L L (ĕl). 1. L is the twelfth letter of the English alphabet, and a vocal consonant. It is usually called a semivowel or liquid . Its form and value are from the Greek, through the Latin, the form of the Greek letter being from the Phœnician, and the ultimate origin probably Egyptian. Etymologically, it is most closely related to r and u ; as in pi l grim, pe r egrine, co u ch (fr. co ll ocare), a u bura (fr. Late Latin a l burnus). At the end of monosyllables containing a single vowel, it is often doubled, as in fall , full , bell ; but not after digraphs, as in foul , fool , prowl , growl , foal . In English words, the terminating syllable le is unaccented, the e is silent, and l is preceded by a voice glide, as in able , eagle , pronounced ā"b'l , ē"g'l . See Guide to Pronunciation , § 241. 2. As a numeral, L stands for fifty in the English, as in the Latin language.

For 50 the Romans used the Chalcidian chi , ..., which assumed the less difficult lapidary type, ..., and was then easily assimilated to Latin

I. Taylor (The Alphabet).

L L (ĕl) noun 1. An extension at right angles to the length of a main building, giving to the ground plan a form resembling the letter L; sometimes less properly applied to a narrower, or lower, extension in the direction of the length of the main building; a wing. [ Written also ell .] 2. (Mech.) A short right-angled pipe fitting, used in connecting two pipes at right angles. [ Written also ell .]

L L adjective 1. Having the general shape of the (capital) letter L ; as, an L beam, or L -beam. 2. Elevated; -- a symbol for el. as an abbreviation of elevated in elevated road or railroad . -- noun An elevated road; as, to ride on the L . [ Colloq., U. S.]

L'envoi L'en`voi" or L'en`voy" (län`vwä") noun [ French le the + envoi a sending. See Envoy .] 1. One or more detached verses at the end of a literary composition, serving to convey the moral, or to address the poem to a particular person; -- orig. employed in old French poetry. Shak. 2. A conclusion; a result. Massinger.

La La noun (Mus.) (a) A syllable applied to the sixth tone of the scale in music in solmization. (b) The tone A; -- so called among the French and Italians.

La La interj. [ Confer Lo .] 1. Look; see; behold; -- sometimes followed by you . [ Obsolete] Shak. 2. An exclamation of surprise; -- commonly followed by me ; as, La me! [ Low]

La valliere, Lavalliere La val`liere", La`val`liere" noun A neck ornament consisting of a chain and single pendant, or drop.

Laager Laa"ger (la"gẽr or lä"gẽr) noun [ Dutch, also leger . Confer 2d Leaguer , Lair .] A camp, esp. one with an inclosure of travelers' wagons for temporary defense. [ South Africa]

Wagons . . . can be readily formed into a laager , a camp, by being drawn into a circle, with the oxen placed inside and so kept safe from the attacks of wild beasts.

James Bryce.

Laager Laa"ger transitive verb & i. [ From Laager , noun ] To form into, or camp in, a laager, or protected camp.

Laas Laas noun A lace. See Lace . [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Lab Lab intransitive verb [ Confer OD. labben to babble.] To prate; to gossip; to babble; to blab. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Lab Lab noun A telltale; a prater; a blabber. [ Obsolete] "I am no lab ." Chaucer.

Labadist Lab"a·dist noun (Eccl. Hist.) A follower of Jean de Labadie , a religious teacher of the 17th century, who left the Roman Catholic Church and taught a kind of mysticism, and the obligation of community of property among Christians.

Labarraque's solution La`bar`raque's" so·lu"tion [ From Labarraque , a Parisian apothecary.] (Medicine) An aqueous solution of hypochlorite of sodium, extensively used as a disinfectant.

Labarum Lab"a·rum noun ; plural Labara . [ Latin ] The standard adopted by the Emperor Constantine after his conversion to Christianity. It is described as a pike bearing a silk banner hanging from a crosspiece, and surmounted by a golden crown. It bore a monogram of the first two letters ( CHR ) of the name of Christ in its Greek form. Later, the name was given to various modifications of this standard.

Labdanum Lab"da·num noun (Botany) See Ladanum .

Labefaction Lab`e·fac"tion noun [ See Labefy .] The act of labefying or making weak; the state of being weakened; decay; ruin.

There is in it such a labefaction of all principles as may be injurious to morality.

Johnson.

Labefy Lab"e·fy transitive verb [ Latin labefacere ; labare to totter + facere to make.] To weaken or impair. [ R.]

Label La"bel (lā"bĕl) noun [ Old French label sort of ribbon or fringe, label in heraldry, French lambeau shred, strip, rag; of uncertain origin; confer Latin labellum , dim. of labrum lip, edge, margin, German lappen flap, patch, rag, tatter (cf. Lap of a dress), W. llab , llabed , label, flap, Gael. leab , leob , slice, shred, hanging lip.] 1. A tassel. [ Obsolete] Huloet. Fuller. 2. A slip of silk, paper, parchment, etc., affixed to anything, and indicating, usually by an inscription, the contents, ownership, destination, etc.; as, the label of a bottle or a package. 3. A slip of ribbon, parchment, etc., attached to a document to hold the appended seal; also, the seal. 4. A writing annexed by way of addition, as a codicil added to a will. 5. (Her.) A barrulet, or, rarely, a bendlet, with pendants, or points, usually three, especially used as a mark of cadency to distinguish an eldest or only son while his father is still living. 6. A brass rule with sights, formerly used, in connection with a circumferentor, to take altitudes. Knight. 7. (Gothic Arch.) The name now generally given to the projecting molding by the sides, and over the tops, of openings in mediæval architecture. It always has a square form, as in the illustration. Arch. Pub. Soc. 8. In mediæval art, the representation of a band or scroll containing an inscription. Fairholt.

Label La"bel transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Labeled (-bĕld) or Labelled ; present participle & verbal noun Labeling or Labelling .] 1. To affix a label to; to mark with a name, etc.; as, to label a bottle or a package. 2. To affix in or on a label. [ R.]

Labeler La"bel·er noun One who labels. [ Written also labeller .]

Labellum La·bel"lum (lȧ*bĕl"lŭm) noun ; plural Latin Labella (- lȧ), English Labellums (-lŭmz). [ Latin , dim. of labrum lip.] 1. (Botany) The lower or apparently anterior petal of an orchidaceous flower, often of a very curious shape. 2. (Zoology) A small appendage beneath the upper lip or labrum of certain insects.

Labent La"bent adjective [ Latin labens , present participle of labi to slide, glide.] Slipping; sliding; gliding. [ R.]

Labia La"bi·a noun plural See Labium .

Labial La"bi·al adjective [ Late Latin labialis , from Latin labium lip: confer French labial . See Lip .] 1. Of or pertaining to the lips or labia; as, labial veins. 2. (Mus.) Furnished with lips; as, a labial organ pipe. 3. (Phonetics) (a) Articulated, as a consonant, mainly by the lips, as b, p, m, w. (b) Modified, as a vowel, by contraction of the lip opening, as ō (fōd), ō (ōld), etc., and as eu and u in French, and ö , ü in German. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 11, 178. 4. (Zoology) Of or pertaining to the labium; as, the labial palpi of insects. See Labium .

Labial La"bi·al noun 1. (Phonetics) A letter or character representing an articulation or sound formed or uttered chiefly with the lips, as b , p , w . 2. (Mus.) An organ pipe that is furnished with lips; a flue pipe. 3. (Zoology) One of the scales which border the mouth of a fish or reptile.

Labialism La"bi·al·ism noun (Phonetics) The quality of being labial; as, the labialism of an articulation; conversion into a labial, as of a sound which is different in another language. J. Peile.

Labialization La`bi·al·i·za"tion noun (Phonetics) The modification of an articulation by contraction of the lip opening.

Labialize La"bi·al·ize transitive verb (Phonetics) To modify by contraction of the lip opening.

Labially La"bi·al·ly adverb In a labial manner; with, or by means of, the lips.

Labiate La"bi·ate transitive verb To labialize. Brewer.

Labiate La"bi·ate adjective [ New Latin labiatus , from Latin labium lip.] (Botany) (a) Having the limb of a tubular corolla or calyx divided into two unequal parts, one projecting over the other like the lips of a mouth, as in the snapdragon, sage, and catnip. (b) Belonging to a natural order of plants ( Labiatæ ), of which the mint, sage, and catnip are examples. They are mostly aromatic herbs.

Labiate La"bi·ate noun (Botany) A plant of the order Labiatæ .

Labiated La"bi·a`ted adjective (Botany) Same as Labiate , adjective (a) .

Labiatifloral, Labiatifloral La`bi·a`ti·flo"ral, La`bi·a`ti·flo"ral adjective [ Labiate + Latin flos , floris , flower.] (Botany) Having labiate flowers, as the snapdragon.

Labidometer Lab`i·dom"e·ter noun [ Greek labi`s , -i`dos , a forceps + meter : confer French labidometre .] (Medicine) A forceps with a measuring attachment for ascertaining the size of the fetal head.

Labile La"bile adjective [ Latin labilis apt to slip, from labi to slip.] Liable to slip, err, fall, or apostatize. [ Obsolete] Cheyne.

Lability La·bil"i·ty noun Liability to lapse, err, or apostatize. [ Archaic] Coleridge.

Labimeter La·bim"e·ter noun [ Confer French labimetre .] (Medicine) See Labidometer .

Labiodental La`bi·o·den"tal adjective [ Labium + dental .] (Phonetics) Formed or pronounced by the cooperation of the lips and teeth, as f and v . -- noun A labiodental sound or letter.

Labionasal La`bi·o·na"sal adjective [ Labium + nasal .] (Phonetics) Formed by the lips and the nose. -- noun A labionasal sound or letter.

Labioplasty La"bi·o·plas`ty (lā"bĭ*o*plăs`tȳ) noun [ Labium + -plasty .] (Surg.) A plastic operation for making a new lip, or for replacing a lost tissue of a lip.

Labiose La"bi·ose` adjective [ From Labium .] (Botany) Having the appearance of being labiate; -- said of certain polypetalous corollas.

Labipalp La"bi·palp noun (Zoology) A labial palp.

Labipalpus La`bi·pal"pus noun ; plural Labipalpi [ New Latin See Labium , and Palpus .] (Zoology) One of the labial palpi of an insect. See Illust. under Labium .

Labium La"bi·um noun ; plural Latin Labia , English Labiums . [ Latin ] 1. A lip, or liplike organ. 2. The lip of an organ pipe. 3. plural (Anat.) The folds of integument at the opening of the vulva. 4. (Zoology) (a) The organ of insects which covers the mouth beneath, and serves as an under lip. It consists of the second pair of maxillæ, usually closely united in the middle line, but bearing a pair of palpi in most insects. It often consists of a thin anterior part ( ligula or palpiger ) and a firmer posterior plate ( mentum ). (b) Inner margin of the aperture of a shell.

Lablab Lab"lab (lăb"lăb) noun (Botany) an East Indian name for several twining leguminous plants related to the bean, but commonly applied to the hyacinth bean ( Dolichos Lablab ).

Labor La"bor (lā"bẽr) noun [ Middle English labour , Old French labour , laber , labur , French labeur , Latin labor ; confer Greek lamba`nein to take, Sanskrit labh to get, seize.] [ Written also labour .] 1. Physical toil or bodily exertion, especially when fatiguing, irksome, or unavoidable, in distinction from sportive exercise; hard, muscular effort directed to some useful end, as agriculture, manufactures, and like; servile toil; exertion; work.

God hath set
Labor and rest, as day and night, to men
Successive.

Milton. 2. Intellectual exertion; mental effort; as, the labor of compiling a history. 3. That which requires hard work for its accomplishment; that which demands effort.

Being a labor of so great a difficulty, the exact performance thereof we may rather wish than look for.

Hooker. 4. Travail; the pangs and efforts of childbirth.

The queen's in labor ,
They say, in great extremity; and feared
She'll with the labor end.

Shak. 5. Any pang or distress. Shak. 6. (Nautical) The pitching or tossing of a vessel which results in the straining of timbers and rigging. 7. [ Spanish ] A measure of land in Mexico and Texas, equivalent to an area of 177&frac17; acres. Bartlett. Syn. -- Work; toil; drudgery; task; exertion; effort; industry; painstaking. See Toll .

Labor La"bor intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Labored ; present participle & verbal noun Laboring .] [ Middle English labouren , French labourer , Latin laborare . See Labor , noun ] [ Written also labour .] 1. To exert muscular strength; to exert one's strength with painful effort, particularly in servile occupations; to work; to toil.

Adam, well may we labor still to dress
This garden.

Milton. 2. To exert one's powers of mind in the prosecution of any design; to strive; to take pains. 3. To be oppressed with difficulties or disease; to do one's work under conditions which make it especially hard, wearisome; to move slowly, as against opposition, or under a burden; to be burdened; -- often with under , and formerly with of .

The stone that labors up the hill.

Granville.

The line too labors ,and the words move slow.

Pope.

To cure the disorder under which he labored .

Sir W. Scott.

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matt. xi. 28 4. To be in travail; to suffer the pangs of childbirth. 5. (Nautical) To pitch or roll heavily, as a ship in a turbulent sea. Totten.

Labor La"bor transitive verb [ French labourer , Latin laborare .] 1. To work at; to work; to till; to cultivate by toil.

The most excellent lands are lying fallow, or only labored by children.

W. Tooke. 2. To form or fabricate with toil, exertion, or care. "To labor arms for Troy." Dryden. 3. To prosecute, or perfect, with effort; to urge strenuously; as, to labor a point or argument. 4. To belabor; to beat. [ Obsolete] Dryden.