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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)


A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
You are here: Webster > Letter L > Page 12 of 74.
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Languishment Lan"guish·ment noun 1. The state of languishing. " Lingering languishment ." Shak.

2. Tenderness of look or mien; amorous pensiveness.

Languishness Lan"guish·ness noun Languishment. [ Obsolete]

Languor Lan"guor noun [ Middle English langour , Old French langour , French langueur , Latin languor . See Languish.] 1. A state of the body or mind which is caused by exhaustion of strength and characterized by a languid feeling; feebleness; lassitude; laxity.

2. Any enfeebling disease. [ Obsolete]

Sick men with divers languors .
Wyclif (Luke iv. 40).

3. Listless indolence; dreaminess. Pope. " German dreams, Italian languors ." The Century.

Syn. -- Feebleness; weakness; faintness; weariness; dullness; heaviness; lassitude; listlessness.

Languorous Lan"guor·ous adjective [ From Languor : confer French langoureux .] Producing, or tending to produce, languor; characterized by languor. [ Obsolete or Poetic]

Whom late I left in languorous constraint.
Spenser.

To wile the length from languorous hours, and draw
The sting from pain.
Tennyson.

Langure Lan"gure intransitive verb To languish. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Langya Lan"gya noun (Zoology) [ Native name Anglicized.] One of several species of East Indian and Asiatic fresh-water fishes of the genus Ophiocephalus , remarkable for their power of living out of water, and for their tenacity of life; -- called also walking fishes .

Laniard Lan"iard noun See Lanyard .

Laniariform La`ni·ar"i·form adjective [ Laniary + -form .] (Anat.) Shaped like a laniary, or canine, tooth. Owen.

Laniary La"ni·a·ry adjective [ Latin laniarius , from lanius butcher, laniare to tear in pieces: confer French laniaire .] (Anat.) Lacerating or tearing; as, the laniary canine teeth.

Laniary La"ni·a·ry noun [ Latin Laniary , adjective ]

1. The shambles; a place of slaughter. [ R.]

2. (Anat.) A laniary, or canine, tooth.

Laniate La"ni·ate transitive verb [ Latin laniatus , past participle of laniare .] To tear in pieces. [ R.]

Laniation La`ni·a"tion noun [ Latin laniatio .] A tearing in pieces. [ R.]

Lanier Lan"ier noun [ French lanière . See Lanyard .] [ Written also lanner , lanyer .] 1. A thong of leather; a whip lash. [ Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

2. A strap used to fasten together parts of armor, to hold the shield by, and the like. Fairholt.

Laniferous La·nif"er·ous noun [ Latin lanifer ; lana wool + ferre to bear: confer French lanifère .] Bearing or producing wool.

Lanifical La·nif"i·cal adjective [ Latin lanificus ; lana wool + facere to make.] Working in wool.

Lanifice Lan"i·fice noun [ Latin lanificium : confer Old French lanifice .] Anything made of wool. [ Obsolete] Bacon.

Lanigerous La·nig"er·ous adjective [ Latin laniger ; lano wool + gerere to hear.] Bearing or producing wool.

Lanioid La"ni·oid adjective [ New Latin Lanius (fr. Latin lanius a butcher), the typical genus + -oid .] (Zoology) Of or pertaining to the shrikes (family Laniidæ ).

Lank Lank adjective [ Compar. Lanker ; superl. Lankest .] [ AS . hlanc ; confer German lenken to turn, gelenk joint, Old High German hlanca hip, side, flank, and English link of a chain.] 1. Slender and thin; not well filled out; not plump; shrunken; lean.

Meager and lank with fasting grown.
Swift.

Who would not choose . . . to have rather a lank purse than an empty brain?
Barrow.

2. Languid; drooping. [ Obsolete]

Who, piteous of her woes, reared her lank head.
Milton.

Lank hair , long, thin hair. Macaulay.

Lank Lank intransitive verb & t. To become lank; to make lank. [ Obsolete] Shak. G. Fletcher.

Lankiness Lank"i·ness noun The condition or quality or being lanky.

Lankly Lank"ly adverb In a lank manner.

Lankness Lank"ness noun The state or quality of being lank.

Lanky Lank"y adjective Somewhat lank. Thackeray.

The lanky Dinka, nearly seven feet in height.
The Century.

Lanner Lan"ner noun f. Lan"ner*et noun m. [ French lanier , Old French also, lasnier . Confer Lanyard .] (Zoology) A long-tailed falcon ( Falco lanarius ), of Southern Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa, resembling the American prairie falcon.

Lanolin Lan"o·lin noun [ Latin lana wool + ole um oil.] (Physiol. Chem.) A peculiar fatlike body, made up of cholesterin and certain fatty acids, found in feathers, hair, wool, and keratin tissues generally.

» Under the same name, it is prepared from wool for commercial purposes, and forms an admirable basis for ointments, being readily absorbed by the skin.

Lanseh Lan"seh noun The small, whitish brown fruit of an East Indian tree ( Lansium domesticum ). It has a fleshy pulp, with an agreeable subacid taste. Balfour.

Lansquenet Lans"que·net noun [ French, from German landsknecht a foot soldier, also a game of cards introduced by these foot soldiers; land country + knecht boy, servant. See Land , and Knight .] 1. A German foot soldier in foreign service in the 15th and 16th centuries; a soldier of fortune; -- a term used in France and Western Europe.

2. A game at cards, vulgarly called lambskinnet .

[ They play] their little game of lansquenet .
Longfellow.

Lant Lant noun Urine. [ Prov. Eng.] Nares.

Lant Lant noun [ Confer Lance .] (Zoology) Any one of several species of small, slender, marine fishes of the genus Ammedytes . The common European species ( A. tobianus ) and the American species ( A. Americanus ) live on sandy shores, buried in the sand, and are caught in large quantities for bait. Called also launce , and sand eel .

Lant Lant noun See Lanterloo . [ Obsolete] Halliwell.

Lantanium, Lantanum Lan·ta"ni·um, Lan"ta·num noun (Chemistry) See Lanthanum .

Lantanuric Lan`ta·nu"ric adjective [ Formed by transposition of the letters of allantoin and -uric .] (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or designating, a nitrogenous organic acid of the uric acid group, obtained by the decomposition of allantoin, and usually called allanturic acid .

Lanterloo Lan"ter·loo` noun An old name of loo (a) .

Lantern Lan"tern (lăn"tẽrn) noun [ French lanterne , Latin lanterna , laterna , from Greek lampth`r light, torch. See Lamp .] 1. Something inclosing a light, and protecting it from wind, rain, etc.; -- sometimes portable, as a closed vessel or case of horn, perforated tin, glass, oiled paper, or other material, having a lamp or candle within; sometimes fixed, as the glazed inclosure of a street light, or of a lighthouse light.

2. (Architecture) (a) An open structure of light material set upon a roof, to give light and air to the interior. (b) A cage or open chamber of rich architecture, open below into the building or tower which it crowns. (c) A smaller and secondary cupola crowning a larger one, for ornament, or to admit light; such as the lantern of the cupola of the Capitol at Washington, or that of the Florence cathedral.

3. (Machinery) A lantern pinion or trundle wheel. See Lantern pinion (below).

4. (Steam Engine) A kind of cage inserted in a stuffing box and surrounding a piston rod, to separate the packing into two parts and form a chamber between for the reception of steam, etc.; -- called also lantern brass .

5. (Founding) A perforated barrel to form a core upon.

6. (Zoology) See Aristotle's lantern .

» Fig. 1 represents a hand lantern ; fig. 2, an arm lantern ; fig. 3, a breast lantern ; -- so named from the positions in which they are carried.

Dark lantern , a lantern with a single opening, which may be closed so as to conceal the light; -- called also bull's-eye . -- Lantern fly , Lantern carrier (Zoology) , any one of several species of large, handsome, hemipterous insects of the genera Laternaria , Fulgora , and allies, of the family Fulgoridæ . The largest species is Laternaria phosphorea of Brazil. The head of some species has been supposed to be phosphorescent. -- Lantern jaws , long, thin jaws; hence, a thin visage. -- Lantern pinion , Lantern wheel (Machinery) , a kind of pinion or wheel having cylindrical bars or trundles, instead of teeth, inserted at their ends in two parallel disks or plates; -- so called as resembling a lantern in shape; -- called also wallower , or trundle . -- Lantern shell (Zoology) , any translucent, marine, bivalve shell of the genus Anatina , and allied genera. -- Magic lantern , an optical instrument consisting of a case inclosing a light, and having suitable lenses in a lateral tube, for throwing upon a screen, in a darkened room or the like, greatly magnified pictures from slides placed in the focus of the outer lens.

Lantern Lan"tern transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Lanterned ; present participle & verbal noun Lanterning .] [ Confer French lanterner to hang at the lamp post, from lanterne . See Lantern .] To furnish with a lantern; as, to lantern a lighthouse.

Lantern-jawed Lan"tern-jawed` adjective Having lantern jaws or long, thin jaws; as, a lantern-jawed person.

Lanthanite Lan"tha·nite (lăn"thȧ*nīt) noun (Min.) Hydrous carbonate of lanthanum, found in tabular white crystals.

Lanthanum Lan"tha·num (-nŭm) noun [ New Latin , from Greek lanqa`nein to lie hid, to be concealed.] (Chemistry) A rare element of the group of the earth metals, allied to aluminium. It occurs in certain rare minerals, as cerite, gadolinite, orthite, etc., and was so named from the difficulty of separating it from cerium, didymium, and other rare elements with which it is usually associated. Atomic weight 138.5. Symbol La. [ Formerly written also lanthanium .]

Lanthopine Lan"tho·pine noun [ Greek lanqa`nein to lie hid + English op ium.] (Chemistry) An alkaloid found in opium in small quantities, and extracted as a white crystalline substance.

Lanthorn Lan"thorn noun See Lantern . [ Obsolete]

Lanuginose, Lanuginous La·nu"gi·nose`, La·nu"gi·nous adjective [ Latin lanuginosus , from lanugo , - ginis , woolly substance, down, from lana wool: confer French lanugineux .] Covered with down, or fine soft hair; downy.

Lanugo La·nu"go noun [ See Lanuginose .] (Anat.) The soft woolly hair which covers most parts of the mammal fetus, and in man is shed before or soon after birth.

Lanyard Lan"yard noun [ French lanière thong, strap, Old French lasniere , from lasne strap, thong, Latin lacinia lappet. flap, edge of a garment. Confer Lanier .] [ Written also laniard .] 1. (Nautical) A short piece of rope or line for fastening something in ships; as, the lanyards of the gun ports, of the buoy, and the like; esp., pieces passing through the dead-eyes, and used to extend shrouds, stays, etc.

2. (Mil.) A strong cord, about twelve feet long, with an iron hook at one end a handle at the other, used in firing cannon with a friction tube.

Lanyer Lan"yer noun See Lanier .

Laocoön La·oc"o·ön noun [ Latin , from Greek ... ] 1. (Class. Myth.) A priest of Apollo, during the Trojan war. (See 2.)

2. (Sculp.) A marble group in the Vatican at Rome, representing the priest Laocoön, with his sons, infolded in the coils of two serpents, as described by Virgil.

Laodicean La·od`i·ce"an adjective Of or pertaining to Laodicea , a city in Phrygia Major; like the Christians of Laodicea; lukewarm in religion. Rev. iii. 14- 16.

Lap Lap noun [ Middle English lappe , Anglo-Saxon læppa ; akin to Dutch lap patch, piece, German lappen , Old High German lappa , Danish lap , Swedish lapp .] 1. The loose part of a coat; the lower part of a garment that plays loosely; a skirt; an apron. Chaucer.

2. An edge; a border; a hem, as of cloth. Chaucer.

If he cuts off but a lap of truth's garment, his heart smites him.
Fuller.

3. The part of the clothing that lies on the knees or thighs when one sits down; that part of the person thus covered; figuratively, a place of rearing and fostering; as, to be reared in the lap of luxury.

Men expect that happiness should drop into their laps .
Tillotson.

4. That part of any substance or fixture which extends over, or lies upon, or by the side of, a part of another; as, the lap of a board; also, the measure of such extension over or upon another thing.

» The lap of shingles or slates in roofing is the distance one course extends over the second course below, the distance over the course immediately below being called the cover .

5. (Steam Engine) The amount by which a slide valve at its half stroke overlaps a port in the seat, being equal to the distance the valve must move from its mid stroke position in order to begin to open the port. Used alone, lap refers to outside lap. See Outside lap (below).

6. The state or condition of being in part extended over or by the side of something else; or the extent of the overlapping; as, the second boat got a lap of half its length on the leader.

7. One circuit around a race track, esp. when the distance is a small fraction of a mile; as, to run twenty laps ; to win by three laps . See Lap , to fold, 2.

8. In card playing and other games, the points won in excess of the number necessary to complete a game; -- so called when they are counted in the score of the following game.

9. (Cotton Manuf.) A sheet, layer, or bat, of cotton fiber prepared for the carding machine.

10. (Machinery) A piece of brass, lead, or other soft metal, used to hold a cutting or polishing powder in cutting glass, gems, and the like, or in polishing cutlery, etc. It is usually in the form of wheel or disk, which revolves on a vertical axis.

Lap joint , a joint made by one layer, part, or piece, overlapping another, as in the scarfing of timbers. -- Lap weld , a lap joint made by welding together overlapping edges or ends. -- Inside lap (Steam Engine) , lap of the valve with respect to the exhaust port. -- Outside lap , lap with respect to the admission, or steam, port.

Lap Lap transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Lapped ; present participle & verbal noun Lapping .] 1. To rest or recline in a lap, or as in a lap.

To lap his head on lady's breast.
Praed.

2. To cut or polish with a lap, as glass, gems, cutlery, etc. See 1st Lap , 10.

Lap Lap transitive verb [ Middle English lappen to fold (see Lap , noun ); confer also Middle English wlappen , perhaps another form of wrappen , E, wrap .] 1. To fold; to bend and lay over or on something; as, to lap a piece of cloth.

2. To wrap or wind around something.

About the paper . . . I lapped several times a slender thread of very black silk.
Sir I. Newton.

3. To infold; to hold as in one's lap; to cherish.

Her garment spreads, and laps him in the folds.
Dryden.

4. To lay or place over anything so as to partly or wholly cover it; as, to lap one shingle over another; to lay together one partly over another; as, to lap weather-boards; also, to be partly over, or by the side of (something); as, the hinder boat lapped the foremost one.

5. (Carding & Spinning) To lay together one over another, as fleeces or slivers for further working.

To lap boards , shingles , etc., to lay one partly over another. -- To lap timbers , to unite them in such a way as to preserve the same breadth and depth throughout, as by scarfing. Weale.

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