Select a letter for some words
Laborant
A chemist.
Lacmus
See .
Laconize
To imitate the manner of the Laconians, especially in brief, pithy speech, or in frugality and austerity.
Lactone
One of a series of organic compounds, being cyclic esters which may be regarded as anhydrides of certain hydroxy acids. In general, they are colorless liquids, having a weak aromatic odor. They are so called because the typical lactone is derived from acid.
Lactonic
Of, pertaining to, or derived from, a lactone.
Lagthing
See , below.
Lanai
an island in the Hawaiian chain.
Landward
Toward the land.
Lapsided
See .
Large
Exceeding most other things of like kind in bulk, capacity, quantity, superficial dimensions, or number of constituent units; big; great; capacious; extensive; -- opposed to ;
Latency
The state or quality of being latent.
Lateritious
Like bricks; of the color of red bricks.
Laundry
A laundering; a washing.
Lavishly
In a lavish manner.
Law-abiding
Abiding the law; waiting for the operation of law for the enforcement of rights; also, abiding by the law; obedient to the law; .
Lawn
A very fine linen (or sometimes cotton) fabric with a rather open texture. Lawn is used for the sleeves of a bishop's official dress in the English Church, and, figuratively, stands for the office itself.
lead-in
a wire connecting an antenna to a receiver or a transmitter to a transmission line.
Leasehold
A tenure by lease; specifically, land held as personalty under a lease for years.
Leaved
Bearing, or having, a leaf or leaves; having folds; -- used in combination;
Lecanoric
Pertaining to, or designating, an organic acid which is obtained from several varieties of lichen (, , etc.), as a white, crystalline substance, and is called also , , , etc.
Lectureship
The office of a lecturer.
Ledum
A genus of evergreen shrubs of the north temperate regions.
lemony
tasting like lemons.
Lemurid
Same as .
Lepidoganoid
Any one of a division () of ganoid fishes, including those that have scales forming a coat of mail. Also used adjectively.
Leptology
A minute and tedious discourse on trifling things.
Less
A smaller portion or quantity.
Lessen
To become less; to shrink; to contract; to decrease; to be diminished;
Let
To leave; to relinquish; to abandon.
Let-alone
Letting alone.
Lettered
Literate; educated; versed in literature.
Leucous
White; -- applied to albinos, from the whiteness of their skin and hair.
LH
An abbreviation for , a gonadotropic hormone that is secreted by the pituitary and stimulates ovulation in female mammals, and stimulates androgen release in male mammals.
Libbard
A leopard.
Libertarian
Pertaining to liberty, or to the doctrine of free will, as opposed to the doctrine of necessity.
Libya
A country in Northern Africa, between Egypt and Tunisia, bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It also borders on Algeria, Chad, Niger, and Sudan. It is an Arabic-speaking country with over 97% of the population Sunni Moslem. The population in 1995 was about 5,248,000. The capital is Tripoli.
Life
The state of being which begins with generation, birth, or germination, and ends with death; also, the time during which this state continues; that state of an animal or plant in which all or any of its organs are capable of performing all or any of their functions; -- used of all animal and vegetable organisms.
Lifetime
The time that life continues.
Ligniperdous
Wood-destroying; -- said of certain insects.
Lily-handed
Having white, delicate hands.
Limmer
A limehound; a leamer.
Limpitude
Limpidity.
Linament
Lint; esp., lint made into a tent for insertion into wounds or ulcers.
lingenberry
low evergreen shrub () of high north temperate regions of Europe and Asia and America bearing red edible berries.
Lith
of , to recline, for .
Lithotripsy
The operation of crushing a stone in the bladder or urethra to reduce it to particles small enough to be voided; lithotrity. It may be performed with an instrument called or (also called a lithoclast); or, more recently, may be accomplished by devices using ultrasonic waves to fragment the stones.
Lively
In a brisk, active, or animated manner; briskly; vigorously.
Lives
of .
Livre
A French money of account, afterward a silver coin equal to 20 sous. It is not now in use, having been superseded by the franc.
Load
To lay a load or burden on or in, as on a horse or in a cart; to charge with a load, as a gun; to furnish with a lading or cargo, as a ship; hence, to add weight to, so as to oppress or embarrass; to heap upon.
Lobbyist
A member of the lobby; a person who solicits members of a legislature for the purpose of influencing legislation.
Lockout
The closing of a factory or workshop by an employer, usually in order to bring the workmen to satisfactory terms by a suspension of wages.
Locular
Of or relating to the cell or compartment of an ovary, etc.; in composition, having cells; as tri.
Lodesman
Same as .
Longirostres
A group of birds characterized by having long slender bills, as the sandpipers, curlews, and ibises. It is now regarded as an artificial division.
long-playing
playing at a slower speed and for a longer time than earlier records; -- used of phonograph records.
Long-suffering
disposed to bear inconvenience or injury patiently; long patience of offense; .
Loopie
Deceitful; cunning; sly.
loose-fitting
large enough to leave space for movement over the skin; not tight-fitting; -- of clothing. Opposite of , , and .
looted
wrongfully emptied or stripped of anything of value; .
losings
something lost, especially money lost at gambling. Inverse of .
Loveliness
The state or quality of being lovely.
love-potion
a fabled drink credited with magical power; it can make the one who takes it love the one who gave it.
love-token
something given as a token of love.
Lowness
The state or quality of being low.
Luctation
Effort to overcome in contest; struggle; endeavor.
Lumber State
Maine; -- a nickname.
Lumpsucker
The lumpfish.
Lustering
The act or process of imparting a luster, as to pottery.
Luxembourgian
of or pertaining to Luxembourg (definition 2); .
Lychnis
A genus of Old World plants belonging to the Pink family (). Most of the species have brilliantly colored flowers and cottony leaves, which may have anciently served as wicks for lamps. The botanical name is in common use for the garden species. The corn cockle () is a common weed in wheat fields.
Lycine
A weak base identical with betaine; -- so called because found in the boxthorn (). See .
Lycoperdaceae
A natural family of fungi including the genus , consisting of puffballs.
lyricality
the property of being suitable for singing.