-lē] -n

  1. a piece of candy
  2. hard candy
  3. money

lol·ly·gag ['lä-lē-,gag] -vi

  1. fool around : dawdle

Lom·bard ['läm-,bärd, -bərd] -n, adj

  1. a member of a Germanic people that invaded Italy in a.d.568 and established a kingdom in the Po valley
  2. a native or inhabitant of Lombardy
  3. banker, moneylender

Lom·bar·dy poplar ['läm-,bär-dē-, -bər-] -n

  1. a poplar of a staminate variety ( Populus nigra italica) of a European poplar having a columnar shape and strongly ascending branches

lo mein ['lō-'mān, ,lō-] -n

  1. a Chinese dish consisting of sliced vegetables, soft noodles, and usu. meat or shrimp in bite-size pieces stir-fried in a seasoned sauce

lo·ment ['lō-,ment, -mənt] -n

  1. a dry indehiscent fruit (as of tick trefoil) that is a modified legume having constrictions between the seeds and that breaks into one-seeded segments at maturity

Lond -abbr

  1. London

Lon·don broil ['lən-dən-] -n

  1. a boneless cut of beef (as from the shoulder or flank) usu. served sliced diagonally across the grain

London plane -n

  1. a large pollution-resistant plane ( Platanus acerifolia) often planted as a street tree that is a hybrid between an Eurasian plane ( P. orientalis) and the American sycamore ( P. occidentalis) called also London plane tree

lone ['lōn] -adj, n

  1. having no company : solitary
  2. preferring solitude
  3. only, sole
  4. situated by itself : isolated

lone·ly ['lōn-lē] -adj, n

  1. being without company : lone
  2. cut off from others : solitary
  3. not frequented by human beings : desolate
  4. sad from being alone : lonesome
  5. producing a feeling of bleakness or desolation

lonely hearts -adj

  1. of or relating to lonely persons who are seeking companions or spouses

lon·er ['lō-nər] -n

  1. one that avoids others
  2. individualist

lone ranger -n

  1. one who acts alone and without consultation or the approval of others
  2. loner

lone·some ['lōn(t)-səm] -adj, adv, n

  1. sad or dejected as a result of lack of companionship or separation from others
    • don't be lonesome while we are gone
  2. causing a feeling of loneliness
    • the empty house seemed so lonesome
  3. remote, unfrequented
    • look down, look down that lonesome road -- Gene Austin
  4. lone

lonesome -n

  1. self
    • sat all by his lonesome

lone star tick -n

  1. an ixodid tick ( Amblyomma americanum) of the southern, central, and eastern U.S. that attacks mammals and birds, is a vector of several diseases (as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis), and in which the adult female has a single white spot on the back

lone wolf -n, adj

  1. a person who prefers to work, act, or live alone

long ['lȯŋ] -adj, n

  1. extending for a considerable distance
  2. having greater length than usual
    • a long corridor
  3. having greater height than usual : tall
  4. having a greater length than breadth : elongated
  5. having a greater length than desirable or necessary
    • the column is one line too long
  6. full-length
    • long pants
  7. having a specified length
    • six feet long
  8. forming the chief linear dimension
    • the long side of the room
  9. extending over a considerable time
    • a long friendship
  10. having a specified duration
    • two hours long
  11. prolonged beyond the usual time
    • a long look
  12. lasting too long : tedious
    • a long explanation
  13. containing many items in a series
    • a long list
  14. having a specified number of units
    • 300 pages long
  15. consisting of a greater number or amount than usual : large
  16. having a relatively long duration
  17. being the member of a pair of similarly spelled vowel or vowel-containing sounds that is descended from a vowel long in duration
    • long a in fate
    • long i in sign
  18. of relatively extended duration
  19. bearing a stress or accent
  20. having the capacity to reach, extend, or travel a considerable distance
    • a long left jab
    • tried to hit the long ball
  21. larger or longer than the standard
    • a long count by the referee
  22. extending far into the future
    • the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts -- H. W. Longfellow
  23. extending beyond what is known
    • a long guess
  24. payable after a considerable period
    • a long note
  25. possessing a high degree or a great deal of something specified : strong
    • long on common sense
  26. of an unusual degree of difference between the amounts wagered on each side
    • long odds
  27. of or relating to the larger amount wagered
    • take the long end of the bet
  28. subject to great odds
  29. owning or accumulating securities or goods esp. in anticipation of an advance in prices
    • they are now long on wheat
    • take a long position in steel
  30. for or during a long time
    • long a popular hangout
  31. at or to a long distance : far
    • long -traveled
  32. for the duration of a specified period
    • month -long
    • all summer long
  33. at a point of time far before or after a specified moment or event
    • was excited long before the big day
  34. after or beyond a specified or implied time
    • didn't stay long er than midnight
  35. for a considerable distance
    • threw the ball long
  36. in or into a long position (as on a market)
  37. a long period of time
  38. a long syllable
  39. one taking a long position esp. in a security or commodity market
  40. long trousers
  41. a size in clothing for tall men
  42. to feel a strong desire or craving esp. for something not likely to be attained
    • they long for peace
    • long ing to return home
  43. to be suitable or fitting
  44. longitude

longago ['lȯŋ-ə-'gō] -adj

  1. of or relating to the past
    • longago leaders

long ago -n

  1. the distant past

lon·gan ['lȯŋ-gən, -ən] -n

  1. a pulpy fruit related to the lychee and produced by a southeast Asian evergreen tree ( Euphoria longansyn. Dimocarpus longan) of the soapberry family
  2. a tree that bears the longan

lon·ga·nim·i·ty [,lȯŋ-gə-'ni-mə-tē] -n

  1. a disposition to bear injuries patiently : forbearance

long ball -n

  1. home run

long·boat ['lȯŋ-,bōt] -n

  1. a large oared boat usu. carried by a merchant sailing ship

long bone -n

  1. any of the elongated bones supporting a vertebrate limb and consisting of an essentially cylindrical shaft that contains bone marrow and ends in enlarged heads for articulation with other bones

long·bow ['lȯŋ-,bō] -n

  1. a hand-drawn wooden bow held vertically and used esp. by medieval English archers

long·bow·man [-mən] -n

  1. an archer who uses a longbow

long·case clock ['lȯŋ-,kās-] -n

  1. grandfather clock

longchain -adj

  1. having a relatively long chain of atoms and esp. carbon atoms in the molecule
    • longchain hydrocarbons

longday -adj

  1. responding to or relating to a long photoperiod used esp. of a plant

longdistance -adj

  1. of or relating to telephone communication with a distant point esp. outside a specified area
  2. situated a long distance away
  3. going or covering a long distance
    • longdistance roads
    • a longdistance runner
  4. conducted or effective over long distance
    • a longdistance relationship
    • longdistance listening devices
  5. by long-distance telephone
    • called her longdistance
  6. over or from a long distance

long distance -n

  1. communication by long-distance telephone
  2. a telephone operator or exchange that gives long-distance connections

long division -n

  1. arithmetical division in which the several steps involved in the division are indicated in detail

longdrawnout -adj

  1. extended to a great length

lon·ge·ron ['län-jə-,rän] -n

  1. a fore-and-aft framing member of an airplane fuselage

lon·gev·i·ty [län-'je-və-tē, lȯn-] -n

  1. a long duration of individual life
  2. length of life
    • a study of longevity
  3. long continuance : permanence, durability

lon·ge·vous [-'jē-vəs] -adj

  1. long-lived

long face -n

  1. a facial expression of sadness or melancholy

long green -n

  1. money

long·hair ['lȯŋ-,her] -n, adj

  1. an impractical intellectual
  2. a person of artistic gifts or interests
  3. a lover of classical music
  4. a person with long hair
  5. hippie
  6. a domestic cat having long outer fur

long·hand [-,hand] -n

  1. : handwriting: as
  2. characters or words written out fully by hand
  3. cursive writing

long haul -n, adj

  1. a long distance
  2. a considerable period of time
  3. long run

long·head·ed [-,he-dəd] -adj, n

  1. having unusual foresight
  2. dolichocephalic

long·horn [-,hȯrn] -n

  1. any of the long-horned cattle of Spanish derivation formerly common in southwestern U.S.
  2. texas longhorn
  3. a firm-textured usu. mild cheese (as cheddar or Colby)

longhorned beetle [-,hȯrn(d)-] -n

  1. any of a family (Cerambycidae syn. Longicornia) of beetles usu. distinguished by their very long antennae called also longhorn beetle

longhorned grasshopper -n

  1. any of various grasshoppers (family Tettigoniidae) distinguished by their very long antennae

long horse -n

  1. vaulting horse

long·house ['lȯŋ-,hau̇s, -'hau̇s] -n

  1. a long communal dwelling of some No. American Indians (as the Iroquois)

long hundredweight -n

  1. hundredweight

lon·gi·corn ['län-jə-,kȯrn] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or being long-horned beetles
  2. having long antennae

long·ing ['lȯŋ-iŋ] -n, adv

  1. a strong desire esp. for something unattainable : craving

long·ish ['lȯŋ-ish] -adj

  1. somewhat long : moderately long

lon·gi·tude ['län-jə-,tüd, -,tyüd, Brit also 'läŋ-gə-] -n

  1. angular distance measured on a great circle of reference from the intersection of the adopted zero meridian with this reference circle to the similar intersection of the meridian passing through the object
  2. the arc or portion of the earth's equator intersected between the meridian of a given place and the prime meridian and expressed either in degrees or in time
  3. long duration

lon·gi·tu·di·nal [,län-jə-'tüd-nəl, -'tyüd-, -'t(y)ü-dᵊn-əl, Brit also ,läŋ-gə-] -adj, adv

  1. placed or running lengthwise
  2. of or relating to length or the lengthwise dimension
  3. involving the repeated observation or examination of a set of subjects over time with respect to one or more study variables

longitudinal wave -n

  1. a wave (as a sound wave) in which the particles of the medium vibrate in the direction of the line of advance of the wave

long johns ['lȯŋ-,jänz] -n pl

  1. long underwear

long jump -n

  1. a track-and-field event in which a jump for distance is made usu. from a running start

long·leaf pine ['lȯŋ-,lēf-] -n

  1. a tall timber pine ( Pinus palustris) of the southeastern U.S. with long needles in bundles of three and long cones
  2. its tough coarse-grained reddish-orange wood consisting mostly of heartwood and used esp. for flooring and joinery

longleaved pine [-,lēv(d)-] -n

  1. longleaf pine

long·line ['lȯŋ-,līn, -'līn] -n

  1. a heavy fishing line that may be many miles long and that has baited hooks in series

longlin·er [-,lī-nər] -n

  1. one that fishes with a longline
  2. a fishing vessel used in long-lining

longlin·ing [-,lī-niŋ] -n

  1. fishing with a longline

longlived ['lȯŋ-'livd also -'līvd] -adj

  1. having a long life : characterized by long life
    • a longlived family
  2. lasting a long time : enduring

long meter -n

  1. a quatrain in iambic tetrameter in which the second and fourth lines and often the first and third lines rhyme called also long measure

long·neck ['lȯŋ-,nek] -n

  1. beer served in a bottle that has a long neck

Lon·go·bard ['lȯŋ-gə-,bärd, 'läŋ-] -n, adj

  1. lombard

longplay·ing ['lȯŋ-'plā-iŋ] -adj

  1. designed to be played at 33 revolutions per minute used of a microgroove record

longrange [-'rānj] -adj

  1. relating to or fit for long distances
    • longrange rockets
  2. involving or taking into account a long period of time
    • longrange planning

long run ['lȯŋ-'rən] -n, adj

  1. a relatively long period of time usu. used in the phrase in the long run

long·ship ['lȯŋ-,ship] -n

  1. a long sail and oar ship used by the Vikings

long·shore·man ['lȯŋ-,shȯr-mən, ,lȯŋ-'] -n

  1. a person who loads and unloads ships at a seaport

long·shor·ing ['lȯŋ-,shȯr-iŋ, ,lȯŋ-'] -n

  1. the act or occupation of working as a longshoreman

long shot ['lȯŋ-,shät] -n

  1. a venture involving great risk but promising a great reward if successful
  2. a venture unlikely to succeed
  3. an entry (as in a horse race) given little chance of winning
  4. a bet in which the chances of winning are slight but the possible winnings great

longsight·ed [-,sī-təd] -adj, n

  1. farsighted

long since -adv

  1. long ago
    • promises long since forgotten
  2. for a long time
    • has long since been a devoted friend

long·some ['lȯŋ-səm] -adj, adv, n

  1. tediously long

long·spur ['lȯŋ-,spər] -n

  1. any of several long-clawed finches (esp. genus Calcarius) of the arctic regions and the Great Plains of No. America

longstand·ing [-'stan-diŋ] -adj

  1. of long duration
    • a longstanding dispute

longsuf·fer·ing [-,sə-f(ə-)riŋ, -'sə-] -adj, n, adv

  1. patiently enduring lasting offense or hardship

long suit -n

  1. a holding of more than the average number of cards in a suit
  2. strong suit, forte

longtailed duck -n

  1. old-squaw

longterm ['lȯŋ-'tərm] -adj

  1. occurring over or involving a relatively long period of time
    • seeking longterm solutions
  2. of, relating to, or constituting a financial operation or obligation based on a considerable term and esp. one of more than 10 years
    • longterm bonds
  3. generated by assets held for longer than six months
    • a longterm capital gain

longterm potentiation -n

  1. a long-lasting strengthening of the response of a postsynaptic nerve cell to stimulation across the synapse that occurs with repeated stimulation and is thought to be related to learning and long-term memory abbr. LTP

long·time ['lȯŋ-'tīm] -adj

  1. having been so for a long time : long-standing
    • a longtime friend
    • a longtime friendship

Long Tom ['lȯŋ-'täm] -n

  1. a large land gun having a long range
  2. a trough for washing gold-bearing earth

lon·gueur [lōⁿ-'gœr] -n

  1. a dull and tedious portion (as of a book) usu. used in pl.

long view -n

  1. an approach to a problem or situation that emphasizes long-range factors

longwind·ed [,lȯŋ-'win-dəd, 'lȯŋ-,win-] -adj, adv, n

  1. tediously long in speaking or writing
  2. not easily subject to loss of breath

loo ['lü] -n

  1. an old card game in which the winner of each trick or a majority of tricks takes a portion of the pool while losing players are obligated to contribute to the next pool
  2. money staked at loo
  3. to obligate to contribute to a new pool at loo for failing to win a trick
  4. toilet

loo·by ['lü-bē] -n

  1. an awkward clumsy fellow : lubber

loo·fah ['lü-fə] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Luffa) of Old World tropical plants of the gourd family with large fruits
  2. its fruit
  3. a sponge consisting of the fibrous skeleton of the fruit of a loofah (esp. Luffa aegyptiaca)

look ['lu̇k] -vb

  1. to make sure or take care (that something is done)
  2. to ascertain by the use of one's eyes
    • look what I brought you
  3. to exercise the power of vision upon : examine
  4. to search for
  5. expect, anticipate
    • we look to have a good year
  6. to have in mind as an end
    • look ing to win back some lost profits
  7. to bring into a place or condition by the exercise of the power of vision
  8. to express by the eyes or facial expression
  9. to have an appearance that befits or accords with
    • look s her age
  10. to exercise the power of vision : see
  11. to direct one's attention
    • look upon the future with hope
    • look at the map
  12. to direct the eyes
    • look ed up from the newspaper
  13. to have the appearance or likelihood of being : seem
    • it look s unlikely
    • look s to be hard work
  14. to have a specified outlook
    • the house look ed east
  15. to gaze in wonder or surprise : stare
  16. to show a tendency
    • the evidence look s to acquittal
  17. the act of looking
  18. glance
  19. the expression of the countenance
  20. physical appearance
  21. attractive physical appearance usu. used in pl.
  22. a combination of design features giving a unified appearance
    • a new look in women's fashions
  23. the state or form in which something appears

lookalike ['lu̇k-ə-,līk] -n, adj

  1. one that looks like another : double

look·down ['lu̇k-,dau̇n] -n

  1. a silvery carangid fish ( Selene vomer) chiefly of the Atlantic having a laterally compressed deep body and steeply sloping facial profile

look down -vi

  1. to be in a position that affords a downward view
  2. to regard with contempt : despise used with on or upon

look·er ['lu̇-kər] -n

  1. one that looks
  2. one having an appearance of a specified kind
  3. one that has an attractive appearance

look·eron [,lu̇-kər-'ȯn, -'än] -n

  1. onlooker

lookin ['lu̇k-,in] -n

  1. a chance of success
  2. a quick pass in football to a receiver running diagonally toward the center of the field

looking glass -n

  1. mirror

look·ism ['lu̇-ki-zəm] -n

  1. prejudice or discrimination based on physical appearance and esp. physical appearance believed to fall short of societal notions of beauty

look on -vi

  1. watch
    • looked on anxiously from the sidelines

look·out ['lu̇k-,au̇t] -n

  1. one engaged in keeping watch : watchman
  2. an elevated place or structure affording a wide view for observation
  3. a careful looking or watching
    • on the lookout
  4. view, outlook
  5. a matter of care or concern

look out -vi

  1. to take care or concern oneself used with for
    • looking out for number one

look over -vt

  1. to inspect or examine esp. in a cursory way

looksee ['lu̇k-'sē, -,sē] -n

  1. a general survey : evaluation, inspection

look·up ['lu̇k-,əp] -n

  1. the process or an instance of looking something up
  2. the process of matching by computer the words of a text with material stored in memory

look up -vi

  1. to cheer up
    • look up -things are not all bad
  2. to improve in prospects or conditions
    • business is looking up
  3. to search for in or as if in a reference work
    • look up an address
  4. to seek out esp. for a brief visit
    • look me up when you're here

loom ['lüm] -n

  1. a frame or machine for interlacing at right angles two or more sets of threads or yarns to form a cloth
  2. to come into sight in enlarged or distorted and indistinct form often as a result of atmospheric conditions
  3. to appear in an impressively great or exaggerated form
    • deficits loom ed large
  4. to take shape as an impending occurrence
  5. the indistinct and exaggerated appearance of something seen on the horizon or through fog or darkness
  6. a looming shadow or reflection

loon ['lün] -n

  1. lout, idler
  2. boy
  3. a crazy person
  4. simpleton
  5. any of several large birds (genus Gaviaof the family Gaviidae) of Holarctic regions that feed on fish by diving and have their legs placed far back under the body for optimal locomotion underwater

loon·ie ['lü-nē] -n

  1. a coin worth one Canadian dollar

loo·ny ['lü-nē] -adj, n

  1. crazy, foolish

loony bin -n

  1. a psychiatric hospital : madhouse

loony tunes -adj

  1. loony

loop ['lüp] -n

  1. loophole
  2. a curving or doubling of a line so as to form a closed or partly open curve within itself through which another line can be passed or into which a hook may be hooked
  3. such a fold of cord or ribbon serving as an ornament
  4. something shaped like or suggestive of a loop
  5. a circular airplane maneuver executed in the vertical plane
  6. a ring or curved piece used to form a fastening, handle, or catch
  7. a closed electric circuit
  8. a piece of film or magnetic tape whose ends are spliced together so as to project or play back the same material continuously
  9. a continuously repeated segment of music, dialogue, or images
    • a drum loop
  10. a series of instructions (as for a computer) that is repeated until a terminating condition is reached
  11. a sports league
  12. a select well-informed inner circle that is influential in decision making
    • out of the policy loop
  13. to make or form a loop
  14. to execute a loop in an airplane
  15. to move in loops or in an arc
  16. to make a loop in, on, or about
  17. to fasten with a loop
  18. to join (two courses of loops) in knitting
  19. to connect (electric conductors) so as to complete a loop
  20. to cause to move in an arc

looped ['lüpt] -adj

  1. having, formed in, or characterized by loops
    • looped fabrics
  2. drunk

loop·er ['lü-pər] -n

  1. any of the usu. rather small hairless caterpillars that are mostly larvae of moths (families Geometridae and Noctuidae) and move with a looping motion in which the hind prolegs draw the posterior body toward the front followed by forward extension by the anterior legs called also inchworm
  2. one that loops

loop·hole ['lüp-,hōl] -n

  1. a small opening through which small arms may be fired
  2. a similar opening to admit light and air or to permit observation
  3. a means of escape
  4. an ambiguity or omission in the text through which the intent of a statute, contract, or obligation may be evaded

loophole -vt

  1. to make loopholes in

loop of Hen·le [-'hen-lē]

  1. a U-shaped part of the nephron of birds and mammals that lies between and is continuous with the proximal and distal convoluted tubules and that functions in water resorption

loopy ['lü-pē] -adj, adv, n

  1. having or characterized by loops
  2. crazy, bizarre

loose ['lüs] -adj, adv, n

  1. not rigidly fastened or securely attached
  2. having worked partly free from attachments
    • a loose tooth
  3. having relative freedom of movement
  4. produced freely and accompanied by raising of mucus
    • a loose cough
  5. not tight-fitting
  6. free from a state of confinement, restraint, or obligation
    • a lion loose in the streets
    • spend loose funds wisely
  7. not brought together in a bundle, container, or binding
  8. disconnected, detached
  9. not dense, close, or compact in structure or arrangement
  10. not solid : watery
    • loose stools
  11. lacking in restraint or power of restraint
    • a loose tongue
  12. lacking moral restraint : unchaste
  13. overactive
  14. marked by frequent voiding esp. of watery stools
    • loose bowels
  15. not tightly drawn or stretched : slack
  16. being flexible or relaxed
    • stay loose
  17. lacking in precision, exactness, or care
    • loose brushwork
    • loose usage
  18. permitting freedom of interpretation
  19. not in the possession of either of two competing teams
    • a loose ball
    • a loose puck
  20. to let loose : release
  21. to free from restraint
  22. to make loose : untie
    • loose a knot
  23. to cast loose : detach
  24. to let fly : discharge
  25. to make less rigid, tight, or strict : relax
  26. to let fly a missile (as an arrow) : fire
  27. in a loose manner : loosely

loose box -n

  1. box stall

loose cannon -n

  1. a dangerously uncontrollable person or thing

loose end -n

  1. something left hanging loose
  2. a fragment of unfinished business usu. used in pl.
    • tying up loose ends

loosejoint·ed ['lüs-'jȯin-təd] -adj, n

  1. having joints apparently not closely articulated
  2. characterized by unusually free movements

looseleaf ['lüs-'lēf] -adj

  1. having leaves secured in book form in a cover whose spine may be opened for adding, arranging, or removing leaves
    • looseleaf notebook
  2. of, relating to, or used with a loose-leaf binding
    • looseleaf paper

loos·en ['lü-sᵊn] -vb

  1. to release from restraint
  2. to make looser
    • loosen ed his tie
    • loosen a screw
  3. to relieve (the bowels) of constipation
  4. to cause or permit to become less strict often used with up
    • loosen ed the rules
  5. to become loose or looser

loosen up -vi

  1. to become less tense : relax

loose sentence -n

  1. a sentence in which the principal clause comes first and subordinate modifiers or trailing elements follow

loose smut -n

  1. a smut disease of grains in which the entire head is transformed into a dusty mass of spores

loose·strife ['lü(s)-,strīf] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Lysimachia) of plants of the primrose family with leafy stems and usu. yellow or white flowers
  2. any of a genus ( Lythrum,family Lythraceae, the loosestrife family) of herbs having entire leaves and including some with showy spikes of purple flowers
  3. purple loosestrife

loos·eygoos·ey [,lü-sē-'gü-sē] -adj

  1. notably loose or relaxed : not tense
    • a looseygoosey attitude

loot ['lüt] -n

  1. goods usu. of considerable value taken in war : spoils
  2. : something held to resemble goods of value seized in war: as
  3. something appropriated illegally often by force or violence
  4. illicit gains by public officials
  5. money
  6. the action of looting
  7. to plunder or sack in war
  8. to rob esp. on a large scale and usu. by violence or corruption
  9. to seize and carry away by force esp. in war
  10. to engage in robbing or plundering esp. in war

lop ['läp] -n

  1. material cut away from a tree
  2. parts discarded in lumbering
  3. to cut off branches or twigs from
  4. to sever from a woody plant
  5. to cut off the head or limbs of
  6. to cut from a person
  7. to remove superfluous parts from
  8. to eliminate as unnecessary or undesirable usu. used with off
  9. to hang downward : droop

lope ['lōp] -n

  1. an easy natural gait of a horse resembling a canter
  2. an easy usu. bounding gait capable of being sustained for a long time
  3. to move or ride at a lope

lopeared ['läp-,ird] -adj

  1. having ears that droop

loph·o·phore ['lä-fə-,fȯr] -n

  1. a circular or horseshoe-shaped organ about the mouth esp. of a brachiopod or bryozoan that bears tentacles and functions esp. in food-getting

lop·per ['lä-pər] -n

  1. pruning shears with long handles usu. used in pl.

lop·sid·ed ['läp-,sī-dəd] -adj, adv, n

  1. leaning to one side
  2. lacking in balance, symmetry, or proportion : disproportionately heavy on one side
    • a lopsided vote of 991

loq -abbr

  1. he speaks; she speaks

lo·qua·cious [lō-'kwā-shəs] -adj, adv, n

  1. full of excessive talk : wordy
  2. given to fluent or excessive talk : garrulous

lo·quac·i·ty [-'kwa-sə-tē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being very talkative

lo·quat ['lō-,kwät] -n

  1. an Asian evergreen tree ( Eriobotrya japonica) of the rose family often cultivated for its fruit
  2. its small yellow edible fruit used esp. for preserves

lo·ran ['lȯr-,an] -n

  1. a system of long-range navigation in which pulsed signals sent out by two pairs of radio stations are used to determine the location of a ship or airplane

lor·az·e·pam [lȯr-'a-zə-,pam] -n

  1. benzodiazepine C 15H 10Cl 2N 2O 2used esp. to relieve anxiety

lord ['lȯrd] -n

  1. : one having power and authority over others:
  2. a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due
  3. one of whom a fee or estate is held in feudal tenure
  4. an owner of land or other real property
  5. the male head of a household
  6. husband
  7. one that has achieved mastery or that exercises leadership or great power in some area
    • a drug lord
  8. god
  9. jesus
  10. : a man of rank or high position: as
  11. a feudal tenant whose right or title comes directly from the king
  12. : a British nobleman: as
  13. baron
  14. a hereditary peer of the rank of marquess, earl, or viscount
  15. the son of a duke or a marquess or the eldest son of an earl
  16. a bishop of the Church of England
  17. house of lords
  18. used as a British title: as
  19. used as part of an official title
    • Lord Advocate
    • Lord Mayor
  20. used informally in place of the full title for a marquess, earl, or viscount
  21. used for a baron
  22. used by courtesy before the name and surname of a younger son of a duke or a marquess
  23. a person chosen to preside over a festival
  24. to act like a lord
  25. to put on airs usu. used with it
    • lord s it over his friends

lord chancellor -n

  1. a British officer of state who presides over the House of Lords in both its legislative and judicial capacities, serves as the head of the British judiciary, and is usu. a leading member of the cabinet

lord·ing ['lȯr-diŋ] -n

  1. lord
  2. lordling

lord·ling ['lȯrd-liŋ] -n

  1. a little or insignificant lord

lord·ly [-lē] -adj, n, adv

  1. of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a lord : dignified
  2. grand, noble
  3. exhibiting the pride and assurance associated with one of the highest birth or rank

lord of misrule

  1. a master of Christmas revels in England esp. in the 15th and 16th centuries

lor·do·sis [lȯr-'dō-səs] -n, adj

  1. abnormally increased inward curvature of the lower region of the spine resulting in a concave back as viewed from the side
  2. a mating posture of some sexually receptive female mammals (as rats) in which the head and rump are raised and the back is arched downward

Lord Protector of the Commonwealth

  1. protector

Lord's day -n

  1. sunday

lord·ship ['lȯrd-,ship] -n

  1. the rank or dignity of a lord used as a title
  2. the authority or power of a lord : dominion
  3. the territory under the jurisdiction of a lord : seigniory

Lord's Prayer -n

  1. the prayer with variant versions in Matthew and Luke that according to the Lucan account Christ taught his disciples

Lord's Supper -n

  1. communion

Lord's table -n

  1. altar

Lordy ['lȯr-dē] -interj

  1. used to express surprise or strength of feeling

lore ['lȯr] -n

  1. something that is taught : lesson
  2. : something that is learned:
  3. knowledge gained through study or experience
  4. traditional knowledge or belief
  5. a particular body of knowledge or tradition
  6. the space between the eye and bill in a bird or the corresponding region in a reptile or fish

Lo·re·lei ['lȯr-ə-,lī] -n

  1. a siren of Germanic legend whose singing lures Rhine River boatmen to destruction on a reef

lor·gnette [lȯrn-'yet] -n

  1. a pair of eyeglasses or opera glasses with a handle

lor·gnon [lȯrn-'yōⁿ] -n

  1. lorgnette

lo·ri·ca [lə-'rī-kə] -n

  1. a Roman cuirass of leather or metal
  2. a hard protective case or shell (as of a rotifer)

lor·i·keet ['lȯr-ə-,kēt, 'lär-] -n

  1. any of numerous small arboreal chiefly Australasian parrots (family Loriidae) that usu. have long slender tongue papillae which form an organ resembling a brush

lo·ris ['lȯr-əs] -n

  1. : any of several nocturnal slow-moving tailless arboreal primates (family Lorisidae): as
  2. a slim-bodied primate ( Loris tardigradus) of southern India and Sri Lanka
  3. either of two larger related primates ( Nycticebus pygmaeusor N. coucang) of southeastern Asia that are heavier limbed and slower moving

lorn ['lȯrn] -adj

  1. desolate, forsaken

Lor·raine cross [lə-'rān-, lȯ-] -n

  1. cross of lorraine

lor·ry ['lȯr-ē, 'lär-] -n

  1. motortruck

lo·ry ['lȯr-ē] -n

  1. any of numerous parrots (family Loriidae) of Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent islands related to the lorikeets and usu. having the tongue papillose at the tip and the mandibles less toothed than in other parrots

LOS -abbr

  1. line of scrimmage
  2. line of sight

lose ['lüz] -vb, adj, n

  1. to bring to destruction used chiefly in passive construction
    • the ship was lost on the reef
  2. damn
    • if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul -- Mt 16:26(AV)
  3. to miss from one's possession or from a customary or supposed place
  4. to suffer deprivation of : part with esp. in an unforeseen or accidental manner
  5. to suffer loss through the death or removal of or final separation from (a person)
  6. to fail to keep control of or allegiance of
    • lose votes
    • lost his temper
  7. to fail to use : let slip by : waste
    • no time to lose
  8. to fail to win, gain, or obtain
    • lose a prize
    • lose a contest
  9. to undergo defeat in
    • lost every battle
  10. to fail to catch with the senses or the mind
    • lost what she said
  11. to cause the loss of
  12. to fail to keep, sustain, or maintain
    • lost my balance
  13. to cause to miss one's way or bearings
    • lost himself in the maze of streets
  14. to make (oneself) withdrawn from immediate reality
    • lost herself in daydreaming
  15. to wander or go astray from
    • lost his way
  16. to draw away from : outstrip
    • lost his pursuers
  17. to fail to keep in sight or in mind
  18. to free oneself from : get rid of
    • dieting to lose weight
  19. regurgitate, vomit often used in such phrases as lose one's lunch
  20. to undergo deprivation of something of value
  21. to undergo defeat
    • lose with good grace
  22. to run slow

lo·sel ['lō-zəl] -n

  1. a worthless person

loselose ['lüz-'lüz] -adj

  1. presenting two options both of which put one at a disadvantage
    • a loselose proposition

lose out -vi

  1. to fail to win in competition : fail to receive an expected reward or gain

los·er ['lü-zər] -n

  1. a person or thing that loses esp. consistently
  2. a person who is incompetent or unable to succeed
  3. something doomed to fail or disappoint

losing -adj

  1. resulting in or likely to result in defeat
    • a losing battle
    • a losing poker hand
  2. marked by many losses or more losses than wins
    • a losing streak
    • a losing record

loss ['lȯs] -n

  1. destruction, ruin
  2. the act of losing possession : deprivation
    • loss of sight
  3. the harm or privation resulting from loss or separation
  4. an instance of losing
  5. : a person or thing or an amount that is lost: as
  6. killed, wounded, or captured soldiers
  7. the power diminution of a circuit or circuit element corresponding to conversion of electrical energy into heat by resistance
  8. failure to gain, win, obtain, or utilize
  9. an amount by which the cost of something exceeds its selling price
  10. decrease in amount, magnitude, or degree
  11. the amount of an insured's financial detriment by death or damage that the insurer is liable for

loss leader -n, adj

  1. something (as merchandise) sold at a loss in order to draw customers

loss·less ['lȯs-ləs] -adj

  1. done or being without loss (as of power or data)
    • lossless data compression
    • lossless power transmission

loss ratio -n

  1. the ratio between insurance losses incurred and premiums earned during a given period

lossy ['lȯ-sē] -adj

  1. causing attenuation or dissipation of electrical energy
    • a lossy transmission line
    • a lossy dielectric

lost ['lȯst] -adj, n

  1. not made use of, won, or claimed
  2. no longer possessed
  3. no longer known
  4. ruined or destroyed physically or morally : desperate
  5. taken away or beyond reach or attainment : denied
    • regions lost to the faith
  6. insensible, hardened
    • lost to shame
  7. unable to find the way
  8. no longer visible
  9. lacking assurance or self-confidence : helpless
  10. rapt, absorbed
    • lost in reverie
  11. not appreciated or understood : wasted
    • their jokes were lost on me
  12. obscured or overlooked during a process or activity
    • lost in translation
  13. hopelessly unattainable : futile
    • a lost cause

lost wax -n

  1. a process used in metal casting that consists of making a wax model, coating it with a refractory to form a mold, heating until the wax melts and runs out of the mold, and then pouring metal into the vacant mold

lot ['lät] -n

  1. an object used as a counter in determining a question by chance
  2. the use of lots as a means of deciding something
  3. the resulting choice
  4. something that comes to one upon whom a lot has fallen : share
  5. one's way of life or worldly fate : fortune
  6. a portion of land
  7. a measured parcel of land having fixed boundaries and designated on a plot or survey
  8. a motion-picture studio and its adjoining property
  9. an establishment for the storage or sale of motor vehicles
    • a used car lot
  10. a number of units of an article, a single article, or a parcel of articles offered as one item (as in an auction sale)
  11. all the members of a present group, kind, or quantity usu. used with the
    • sampled the whole lot of desserts
  12. a number of associated persons : set
    • fell in with a rough lot
  13. kind, sort
  14. a considerable quantity or extent
    • a lot of money
    • lot s of friends
  15. allot, apportion
  16. to form or divide into lots

Lot ['lät] -n

  1. a nephew of Abraham who according to the account in Genesis escaped from the doomed city of Sodom with his wife who turned into a pillar of salt when she looked back

lo·ta ['lō-tə] -n

  1. a small usu. spherical water vessel of brass or copper used in India

loth ['lōth, 'lōth] -adj, n

(variant of loath)

  1. unwilling to do something contrary to one's ways of thinking : reluctant

lo·thar·io [lō-'ther-ē-,ō, -'thär-] -n

  1. a man whose chief interest is seducing women

lo·tic ['lō-tik] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or living in actively moving water
    • a lotic habitat

lo·tion ['lō-shən] -n

  1. a liquid preparation for cosmetic or external medicinal use

lots ['läts] -adv

  1. much
    • feeling lots better

lotte ['lät, 'lȯt] -n

  1. monkfish

lot·tery ['lä-tə-rē also 'lä-trē] -n

  1. a drawing of lots in which prizes are distributed to the winners among persons buying a chance
  2. a drawing of lots used to decide something
  3. an event or affair whose outcome is or seems to be determined by chance

lot·to ['lä-(,)tō] -n

  1. a game of chance resembling bingo

lo·tus ['lō-təs] -n

  1. a fruit eaten by the lotus-eaters and considered to cause indolence and dreamy contentment
  2. a tree (as Zizyphus lotusof the buckthorn family) reputed to bear this fruit
  3. any of various water lilies including several represented in ancient Egyptian and Hindu art and religious symbolism
  4. any of a genus ( Lotus) of widely distributed upright herbs or subshrubs of the legume family
  5. sweet clover

lo·tuseat·er [-,ē-tər] -n

  1. any of a people in Homer's Odyssey subsisting on the lotus and living in the dreamy indolence it induces
  2. an indolent person

lo·tus·land [-,land] -n

  1. a place inducing contentment esp. through offering an idyllic living situation
  2. a state or an ideal marked by contentment often achieved through self-indulgence

lotus position -n

  1. a cross-legged sitting position used in yoga in which each foot is on the thigh of the opposite leg

louche ['lüsh] -adj

  1. not reputable or decent

loud ['lau̇d] -adj, adv

  1. marked by intensity or volume of sound
  2. producing a loud sound
  3. clamorous, noisy
  4. obtrusive or offensive in appearance or smell : obnoxious

loud·en ['lau̇-dᵊn] -vb

  1. to become loud
  2. to make loud

loudhail·er [,lau̇d-'hā-lər] -n

  1. bullhorn

loud·mouth ['lau̇d-,mau̇th] -n

  1. a loudmouthed person

loud·mouthed [-,mau̇thd, -,mau̇tht] -adj

  1. given to loud offensive talk

loud·ness -n

  1. the attribute of a sound that determines the magnitude of the auditory sensation produced and that primarily depends on the amplitude of the sound wave involved

loud·speak·er ['lau̇d-,spē-kər] -n

  1. a device that changes electrical signals into sounds loud enough to be heard at a distance

Lou Geh·rig's disease [,lü-'ger-igz-] -n

  1. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

lough ['läk, 'läk̲] -n

  1. lake
  2. a bay or inlet of the sea

lou·is d'or [,lü-ē-'dȯr] -n

  1. a French gold coin first struck in 1640 and issued up to the French Revolution
  2. the French 20-franc gold piece issued after the French Revolution

Lou·is Qua·torze [,lü-ē-kə-'tȯrz] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the architecture or furniture of the reign of Louis XIV of France

Louis Quinze [-'kaⁿz] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the architecture or furniture of the reign of Louis XV of France

Louis Seize [-'sāz, -'sez] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the architecture or furniture of the reign of Louis XVI of France

Louis Treize [-'trāz, -'trez] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the architecture or furniture of the reign of Louis XIII of France

louma [,lü-'mä] -n

(variant of luma)

  1. see dram at

lounge ['lau̇nj] -vb

  1. to act or move idly or lazily : loaf
  2. to pass (time) idly
  3. : a place for lounging: as
  4. a room in a private home or public building for leisure activities : living room
  5. lobby
  6. a room in a usu. public building or vehicle often combining lounging, smoking, and toilet facilities
  7. a long couch

lounge car -n

  1. club car

lounge lizard -n

  1. ladies' man
  2. fop
  3. a social parasite

loung·er ['lau̇n-jər] -n

  1. one that lounges
  2. idler
  3. an article of clothing or furniture designed for comfort and leisure use

lounge suit -n

  1. business suit

lounge·wear ['lau̇nj-,wer] -n

  1. informal clothing usu. designed to be worn at home

loup ['lau̇p, 'lōp] -vb, n

  1. leap

loupe ['lüp] -n

  1. a small magnifier used esp. by jewelers and watchmakers

loupga·rou [,lü-gə-'rü] -n

  1. werewolf

lour ['lau̇(-ə)r, 'lō-ər] -vi

(variant of lower)

  1. to look sullen : frown
  2. to be or become dark, gloomy, and threatening
    • an overcast sky lower ed over the village

louse ['lau̇s] -n

  1. any of various small wingless usu. flattened insects (orders Anoplura and Mallophaga) parasitic on warm-blooded animals
  2. a small usu. sluggish arthropod (as a biting louse) that lives on other animals or on plants and sucks their blood or juices
  3. any of several small arthropods (as a book louse) that are not parasitic
  4. a contemptible person : heel
  5. to remove lice from

louse up -vt

  1. foul up, snarl
  2. to make a mess

louse·wort ['lau̇s-,wərt, -,wȯrt] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Pedicularis) of semiparasitic herbs of the snapdragon family typically having pinnatifid leaves and bilabiate flowers in terminal spikes

lousy ['lau̇-zē] -adj, adv, n

  1. infested with lice
  2. totally repulsive : contemptible
  3. miserably poor or inferior
    • got lousy grades
  4. somewhat ill
    • felt lousy after dinner
  5. amply supplied : replete
    • lousy with money
  6. fuzzy and specked because of splitting of the fiber

lout ['lau̇t] -vi

  1. to bow in respect
  2. submit, yield
  3. an awkward brutish person
  4. to treat as a lout : scorn

lout·ish ['lau̇-tish] -adj, adv, n

  1. resembling or befitting a lout

lou·ver ['lü-vər] -n, adj

  1. a roof lantern or turret often with slatted apertures for escape of smoke or admission of light in a medieval building
  2. an opening provided with one or more slanted fixed or movable fins to allow flow of air but to exclude rain or sun or to provide privacy
  3. a finned or vaned device for controlling a flow of air or the radiation of light
  4. a fin or shutter of a louver

lov·able ['lə-və-bəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. having qualities that attract affection

lov·age ['lə-vij] -n

  1. any of several aromatic perennial herbs of the carrot family
  2. a European herb ( Levisticum officinale) sometimes cultivated for use in medicine esp. as a diuretic and in cookery usu. as a flavoring agent

lov·a·stat·in ['lō-və-,sta-tᵊn, 'lə-; ,lō-və-', ,lə-] -n

  1. a drug C 24H 36O 8that decreases the level of cholesterol in the bloodstream

lov·at ['lə-vət] -n

  1. a predominantly dusty color mixture (as of green) in fabrics

love ['ləv] -n

  1. strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties
    • maternal love for a child
  2. attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers
  3. affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests
    • love for his old schoolmates
  4. an assurance of love
    • give her my love
  5. warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion
    • love of the sea
  6. the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration
    • baseball was his first love
  7. a beloved person : darling often used as a term of endearment
  8. used as an informal term of address
  9. : unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as
  10. the fatherly concern of God for humankind
  11. brotherly concern for others
  12. a person's adoration of God
  13. a god or personification of love
  14. an amorous episode : love affair
  15. the sexual embrace : copulation
  16. a score of zero (as in tennis)
  17. god
  18. to hold dear : cherish
  19. to feel a lover's passion, devotion, or tenderness for
  20. caress
  21. to fondle amorously
  22. to copulate with
  23. to like or desire actively : take pleasure in
    • loved to play the violin
  24. to thrive in
    • the rose love s sunlight
  25. to feel affection or experience desire

love affair -n

  1. a romantic attachment or episode between lovers
  2. a lively enthusiasm
    • America's love affair with baseball

love apple -n

  1. tomato

love beads -n pl

  1. beads worn as a symbol of love and peace

love·bird ['ləv-,bərd] -n

  1. any of various small usu. gray or green parrots (esp. genus Agapornisof Africa) that show great affection for their mates

love·bug [-,bəg] -n

  1. a small black fly ( Plecia nearctica) with a red thorax that swarms along highways in the Gulf states of the U.S.

love child -n

  1. an illegitimate child

love feast -n

  1. a meal eaten in common by a Christian congregation in token of brotherly love
  2. a gathering held to promote reconciliation and good feeling or show someone affectionate honor

love·fest ['ləv-,fest] -n

  1. love feast
  2. an expression or exchange of goodwill, praise, or affection

love grass -n

  1. any of a genus ( Eragrostis) of grasses that resemble the bluegrasses but have flattened spikelets and deciduous lemmas

love handles -n pl

  1. fatty bulges along the sides of the body at the waist

lovein ['ləv-,in] -n

  1. a gathering of people esp. for the expression of their mutual love

loveinamist ['ləv-ə-nə-,mist] -n

  1. an Old World annual herb ( Nigella damascena) of the buttercup family having usu. blue or white flowers enveloped in numerous finely dissected bracts

love knot -n

  1. a stylized knot sometimes used as an emblem of love

love·less ['ləv-ləs] -adj, adv, n

  1. having no love
    • a loveless relationship
  2. not loved

love·lock [-,läk] -n

  1. a long lock of hair variously worn (as over the front of the shoulder) esp. by men in the 17th and 18th centuries

love·lorn [-,lȯrn] -adj, n

  1. bereft of love or of a lover
    • letters from lovelorn soldiers

love·ly ['ləv-lē] -adj, adv, n

  1. lovable
  2. delightful for beauty, harmony, or grace : attractive
  3. grand, swell
    • what a lovely morning
  4. eliciting love by moral or ideal worth

lovely -n

  1. a beautiful woman
  2. a lovely object

love·mak·ing ['ləv-,mā-kiŋ] -n

  1. courtship
  2. sexual activity
  3. copulation

love nest -n

  1. a place (as an apartment) used for amorous and often illicit rendezvous

lov·er ['lə-vər] -n

  1. a person in love
  2. a man in love with a woman
  3. two persons in love with each other
  4. an affectionate or benevolent friend
  5. devotee
  6. paramour
  7. a person with whom one has sexual relations

lov·er·ly [-lē] -adj

  1. resembling or befitting a lover

love seat -n

  1. a double chair, sofa, or settee for two persons

love·sick ['ləv-,sik] -adj, n

  1. languishing with love : yearning
    • a lovesick suitor
  2. expressing a lover's longing

love·some [-səm] -adj

  1. winsome, lovely
  2. affectionate, amorous

love tap -n

  1. a gentle blow

loveydovey [,lə-vē-'də-vē] -adj, n

  1. expressing much love or sentimentality
  2. mushy

loving [-viŋ-lē] -adj, adv, n

  1. affectionate
  2. painstaking

loving cup -n

  1. a large ornamental drinking vessel with two or more handles
  2. a loving cup given as a token or trophy

lov·ingkind·ness [,lə-viŋ-'kīn(d)-nəs] -n

  1. tender and benevolent affection

low ['lō] -vi

  1. moo
  2. the deep sustained sound characteristic esp. of a cow
  3. having a small upward extension or elevation
    • a low wall
  4. situated or passing little above a reference line, point, or plane
    • low bridges
  5. having a low-cut neckline
  6. not extending as high as the ankle
    • low oxfords
  7. situated or passing below the normal level, surface, or base of measurement, or the mean elevation
    • low ground
  8. marking a nadir or bottom
    • the low point of his career
  9. dead used as a predicate adjective with lay
    • laid the enemy low
  10. not loud : soft
  11. flat
  12. characterized by being toward the bottom of the range of pitch attainable (as by an instrument)
  13. being near the equator
    • low northern latitudes
  14. being near the horizon
  15. socially or economically humble in character or status
    • a person of low birth
  16. lacking strength, health, or vitality : weak, prostrate
    • very low with pneumonia
  17. lacking spirit or vivacity : depressed
    • a low frame of mind
  18. of lesser degree, size, or amount than average or ordinary
    • low energy
  19. small in number or amount
  20. substandard, inadequate
    • a low level of employment
    • a low income group
  21. cheap
    • low prices
  22. short, depleted
    • oil is in low supply
  23. of lesser position, rank, or order
  24. : falling short of some standard: as
  25. lacking dignity or elevation
    • a low style of writing
  26. morally reprehensible : base
    • a low trick
  27. coarse, vulgar
    • low language
  28. not advanced in complexity, development, or elaboration
    • low organisms
  29. low church
  30. unfavorable, disparaging
    • had a low opinion of him
  31. designed for slow and usu. the slowest speed
    • low gear
  32. articulated with a wide opening between the relatively flat tongue and the palate : open
    • a is a low vowel
  33. intended to attract little attention
    • kept a low profile
  34. being near the basket or net
    • a player in the low post
  35. : something that is low: as
  36. depth
    • a new low in advertising
  37. a region of low barometric pressure
  38. the transmission gear of an automotive vehicle giving the lowest ratio of driveshaft to crankshaft speed
  39. flame, blaze
  40. flame, blaze

low·ball ['lō-,bȯl] -vt, n

  1. to give (a customer) a deceptively low price or cost estimate
  2. to give a markedly or unfairly low offer
    • lowball ed him in contract negotiations

low beam -n

  1. a vehicle headlight beam with a short-range focus

low blood pressure -n

  1. hypotension

low blow -n

  1. an unprincipled attack
    • gossip column that landed one low blow after another -- James Fallows

low·born ['lō-'bȯrn] -adj

  1. born in a low condition or rank

low·boy [-,bȯi] -n

  1. a chest or side table about three feet (one meter) high with drawers and usu. with cabriole legs

low·bred [-'bred] -adj

  1. rude, vulgar

low·brow [-,brau̇] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or suitable for a person with little taste or intellectual interest
    • a lowbrow horror movie

Low Church -adj

  1. tending esp. in Anglican worship to minimize emphasis on the priesthood, sacraments, and ceremonial in worship and often to emphasize evangelical principles

Low Churchman -n

  1. a person holding or advocating Low Church views

low comedy -n

  1. comedy employing burlesque, horseplay, or the representation of low life

low country -n, adj

  1. a low-lying country or region
  2. the part of a southern state extending from the seacoast inland to the fall line

lowdensity lipoprotein -n

  1. ldl

low·down ['lō-,dau̇n] -n

  1. the inside facts : dope
    • gave us the lowdown on the situation

lowdown ['lō-(,)dau̇n] -adj

  1. contemptible, base
    • a lowdown dirty liar
  2. deeply emotional
    • lowdown blues

low earth orbit -n

  1. a usu. circular orbit from about 90 to 600 miles (about 140 to 970 kilometers) above the earth

lowend ['lō-,end] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being the lowest priced merchandise in a manufacturer's line
  2. inexpensive

low·er ['lau̇(-ə)r, 'lō-ər] -vi

  1. to look sullen : frown
  2. to be or become dark, gloomy, and threatening
    • an overcast sky lower ed over the village

lower -n

  1. frown

low·er ['lō-ər] -adj

  1. relatively low in position, rank, or order
  2. southern
    • lower New York State
  3. less advanced in the scale of evolutionary development
  4. situated or held to be situated beneath the earth's surface
  5. being an earlier epoch or series of the period or system named
    • Lower Cretaceous
    • Lower Paleolithic
  6. constituting the popular and often the larger and more representative branch of a bicameral legislative body
    • lower house
  7. to move down : drop
  8. diminish
  9. to let descend : let down
  10. to depress as to direction
    • lower your aim
  11. to reduce the height of
  12. to reduce in value, number, or amount
  13. to bring down in quality or character : degrade
  14. abase, humble
  15. to reduce the objective of

low·er·case [,lō-ər-'kās] -adj, n

  1. having as its typical form a f g or b n irather than A F G or B N I

lowercase -vt

  1. to print or set in lowercase letters

low·erclass [,lō-ər-'klas] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the lower class
  2. being an inferior or low-ranking specimen of its kind
    • a lowerclass theater

lower class -n

  1. a social class occupying a position below the middle class and having the lowest status in a society

lower criticism -n

  1. criticism concerned with the recovery of original texts esp. of Scripture through collation of extant manuscripts

lower fungus -n

  1. a fungus with hyphae absent or rudimentary and nonseptate

low·er·ing ['lau̇-(ə-)riŋ, 'lō-] -adj

  1. dark and threatening : gloomy
    • rain pouring down from a lowering sky

low·er·most ['lō-ər-,mōst] -adj

  1. lowest

low·ery ['lau̇-(ə-)rē, 'lō-] -adj

  1. gloomy, lowering

lowest common denominator -n

  1. least common denominator
  2. something of small intellectual content designed to appeal to a lowbrow audience
  3. such an audience

lowest common multiple -n

  1. least common multiple

lowest terms -n pl

  1. the form of a fraction in which the numerator and denominator have no factor in common except 1
    • reduce a fraction to lowest terms

low frequency -n

  1. a radio frequency between medium frequency and very low frequency

Low German -n

  1. the German dialects of northern Germany esp. as used since the end of the medieval period : plattdeutsch
  2. the West Germanic languages other than High German

lowgrade ['lō-'grād] -adj

  1. of inferior grade or quality
  2. being near that extreme of a specified range which is lowest, least intense, least serious, or least competent
    • a lowgrade fever
    • a lowgrade infection

lowkey [-'kē] -adj

  1. having or producing dark tones only with little contrast
  2. of low intensity : restrained

low·land ['lō-lənd, -,land] -n

  1. low or level country

lowland -adj

  1. of or relating to the Lowlands of Scotland
  2. of or relating to a lowland

low·land·er [-lən-dər, -,lan-] -n

  1. an inhabitant of the Lowlands of Scotland
  2. a native or inhabitant of a lowland region

lowland gorilla -n

  1. either of two gorillas ( Gorilla gorilla gorillaor G. gorilla graueri) that inhabit lowland rainforests of west central Africa

Low Latin -n

  1. postclassical Latin in its later stages

lowlev·el ['lō-'le-vəl] -adj

  1. occurring, done, or placed at a low level
  2. being of low importance or rank
  3. being or relating to nuclear waste containing low concentrations of radioactive components

low·life ['lō-,līf] -n, adj

  1. a person of low social status
  2. a person of low moral character

low·light ['lō-,līt] -n

  1. a particularly bad or unpleasant event, detail, or part

low·li·head ['lō-lē-,hed] -n

  1. lowly state

low·ly ['lō-lē] -adv

  1. in a humble or meek manner
  2. in a low position, manner, or degree
  3. not loudly

lowly -adj, n

  1. humble in manner or spirit : free from self-assertive pride
  2. not lofty or sublime : prosaic
  3. ranking low in some hierarchy
  4. of or relating to a low social or economic rank
  5. low in the scale of biological or cultural evolution

lowly·ing ['lō-'lī-iŋ] -adj

  1. rising relatively little above the base of measurement
    • lowlying hills
  2. lying below the normal level, surface, or the base of measurement or mean elevation
    • lowlying clouds

low mass -n

  1. a mass that is recited without singing by the celebrant, without a deacon, subdeacon, or choir assisting the celebrant, and without the use of incense

lowmind·ed ['lō-'mīn-dəd] -adj, adv, n

  1. inclined to vulgar or unworthy things

lown ['lau̇n, 'lün] -adj

  1. calm, quiet

lowpres·sure ['lō-'pre-shər] -adj

  1. having, exerting, or operating under a relatively small pressure
  2. easygoing

low relief -n

  1. bas-relief

lowrent ['lō-'rent] -adj

  1. low in character, cost, or prestige
    • lowrent thugs
    • a lowrent movie
    • a lowrent literary form

low·rid·er ['lō-,rī-dər] -n

  1. a customized car with a chassis that has been lowered so that it narrowly clears the ground

lowrise ['lō-'rīz] -adj

  1. having few stories and not equipped with elevators
    • a lowrise classroom building
  2. of, relating to, or characterized by low-rise buildings
    • a lowrise housing development

lowslung ['lō-,sləŋ] -adj

  1. relatively low to the ground or floor
    • a lowslung convertible
    • a lowslung modern building
    • a lowslung sofa

lowspir·it·ed ['lō-'spir-ə-təd] -adj, adv, n

  1. dejected, depressed

Low Sunday -n

  1. the Sunday following Easter

lowtech ['lō-'tek] -adj

  1. technologically simple or unsophisticated
    • lowtech industries

low tide -n

  1. the farthest ebb of the tide

low water -n

  1. a low stage of the water in a river or lake
  2. low tide

lox ['läks] -n

  1. liquid oxygen
  2. salmon that has been cured in brine and sometimes smoked

lox·o·drome ['läk-sə-,drōm] -n

  1. rhumb line

loy·al ['lȯi(-ə)l] -adj, adv

  1. : unswerving in allegiance: as
  2. faithful in allegiance to one's lawful sovereign or government
  3. faithful to a private person to whom fidelity is due
  4. faithful to a cause, ideal, custom, institution, or product
  5. showing loyalty
  6. lawful, legitimate

loy·al·ist ['lȯi-ə-list] -n

  1. one who is or remains loyal esp. to a political cause, party, government, or sovereign

loy·al·ty ['lȯi(-ə)l-tē] -n

  1. the quality or state or an instance of being loyal

loz·enge ['lä-zᵊnj also -sᵊnj] -n

  1. a figure with four equal sides and two acute and two obtuse angles : diamond
  2. something shaped like a lozenge
  3. a small usu. sweetened and flavored medicated material that is designed to be held in the mouth for slow dissolution
  4. one that contains a demulcent
    • sore throat lozenge s
    called also pastille troche