Laureled Lau"reled adjective Crowned with laurel, or with a laurel wreath; laureate. [ Written also laurelled .]

Laurentian Lau·ren"tian adjective Pertaining to, or near, the St. Lawrence River; as, the Laurentian hills.

Laurentian period (Geol.) , the lower of the two divisions of the Archæan age; -- called also the Laurentian .

Laurer Lau"rer noun Laurel. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Laurestine Lau"res·tine noun [ New Latin lautus tinus , from Latin laurus the laurel + tinus laurestine. See Laurel .] (Botany) The Viburnum Tinus , an evergreen shrub or tree of the south of Europe, which flowers during the winter months. [ Written also laurustine and laurestina .]

Lauric Lau"ric adjective Pertaining to, or derived from, the European bay or laurel ( Laurus nobilis ).

Lauric acid (Chemistry) , a white, crystalline substance, C ₁₂ H ₂₄ O ₂ , resembling palmitic acid, and obtained from the fruit of the bay tree, and other sources.

Lauriferous Lau·rif"er·ous adjective [ Latin laurifer ; laurus + ferre to bear.] Producing, or bringing, laurel.

Laurin Lau"rin noun [ Confer French laurine .] (Chemistry) A white crystalline substance extracted from the fruit of the bay ( Laurus nobilis ), and consisting of a complex mixture of glycerin ethers of several organic acids.

Laurinol Lau"ri·nol noun [ Laurin + -ol .] (Chemistry) Ordinary camphor; -- so called in allusion to the family name ( Lauraceæ ) of the camphor trees. See Camphor .

Lauriol Lau"ri·ol noun Spurge laurel. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Laurite Lau"rite noun [ Etymol. uncertain.] (Min.) A rare sulphide of osmium and ruthenium found with platinum in Borneo and Oregon.

Laurone Lau"rone noun [ Lauric + - one .] (Chemistry) The ketone of lauric acid.

Laurus Lau"rus noun [ Latin , laurel.] (Botany) A genus of trees including, according to modern authors, only the true laurel ( Laurus nobilis ), and the larger Latin Canariensis of Madeira and the Canary Islands. Formerly the sassafras, the camphor tree, the cinnamon tree, and several other aromatic trees and shrubs, were also referred to the genus Laurus .

Laus Laus adjective Loose. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Lautverschiebung Laut"ver·schie`bung noun ; plural -schiebungen [ G.; laut sound + verschiebung shifting.] (Philol.) (a) The regular changes which the primitive Indo-European stops, or mute consonants, underwent in the Teutonic languages, probably as early as the 3d century b. c. , often called the first Lautverschiebung , sound shifting , or consonant shifting . (b) A somewhat similar set of changes taking place in the High German dialects (less fully in modern literary German) from the 6th to the 8th century, known as the second Lautverschiebung , the result of which form the striking differences between High German and The Low German Languages. The statement of these changes is commonly regarded as forming part of Grimm's law, because included in it as originally framed.

Lavœsium La·vœ"si·um noun [ New Latin , from Lavoisier , the celebrated French chemist.] (Chemistry) A supposed new metallic element. It is said to have been discovered in pyrites, and some other minerals, and to be of a silver-white color, and malleable.

Lava La"va (lä"vȧ; 277) noun [ Italian lava lava, orig. in Naples, a torrent of rain overflowing the streets, from Italian & Latin lavare to wash. See Lave .] The melted rock ejected by a volcano from its top or fissured sides. It flows out in streams sometimes miles in length. It also issues from fissures in the earth's surface, and forms beds covering many square miles, as in the Northwestern United States.

» Lavas are classed, according to their structure, as scoriaceous or cellular, glassy, stony, etc., and according to the material of which they consist, as doleritic, trachytic, etc.

Lava millstone , a hard and coarse basaltic millstone from the neighborhood of the Rhine. -- Lava ware , a kind of cheap pottery made of iron slag cast into tiles, urns, table tops, etc., resembling lava in appearance.

Lavaret Lav"a·ret noun [ French] (Zoology) A European whitefish ( Coregonus laveretus ), found in the mountain lakes of Sweden, Germany, and Switzerland.

Lavatic La·vat"ic (lȧ*văt"ĭk) adjective Like lava, or composed of lava; lavic.

Lavation La·va"tion noun [ Latin lavatio : confer Old French lavation .] A washing or cleansing. [ Obsolete or R.]

Lavatory Lav"a·to·ry adjective Washing, or cleansing by washing.

Lavatory Lav"a·to·ry noun ; plural Lavatories . [ Latin lavatorium : confer lavatoire . See Lave to wash, and confer Laver .] 1. A place for washing.

2. A basin or other vessel for washing in.

3. A wash or lotion for a diseased part.

4. A place where gold is obtained by washing.

Lavature Lav"a·ture noun A wash or lotion. [ Obsolete]

Lave Lave (lāv) transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Laved (lāvd); present participle & verbal noun Laving .] [ French laver , Latin lavare , akin to luere to wash, Greek .... Confer Ablution , Deluge , Lavender , Lava , Lotion .] To wash; to bathe; as, to lave a bruise.

His feet the foremost breakers lave .

Byron.

Lave Lave intransitive verb To bathe; to wash one's self.

In her chaste current oft the goddess laves .

Pope.

Lave Lave transitive verb [ Middle English laven . See Lavish .] To lade, dip, or pour out. [ Obsolete] Dryden.

Lave Lave noun [ Anglo-Saxon lāf the remainder, what is left. √119. See Leave .] The remainder; others. [ Scot.] Bp. Hall.

Lave-eared Lave"-eared` adjective [ Confer W. llaf that extends round, llipa flaccid, flapping, German lapp flabby, lappohr flap ear.] Having large, pendent ears. [ Obsolete] Bp. Hall.

Laveer La·veer" intransitive verb [ Dutch laveren .] (Nautical) To beat against the wind; to tack. [ Obsolete] Dryden.

Lavement Lave"ment noun [ French lavement , from laver to wash.] A washing or bathing; also, a clyster.

Lavender Lav"en·der noun [ Middle English lavendre , French lavande , Italian lavanda lavender, a washing, from Latin lavare to wash; confer Italian lsavendola , Late Latin lavendula . So called because it was used in bathing and washing. See Lave . to wash, and confer Lavender .] 1. (Botany) An aromatic plant of the genus Lavandula ( Latin vera ), common in the south of Europe. It yields and oil used in medicine and perfumery. The Spike lavender ( Latin Spica ) yields a coarser oil (oil of spike), used in the arts.

2. The pale, purplish color of lavender flowers, paler and more delicate than lilac.

Lavender cotton (Botany) , a low, twiggy, aromatic shrub ( Santolina Chamæcyparissus ) of the Mediterranean region, formerly used as a vermifuge, etc., and still used to keep moths from wardrobes. Also called ground cypress . -- Lavender water , a perfume composed of alcohol, essential oil of lavender, essential oil of bergamot, and essence of ambergris. -- Sea lavender . (Botany) See Marsh rosemary . -- To lay in lavender . (a) To lay away, as clothing, with sprigs of lavender. (b) To pawn. [ Obsolete]

Laver Lav"er (lā"vẽr) noun [ Middle English lavour , French lavoir , Latin lavatorium a washing place. See Lavatory .] 1. A vessel for washing; a large basin.

2. (Script. Hist.) (a) A large brazen vessel placed in the court of the Jewish tabernacle where the officiating priests washed their hands and feet. (b) One of several vessels in Solomon's Temple in which the offerings for burnt sacrifices were washed.

3. That which washes or cleanses. J. H. Newman.

Laver Lav"er noun [ From Lave to wash.] One who laves; a washer. [ Obsolete]

Laver La"ver (lā"vẽr) noun The fronds of certain marine algæ used as food, and for making a sauce called laver sauce. Green laver is the Ulva latissima ; purple laver , Porphyra laciniata and P. vulgaris . It is prepared by stewing, either alone or with other vegetables, and with various condiments; -- called also sloke , or sloakan .

Mountain laver (Botany) , a reddish gelatinous alga of the genus Palmella , found on the sides of mountains

Laverock La"ver·ock (lā"vẽr*ŏk) noun [ See Lark the bird.] The lark. [ Old Eng. & Scot.] [ Written also lavrock .] Gower.

Lavic La"vic (lä"vĭk) adjective See Lavatic .

Lavish Lav"ish (lăv"ĭsh) adjective [ Akin to English lave to lade out; confer Anglo-Saxon gelafian to refresh, German laben .] 1. Expending or bestowing profusely; profuse; prodigal; as, lavish of money; lavish of praise.

2. Superabundant; excessive; as, lavish spirits.

Let her have needful, but not lavish , means.

Shak.

Syn. -- Profuse; prodigal; wasteful; extravagant; exuberant; immoderate. See Profuse .

Lavish Lav"ish transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Lavished (-ĭsht); present participle & verbal noun Lavishing .] To expend or bestow with profusion; to use with prodigality; to squander; as, to lavish money or praise.

Lavisher Lav"ish·er (-ẽr) noun One who lavishes.

Lavishly Lav"ish·ly adverb In a lavish manner.

Lavishment Lav"ish·ment (-m e nt) noun The act of lavishing.

Lavishness Lav"ish·ness noun The quality or state of being lavish.

Lavolt, Lavolta La·volt", La·vol"ta noun [ Italian la volta the turn, turning, whirl. Confer Volt of a horse, Volta .] An old dance, for two persons, being a kind of waltz, in which the woman made a high spring or bound. Shak.

Lavoltateer La·vol`ta·teer" noun A dancer of the lavolta.

Lavour Lav"our noun A laver. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Lavrock La"vrock noun Same as Laverock .

Law Law (la) noun [ Middle English lawe , laghe , Anglo-Saxon lagu , from the root of English lie : akin to Old Saxon lag , Icelandic lög , Swedish lag , Danish lov ; confer Latin lex , English legal . A law is that which is laid , set, or fixed; like statute , from Latin statuere to make to stand. See Lie to be prostrate.] 1. In general, a rule of being or of conduct, established by an authority able to enforce its will; a controlling regulation; the mode or order according to which an agent or a power acts.

» A law may be universal or particular, written or unwritten, published or secret. From the nature of the highest laws a degree of permanency or stability is always implied; but the power which makes a law, or a superior power, may annul or change it.

These are the statutes and judgments and laws , which the Lord made.

Lev. xxvi. 46.

The law of thy God, and the law of the King.

Ezra vii. 26.

As if they would confine the Interminable . . .
Who made our laws to bind us, not himself.

Milton.

His mind his kingdom, and his will his law .

Cowper.

2. In morals: The will of God as the rule for the disposition and conduct of all responsible beings toward him and toward each other; a rule of living, conformable to righteousness; the rule of action as obligatory on the conscience or moral nature.

3. The Jewish or Mosaic code, and that part of Scripture where it is written, in distinction from the gospel ; hence, also, the Old Testament.

What things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law . . . But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.

Rom. iii. 19, 21.

4. In human government: (a) An organic rule, as a constitution or charter, establishing and defining the conditions of the existence of a state or other organized community. (b) Any edict, decree, order, ordinance, statute, resolution, judicial, decision, usage, etc., or recognized, and enforced, by the controlling authority.

5. In philosophy and physics: A rule of being, operation, or change, so certain and constant that it is conceived of as imposed by the will of God or by some controlling authority; as, the law of gravitation; the laws of motion; the law heredity; the laws of thought; the laws of cause and effect; law of self- preservation.

6. In mathematics: The rule according to which anything, as the change of value of a variable, or the value of the terms of a series, proceeds; mode or order of sequence.

7. In arts, works, games, etc.: The rules of construction, or of procedure, conforming to the conditions of success; a principle, maxim; or usage; as, the laws of poetry, of architecture, of courtesy, or of whist.

8. Collectively, the whole body of rules relating to one subject, or emanating from one source; -- including usually the writings pertaining to them, and judicial proceedings under them; as, divine law ; English law ; Roman law ; the law of real property; insurance law .

9. Legal science; jurisprudence; the principles of equity; applied justice.

Reason is the life of the law ; nay, the common law itself is nothing else but reason.

Coke.

Law is beneficence acting by rule.

Burke.

And sovereign Law , that state's collected will
O'er thrones and globes elate,
Sits empress, crowning good, repressing ill.

Sir W. Jones.

10. Trial by the laws of the land; judicial remedy; litigation; as, to go law .

When every case in law is right.

Shak.

He found law dear and left it cheap.

Brougham.

11. An oath, as in the presence of a court. [ Obsolete] See Wager of law , under Wager .

Avogadro's law (Chemistry) , a fundamental conception, according to which, under similar conditions of temperature and pressure, all gases and vapors contain in the same volume the same number of ultimate molecules; -- so named after Avogadro , an Italian scientist. Sometimes called Ampère's law . -- Bode's law (Astron.) , an approximative empirical expression of the distances of the planets from the sun, as follows: --

Law Law transitive verb Same as Lawe , transitive verb [ Obsolete]

Law Law interj. [ Confer La .] An exclamation of mild surprise. [ Archaic or Low]

Law-abiding Law"-a·bid`ing adjective Abiding the law; waiting for the operation of law for the enforcement of rights; also, abiding by the law; obedient to the law; as, law-abiding people.

Lawbreaker Law"break`er noun One who disobeys the law; a criminal. -- Law"break`ing , noun & adjective

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