Leafet Leaf"et noun (Botany) A leaflet.

Leafiness Leaf"i·ness noun The state of being leafy.

Leafless Leaf"less adjective Having no leaves or foliage; bearing no foliage. " Leafless groves." Cowper. -- Leaf"less*ness , noun

Leafless plants , plants having no foliage, though leaves may be present in the form of scales and bracts. See Leaf , noun , 1 and 2.

Leaflet Leaf"let noun 1. A little leaf; also, a little printed leaf or a tract.

2. (Botany) One of the divisions of a compound leaf; a foliole.

3. (Zoology) A leaflike organ or part; as, a leaflet of the gills of fishes.

Leafstalk Leaf"stalk` noun (Botany) The stalk or petiole which supports a leaf.

Leafy Leaf"y adjective [ Compar. Leafier ; superl . Leafiest .] 1. Full of leaves; abounding in leaves; as, the leafy forest. "The leafy month of June." Coleridge.

2. Consisting of leaves. "A leafy bed." Byron.

League League noun [ Confer Middle English legue , lieue , a measure of length, French lieue , Pr. lega , legua , Italian & Late Latin lega , Spanish legua , Portuguese legoa , legua ; all from Late Latin leuca , of Celtic origin: confer Arm. leo , lev (perh. from French), Ir. leige (perh. from English); also Ir. & Gael. leac a flag, a broad, flat stone, W. llech , -- such stones having perhaps served as a sort of milestone (cf. Cromlech ).] 1. A measure of length or distance, varying in different countries from about 2.4 to 4.6 English statute miles of 5,280 feet each, and used (as a land measure) chiefly on the continent of Europe, and in the Spanish parts of America. The marine league of England and the United States is equal to three marine, or geographical, miles of 6080 feet each.

» The English land league is equal to three English statute miles. The Spanish and French leagues vary in each country according to usage and the kind of measurement to which they are applied. The Dutch and German leagues contain about four geographical miles, or about 4.6 English statute miles.

2. A stone erected near a public road to mark the distance of a league. [ Obsolete]

League League noun [ French ligue , Late Latin liga , from Latin ligare to bind; confer Spanish liga . Confer Ally a confederate, Ligature .] An alliance or combination of two or more nations, parties, or persons, for the accomplishment of a purpose which requires a continued course of action, as for mutual defense, or for furtherance of commercial, religious, or political interests, etc.

And let there be
'Twixt us and them no league , nor amity.

Denham.

» A league may be offensive or defensive , or both; offensive , when the parties agree to unite in attacking a common enemy; defensive , when they agree to a mutual defense of each other against an enemy.

The Holy League , an alliance of Roman Catholics formed in 1576 by influence of the Duke of Guise for the exclusion of Protestants from the throne of France. -- Solemn League and Covenant . See Covenant ,2. -- The land league , an association, organized in Dublin in 1879, to promote the interests of the Irish tenantry, its avowed objects being to secure fixity of tenure, fair rent, and free sale of the tenants' interest. It was declared illegal by Parliament, but vigorous prosecutions have failed to suppress it.

Syn. -- Alliance; confederacy; confederation; coalition; combination; compact; coöperation.

League League intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Leagued ; present participle & verbal noun Leaguing .] [ Confer French se liguer . See 2d League .] To unite in a league or confederacy; to combine for mutual support; to confederate. South.

League League transitive verb To join in a league; to cause to combine for a joint purpose; to combine; to unite; as, common interests will league heterogeneous elements.

Leaguer Lea"guer noun [ Dutch leger camp, bed, couch, lair. See Lair , and confer Beleaguer .] 1. The camp of a besieging army; a camp in general. b. Jonson.

2. A siege or beleaguering. [ R.] Sir W. Scott.

Leaguer Lea"guer transitive verb To besiege; to beleaguer. [ Obsolete]

Leaguerer Lea"guer·er noun A besieger. [ R.] J. Webster.

Leak Leak noun [ Akin to Dutch lek leaky, a leak, German leck , Icelandic lekr leaky, Danish læk leaky, a leak, Swedish läck ; confer Anglo-Saxon hlec full of cracks or leaky. Confer Leak , v. ] 1. A crack, crevice, fissure, or hole which admits water or other fluid, or lets it escape; as, a leak in a roof; a leak in a boat; a leak in a gas pipe. "One leak will sink a ship." Bunyan.

2. The entrance or escape of a fluid through a crack, fissure, or other aperture; as, the leak gained on the ship's pumps.

To spring a leak , to open or crack so as to let in water; to begin to let in water; as, the ship sprung a leak .

Leak Leak adjective Leaky. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Leak Leak intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Leaked ; present participle & verbal noun Leaking .] [ Akin to Dutch lekken , German lecken , lechen , Icelandic leka , Danish lække , Swedish läcka , Anglo-Saxon leccan to wet, moisten. See Leak , noun ] 1. To let water or other fluid in or out through a hole, crevice, etc.; as, the cask leaks ; the roof leaks ; the boat leaks .

2. To enter or escape, as a fluid, through a hole, crevice, etc.; to pass gradually into, or out of, something; -- usually with in or out .

To leak out , to be divulged gradually or clandestinely; to become public; as, the facts leaked out .

Leak Leak noun (Electricity) A loss of electricity through imperfect insulation; also, the point at which such loss occurs.

Leakage Leak"age noun [ Confer Dutch lekkage , for sense 1.] 1. A leaking; also, the quantity that enters or issues by leaking.

2. (Com.) An allowance of a certain rate per cent for the leaking of casks, or waste of liquors by leaking.

Leakage Leak"age noun (Electricity) A leak; also; the quantity of electricity thus wasted.

Leakiness Leak"i·ness noun The quality of being leaky.

Leaky Leak"y adjective [ Compar. Leakier ; superl. Leakiest .] 1. Permitting water or other fluid to leak in or out; as, a leaky roof or cask.

2. Apt to disclose secrets; tattling; not close. [ Colloq.]

Leal Leal adjective [ Middle English leial , another form of loial , French loyal . See Loyal .] Faithful; loyal; true.

All men true and leal , all women pure.

Tennyson.

Land of the leal , the place of the faithful; heaven.

Leam Leam noun & intransitive verb See Leme . [ Obsolete] Holland.

Leam Leam noun [ See Leamer , Lien .] A cord or strap for leading a dog. Sir W. Scott.

Leamer Leam"er noun [ French limier , Old French liemier , from Latin ligamen band, bandage. See Lien .] A dog held by a leam.

Lean Lean (lēn) transitive verb [ Icelandic leyna ; akin to German läugnen to deny, Anglo-Saxon lȳgnian , also English lie to speak falsely.] To conceal. [ Obsolete] Ray.

Lean Lean (lēn) intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Leaned (lēnd), sometimes Leant (lĕnt); present participle & verbal noun Leaning .] [ Middle English lenen , Anglo-Saxon hlinian , hleonian , intransitive verb ; akin to Old Saxon hlinōn , Dutch leunen , Old High German hlinēn , linēn , German lehnen , Latin inclinare , Greek kli`nein , Latin clivus hill, slope. √40. Confer Declivity , Climax , Incline , Ladder .] 1. To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating; as, she leaned out at the window; a leaning column. "He leant forward." Dickens.

2. To incline in opinion or desire; to conform in conduct; -- with to , toward , etc.

They delight rather to lean to their old customs.

Spenser.

3. To rest or rely, for support, comfort, and the like; -- with on , upon , or against .

He leaned not on his fathers but himself.

Tennyson.

Lean Lean transitive verb [ From Lean , intransitive verb ; Anglo-Saxon hlǣnan , transitive verb , from hleonian , hlinian , intransitive verb ] To cause to lean; to incline; to support or rest. Mrs. Browning.

His fainting limbs against an oak he leant .

Dryden.

Lean Lean (lēn) adjective [ Compar. Leaner (lēn"ẽr); superl. Leanest .] [ Middle English lene , Anglo-Saxon hlǣne ; probably akin to English lean to incline. See Lean , intransitive verb ] 1. Wanting flesh; destitute of or deficient in fat; not plump; meager; thin; lank; as, a lean body; a lean cattle.

2. Wanting fullness, richness, sufficiency, or productiveness; deficient in quality or contents; slender; scant; barren; bare; mean; -- used literally and figuratively; as, the lean harvest; a lean purse; a lean discourse; lean wages. "No lean wardrobe." Shak.

Their lean and flashy songs.

Milton.

What the land is, whether it be fat or lean .

Num. xiii. 20.

Out of my lean and low ability
I'll lend you something.

Shak.

3. (Typog.) Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; -- opposed to fat ; as, lean copy, matter, or type.

Syn. -- slender; spare; thin; meager; lank; skinny; gaunt.

Lean Lean noun 1. That part of flesh which consists principally of muscle without the fat.

The fat was so white and the lean was so ruddy.

Goldsmith.

2. (Typog.) Unremunerative copy or work.

Lean-faced Lean"-faced` adjective 1. Having a thin face.

2. (Typog.) slender or narrow; -- said of type the letters of which have thin lines, or are unusually narrow in proportion to their height. W. Savage.

Lean-to Lean"-to` adjective (Architecture) Having only one slope or pitch; -- said of a roof. -- noun A shed or slight building placed against the wall of a larger structure and having a single-pitched roof; -- called also penthouse , and to-fall .

The outer circuit was covered as a lean-to , all round this inner apartment.

De Foe.

Lean-witted Lean"-wit`ted adjective Having but little sense or shrewdness.

Leaning Lean"ing noun The act, or state, of inclining; inclination; tendency; as, a leaning towards Calvinism.

Leanly Lean"ly adverb Meagerly; without fat or plumpness.

Leanness Lean"ness noun [ Anglo-Saxon hlǣnnes .] The condition or quality of being lean.

Leany Lean"y adjective Lean. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Leap Leap noun [ Anglo-Saxon leáp .] 1. A basket. [ Obsolete] Wyclif.

2. A weel or wicker trap for fish. [ Prov. Eng.]

Leap Leap intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Leaped , rarely Leapt ; present participle & verbal noun Leaping .] [ Middle English lepen , leapen , Anglo-Saxon hleápan to leap, jump, run; akin to Old Saxon āhl...pan , OFries. hlapa , Dutch loopen , German laufen , Old High German louffan , hlauffan , Icelandic hlaupa , Swedish löpa , Danish löbe , Goth. ushlaupan . Confer Elope , Lope , Lapwing , Loaf to loiter.] 1. To spring clear of the ground, with the feet; to jump; to vault; as, a man leaps over a fence, or leaps upon a horse. Bacon.

Leap in with me into this angry flood.

Shak.

2. To spring or move suddenly, as by a jump or by jumps; to bound; to move swiftly. Also Fig.

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky.

Wordsworth.

Leap Leap transitive verb 1. To pass over by a leap or jump; as, to leap a wall, or a ditch.

2. To copulate with (a female beast); to cover.

3. To cause to leap; as, to leap a horse across a ditch.

Leap Leap noun 1. The act of leaping, or the space passed by leaping; a jump; a spring; a bound.

Wickedness comes on by degrees, . . . and sudden leaps from one extreme to another are unnatural.

L'Estrange.

Changes of tone may proceed either by leaps or glides.

H. Sweet.

2. Copulation with, or coverture of, a female beast.

3. (Mining) A fault.

4. (Mus.) A passing from one note to another by an interval, especially by a long one, or by one including several other and intermediate intervals.

Leap year Leap" year` Bissextile; a year containing 366 days; every fourth year which leaps over a day more than a common year, giving to February twenty-nine days. See Bissextile .

» Every year whose number is divisible by four without a remainder is a leap year, excepting the full centuries, which, to be leap years, must be divisible by 400 without a remainder. If not so divisible they are common years. 1900, therefore, is not a leap year.

Leaper Leap"er noun [ Anglo-Saxon hleápere .] One who, or that which, leaps.

Leaper Leap"er noun [ See 1st Leap .] A kind of hooked instrument for untwisting old cordage.

Leapfrog Leap"frog` noun A play among boys, in which one stoops down and another leaps over him by placing his hands on the shoulders of the former.

Leapful Leap"ful noun [ See 1st Leap .] A basketful. [ Obsolete]

Leaping Leap"ing adjective & noun from Leap , to jump.

Leaping house , a brothel. [ Obsolete] Shak. -- Leaping pole , a pole used in some games of leaping. -- Leaping spider (Zoology) , a jumping spider; one of the Saltigradæ.

Leapingly Leap"ing·ly adverb By leaps.

Lear Lear transitive verb To learn. See Lere , to learn. [ Obsolete]

Lear Lear noun Lore; lesson. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

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