Leaviness Leav"i·ness noun [ Fr. Leaf .] Leafiness. [ Obsolete]

Leavings Leav"ings noun plural 1. Things left; remnants; relics.

2. Refuse; offal.

Leavy Leav"y adjective Leafy. [ Obsolete] Chapman.

Leban, Lebban Leb"an, Leb"ban noun Coagulated sour milk diluted with water; -- a common beverage among the Arabs. Also, a fermented liquor made of the same.

Lecama Le·ca"ma noun (Zoology) The hartbeest.

Lecanomancy Le·can"o·man`cy noun [ Greek leka`nh bowl or basin + -mancy .] Divination practiced with water in a basin, by throwing three stones into it, and invoking the demon whose aid was sought.

Lecanoric Lec`a·no"ric adjective (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or designating, an organic acid which is obtained from several varieties of lichen ( Lecanora , Roccella , etc.), as a white, crystalline substance, and is called also orsellic, or diorsellinic acid , lecanorin , etc.

Lecanorin Lec`a·no"rin noun (Chemistry) See Lecanoric .

Lech Lech transitive verb [ French lécher . See Lick .] To lick. [ Obsolete]

Leche Le·che" noun See water buck , under 3d Buck .

Lecher Lech"er noun [ Middle English lechur , lechour , Old French lecheor , lecheur , gormand, glutton, libertine, parasite, from lechier to lick, French lécher ; of Teutonic origin. See Lick .] A man given to lewdness; one addicted, in an excessive degree, to the indulgence of sexual desire, or to illicit commerce with women.

Lecher Lech"er intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Lechered ; present participle & verbal noun Lechering .] To practice lewdness.

Lecherer Lech"er·er noun See Lecher , noun Marston.

Lecherous Lech"er·ous adjective Like a lecher; addicted to lewdness; lustful; also, lust-provoking. "A lecherous thing is wine." Chaucer. -- Lech"er*ous*ly , adverb -- Lech"er*ous*ness , noun

Lechery Lech"er·y noun [ Middle English lecherie , Old French lecherie . See Lecher .] 1. Free indulgence of lust; lewdness.

2. Selfish pleasure; delight. [ Obsolete] Massinger.

Lecithin Lec"i·thin noun [ Greek le`kiqos the yolk of an egg.] (Physiol. Chem.) A complex, nitrogenous phosphorized substance widely distributed through the animal body, and especially conspicuous in the brain and nerve tissue, in yolk of eggs, and in the white blood corpuscles.

Lectern Lec"tern noun See Lecturn .

Lectica Lec·ti"ca noun ; plural Lecticæ . [ Latin ] (Rom. Antiq.) A kind of litter or portable couch.

Lection Lec"tion noun [ Latin lectio , from legere , lectum , to read. See lesson , Legend .] 1. (Eccl.) A lesson or selection, esp. of Scripture, read in divine service.

2. A reading; a variation in the text.

We ourselves are offended by the obtrusion of the new lections into the text.

De Quincey.

Lectionary Lec"tion·a·ry noun ; plural -ries . [ Late Latin lectionarium , lectionarius : confer French lectionnaire .] (Eccl.) A book, or a list, of lections, for reading in divine service.

Lector Lec"tor (lĕk"tŏr) noun [ Latin See Lection .] (Eccl.) A reader of lections; formerly, a person designated to read lessons to the illiterate.

Lectual Lec"tu·al (-tu* a l) adjective [ Late Latin lectualis , from Latin lectus bed.] (Medicine) Confining to the bed; as, a lectual disease.

Lecture Lec"ture (-tur; 135) noun [ French lecture , Late Latin lectura , from Latin legere , lectum , to read. See Legend .] 1. The act of reading; as, the lecture of Holy Scripture. [ Obsolete]

2. A discourse on any subject; especially, a formal or methodical discourse, intended for instruction; sometimes, a familiar discourse, in contrast with a sermon.

3. A reprimand or formal reproof from one having authority.

4. (Eng. Universities) A rehearsal of a lesson.

Lecture Lec"ture transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Lectured (-turd); present participle & verbal noun Lecturing .] 1. To read or deliver a lecture to.

2. To reprove formally and with authority.

Lecture Lec"ture intransitive verb To deliver a lecture or lectures.

Lecturer Lec"tur·er (-ẽr) noun One who lectures; an assistant preacher.

Lectureship Lec"ture·ship noun The office of a lecturer.

Lecturn Lec"turn (lĕk"tŭrn) noun [ Late Latin lectrinum , from lectrum ; confer Latin legere , lectum , to read.] A choir desk, or reading desk, in some churches, from which the lections, or Scripture lessons, are chanted or read; hence, a reading desk. [ Written also lectern and lettern .] Fairholt.

Lecythis Lec"y·this (lĕs"ĭ*thĭs) noun [ New Latin , from Greek 3 an oil flask.] (Botany) A genus of gigantic trees, chiefly Brazilian, of the order Myrtaceæ , having woody capsules opening by an apical lid. Lecythis Zabucajo yields the delicious sapucaia nuts. Latin Ollaria produces the monkey-pots, its capsules. Its bark separates into thin sheets, like paper, used by the natives for cigarette wrappers.

Led Led (lĕd) imperfect & past participle of Lead .

Led captain . An obsequious follower or attendant. [ Obsolete] Swift. -- Led horse , a sumpter horse, or a spare horse, that is led along.

Leden Led"en (lĕd"'n), Led"den (-d'n) noun [ Anglo-Saxon lēden , lȳden , language, speech. Confer Leod .] Language; speech; voice; cry. [ Obsolete] Chaucer. Spenser.

Ledge Ledge (lĕj) noun [ Akin to Anglo-Saxon licgan to lie, Icelandic liggja ; confer Icelandic lögg the ledge or rim at the bottom of a cask. See Lie to be prostrate.] [ Formerly written lidge .] 1. A shelf on which articles may be laid; also, that which resembles such a shelf in form or use, as a projecting ridge or part, or a molding or edge in joinery.

2. A shelf, ridge, or reef, of rocks.

3. A layer or stratum.

The lowest ledge or row should be of stone.

Sir H. Wotton.

4. (Mining) A lode; a limited mass of rock bearing valuable mineral.

5. (Shipbuilding) A piece of timber to support the deck, placed athwartship between beams.

Ledgement Ledge"ment (lĕj"m e nt) noun See Ledgment .

Ledger Ledg"er (lĕj"ẽr) noun [ Akin to Dutch legger layer, daybook (fr. leggen to lay, liggen to lie), English ledge , lie . See Lie to be prostrate.] 1. A book in which a summary of accounts is laid up or preserved; the final book of record in business transactions, in which all debits and credits from the journal, etc., are placed under appropriate heads. [ Written also leger .]

2. (Architecture) (a) A large flat stone, esp. one laid over a tomb. Oxf. Gloss. (b) A horizontal piece of timber secured to the uprights and supporting floor timbers, a staircase, scaffolding, or the like. It differs from an intertie in being intended to carry weight. [ Written also ligger .]

Ledger bait , fishing bait attached to a floating line fastened to the bank of a stream, pond, etc. Walton. J. H. Walsh. -- Ledger blade , a stationary shearing blade in a machine for shearing the nap of cloth. -- Ledger line . See Leger line , under 3d Leger , adjective -- Ledger wall (Mining) , the wall under a vein; the foot wall. Raymond.

Ledgment Ledg"ment (-m e nt) noun (Architecture) (a) A string-course or horizontal suit of moldings, such as the base moldings of a building. Oxf. Gloss. (b) The development of the surface of a body on a plane, so that the dimensions of the different sides may be easily ascertained. Gwilt. [ Written also ledgement , legement , and ligement .]

Ledgy Ledg"y (-ȳ) adjective Abounding in ledges; consisting of a ledge or reef; as, a ledgy island.

Lee Lee (lē) intransitive verb , To lie; to speak falsely. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Lee Lee noun ; plural Lees (lēz). [ French lie , perhaps from Latin levare to lift up, raise. Confer Lever .] That which settles at the bottom, as of a cask of liquor (esp. wine); sediment; dregs; -- used now only in the plural. [ Lees occurs also as a form of the singular.] "The lees of wine." Holland.

A thousand demons lurk within the lee .

Young.

The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees
Is left this vault to brag of.

Shak.

Lee Lee noun [ Middle English lee shelter, Icelandic hlē , akin to Anglo-Saxon hleó , hleów , shelter, protection, Old Saxon hlèo , Dutch lij lee, Swedish lä , Danish læ .] 1. A sheltered place; esp., a place protected from the wind by some object; the side sheltered from the wind; shelter; protection; as, the lee of a mountain, an island, or a ship.

We lurked under lee .

Morte d'Arthure.

Desiring me to take shelter in his lee .

Tyndall.

2. (Nautical) That part of the hemisphere, as one stands on shipboard, toward which the wind blows. See Lee , adjective

By the lee , To bring by the lee . See under By , and Bring . -- Under the lee of , on that side which is sheltered from the wind; as, to be under the lee of a ship.

Lee Lee adjective (Nautical) Of or pertaining to the part or side opposite to that against which the wind blows; -- opposed to weather ; as, the lee side or lee rail of a vessel.

Lee gauge . See Gauge , noun (Nautical) -- Lee shore , the shore on the lee side of a vessel. -- Lee tide , a tide running in the same direction that the wind blows. -- On the lee beam , directly to the leeward; in a line at right angles to the length of the vessel and to the leeward.

Leeangle, Liangle Lee"an`gle, Li"an`gle noun [ From native name.] A heavy weapon of the Australian aborigines with a sharp-pointed end, about nine inches in length, projecting at right angles from the main part.

Leeboard Lee"board` (lē"bōrd`) noun A board, or frame of planks, lowered over the side of a vessel to lessen her leeway when closehauled, by giving her greater draught.

Leech Leech (lēch) noun See 2d Leach .

Leech Leech transitive verb See Leach , transitive verb

Leech Leech noun [ Confer LG. leik , Icelandic līk , Swedish lik boltrope, stående liken the leeches.] (Nautical) The border or edge at the side of a sail. [ Written also leach .]

Leech line , a line attached to the leech ropes of sails, passing up through blocks on the yards, to haul the leeches by. Totten. -- Leech rope , that part of the boltrope to which the side of a sail is sewed.

Leech Leech noun [ Middle English leche , læche , physician, Anglo-Saxon lǣce ; akin to Fries. lētza , Old High German lāhhī , Icel . læknari , Swedish läkare , Danish læge , Goth. lēkeis , Anglo-Saxon lācnian to heal, Swedish läka , Danish læge , Icelandic lækna , Goth. lēkinōn .] 1. A physician or surgeon; a professor of the art of healing. [ Written also leach .] [ Archaic] Spenser.

Leech , heal thyself.

Wyclif (Luke iv. 23).

2. (Zoology) Any one of numerous genera and species of annulose worms, belonging to the order Hirudinea , or Bdelloidea, esp. those species used in medicine, as Hirudo medicinalis of Europe, and allied species.

» In the mouth of bloodsucking leeches are three convergent, serrated jaws, moved by strong muscles. By the motion of these jaws a stellate incision is made in the skin, through which the leech sucks blood till it is gorged, and then drops off. The stomach has large pouches on each side to hold the blood. The common large bloodsucking leech of America ( Macrobdella decora ) is dark olive above, and red below, with black spots. Many kinds of leeches are parasitic on fishes; others feed upon worms and mollusks, and have no jaws for drawing blood. See Bdelloidea . Hirudinea , and Clepsine .

3. (Surg.) A glass tube of peculiar construction, adapted for drawing blood from a scarified part by means of a vacuum.

Horse leech , a less powerful European leech ( Hæmopis vorax ), commonly attacking the membrane that lines the inside of the mouth and nostrils of animals that drink at pools where it lives.

Leech Leech transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Leeched (lēcht); present participle & verbal noun Leeching .] 1. To treat as a surgeon; to doctor; as, to leech wounds. [ Archaic]

2. To bleed by the use of leeches.

Leechcraft Leech"craft` (-krȧft`) noun The art of healing; skill of a physician. [ Archaic] Chaucer.

Leed, Leede Leed, Leede (lēd) }, noun [ Etymol. uncertain.] A caldron; a copper kettle. [ Obsolete] "A furnace of a leed ." Chaucer.

Leef Leef (lēf) adjective & adverb See Lief . [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

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