Lactucarium noun [ New Latin , from Latin lactuca lettuce.] The inspissated juice of the common lettuce, sometimes used as a substitute for opium.

Lactucic adjective (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or derived from, the juice of the Lactuca virosa ; -- said of certain acids.

Lactucin noun [ From Lactuca : confer French lactucine .] (Chemistry) A white, crystalline substance, having a bitter taste and a neutral reaction, and forming one of the essential ingredients of lactucarium.

Lactucone noun [ From Lactuca .] (Chemistry) A white, crystalline, tasteless substance, found in the milky sap of species of Lactuca, and constituting an essential ingredient of lactucarium.

Lacturamic adjective [ Lactic + urea + amic .] (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or designating, an organic amido acid, which is regarded as a derivative of lactic acid and urea.

Lactyl noun [ Lactic + - yl .] (Chemistry) An organic residue or radical derived from lactic acid.

Lacuna (lȧ*kū"nȧ) noun ; plural Latin Lacunæ ; English Lacunas . [ Latin , ditch, pit, lake, orig., anything hollow. See Lagoon .]
1. A small opening; a small pit or depression; a small blank space; a gap or vacancy; a hiatus.

2. (Biol.) A small opening; a small depression or cavity; a space, as a vacant space between the cells of plants, or one of the spaces left among the tissues of the lower animals, which serve in place of vessels for the circulation of the body fluids, or the cavity or sac, usually of very small size, in a mucous membrane.

Lacunal (lȧ*kū"n a l), La*cu"nar (lȧ*kū"nẽr) adjective Pertaining to, or having, lacunæ; as, a lacunar circulation.

Lacunar noun ; plural English Lacunars , Latin Lacunaria . [ Latin ] (Architecture) (a) The ceiling or under surface of any part, especially when it consists of compartments, sunk or hollowed without spaces or bands between the panels. Gwilt (b) One of the sunken panels in such a ceiling.

Lacune (lȧ*kūn") noun [ French] A lacuna. [ R.] Landor.

Lacunose, Lacunous adjective [ Latin lacunosus full of holes or hollows; confer French lacuneux . See Lacuna .] (Biol.) Furrowed or pitted; having shallow cavities or lacunæ; as, a lacunose leaf.

Lacustral, Lacustrine adjective [ Latin lacus lake: confer French lacustral , lacustre .] Found in, or pertaining to, lakes or ponds, or growing in them; as, lacustrine flowers.

Lacustrine deposits (Geol.) , the deposits which have been accumulated in fresh-water areas. -- Lacustrine dwellings . See Lake dwellings , under Lake .

Lacwork noun Ornamentation by means of lacquer painted or carved, or simply colored, sprinkled with gold or the like; -- said especially of Oriental work of this kind.

Lad (lăd), obsolete past participle of Lead , to guide. Chaucer.

Lad (lăd) noun [ Middle English ladde , of Celtic origin; confer W. llawd , Ir. lath . √123. Confer Lass .]
1. A boy; a youth; a stripling. "Cupid is a knavish lad ." Shak.

There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves and two small fishes.

John vi. 9.

2. A companion; a comrade; a mate.

Lad's love . (Botany) See Boy's love , under Boy .

Ladanum noun [ Latin ladanum , ledanum , Greek la`danon , lh`danon , from lh^don name of a shrub, mastic; confer Persian lādan , lāden . Confer Laudanum .] A gum resin gathered from certain Oriental species of Cistus . It has a pungent odor and is chiefly used in making plasters, and for fumigation. [ Written also labdanum .]

Ladde obsolete imperfect of Lead , to guide. Chaucer.

Ladder (-dẽr) noun [ Middle English laddre , Anglo-Saxon hlǣder , hlǣdder ; akin to OFries. hladder , Old High German leitara , German leiter , and from the root of English lean , v. √40. See Lean , intransitive verb , and confer Climax .]
1. A frame usually portable, of wood, metal, or rope, for ascent and descent, consisting of two side pieces to which are fastened cross strips or rounds forming steps.

Some the engines play,
And some, more bold, mount ladders to the fire.

Dryden.

2. That which resembles a ladder in form or use; hence, that by means of which one attains to eminence.

Lowliness is young ambition's ladder .

Shak.

Fish ladder . See under Fish . -- Ladder beetle (Zoology) , an American leaf beetle ( Chrysomela scalaris ). The elytra are silvery white, striped and spotted with green; the under wings are rose- colored. It feeds upon the linden tree. -- Ladder handle , an iron rail at the side of a vertical fixed ladder, to grasp with the hand in climbing. -- Ladder shell (Zoology) , a spiral marine shell of the genus Scalaria. See Scalaria .

Laddie noun A lad; a male sweetheart. [ Scot.]

Lade (lād) transitive verb [ imperfect Laded ; past participle Laded , Laden (lād'n); present participle & verbal noun Lading .] [ Anglo-Saxon hladan to heap, load, draw (water); akin to D. & German laden to load, Old High German hladan , ladan , Icelandic hlaða , Swedish ladda , Danish lade , Goth. afhlaþan . Confer Load , Ladle , Lathe for turning, Last a load.]
1. To load; to put a burden or freight on or in; -- generally followed by that which receives the load, as the direct object.

And they laded their asses with the corn.

Gen. xlii. 26.

2. To throw in or out, with a ladle or dipper; to dip; as, to lade water out of a tub, or into a cistern.

And chides the sea that sunders him from thence,
Saying, he'll lade it dry to have his way.

Shak.

3. (Plate Glass Manuf.) To transfer (the molten glass) from the pot to the forming table.

Lade intransitive verb [ See Lade , transitive verb ]
1. To draw water. [ Obsolete]

2. (Nautical) To admit water by leakage, as a ship, etc.

Lade noun [ Prov. E., a ditch or drain. Confer Lode , Lead to conduct.]
1. The mouth of a river. [ Obsolete] Bp. Gibson.

2. A passage for water; a ditch or drain. [ Prov. Eng.]

Lademan noun One who leads a pack horse; a miller's servant. [ Obsolete or Local]

Laden p. & adjective Loaded; freighted; burdened; as, a laden vessel; a laden heart.

Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity.

Is. i. 4.

A ship laden with gold.

Shak.

Ladied adjective Ladylike; not rough; gentle. [ Obsolete] "Stroked with a ladied land." Feltham.

Ladies' eardrops (Botany) The small- flowered Fuchsia ( F. coccinea ), and other closely related species.

Ladify transitive verb [ Lady + - fy .] To make a lady of; to make ladylike. [ Obsolete] Massinger.

Ladin noun [ From Latin Latinus Latin. See Latin ] A Romansch dialect spoken in some parts of Switzerland and the Tyrol.

Ladin noun A person speaking Ladin as a mother tongue.

Lading noun
1. The act of loading.

2. That which lades or constitutes a load or cargo; freight; burden; as, the lading of a ship.

Bill of lading . See under Bill .

Ladino noun ; plural Ladinos . [ Spanish ] One of the half-breed descendants of whites and Indians; a mestizo; -- so called throughout Central America. They are usually of a yellowish orange tinge. Am. Cyc.

Ladino noun ; plural - nos
1. The mixed Spanish and Hebrew language spoken by Sephardim.

2. A cunningly vicious horse. [ Southeastern U. S.]

3. A ladin.

Ladkin noun A little lad. [ R.] Dr. H. More.

Ladle noun [ Anglo-Saxon hlædel , from hladan to load, drain. See Lade , transitive verb ]
1. A cuplike spoon, often of large size, with a long handle, used in lading or dipping.

When the materials of glass have been kept long in fusion, the mixture casts up the superfluous salt, which the workmen take off with ladles .

Boyle.

2. (Founding) A vessel to carry liquid metal from the furnace to the mold.

3. The float of a mill wheel; -- called also ladle board .

4. (Gun.) (a) An instrument for drawing the charge of a cannon. (b) A ring, with a handle or handles fitted to it, for carrying shot.

Ladle wood (Botany) , the wood of a South African tree ( Cassine Colpoon ), used for carving.

Ladle transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Ladled ; present participle & verbal noun Ladling .] To take up and convey in a ladle; to dip with, or as with, a ladle; as, to ladle out soup; to ladle oatmeal into a kettle.

Ladleful noun ; plural Ladlefuls A quantity sufficient to fill a ladle.

Ladrone noun [ Spanish ladron , Latin latro servant, robber, Greek a servant.] A robber; a pirate; hence, loosely, a rogue or rascal.

Lady (lā"dȳ) noun ; plural Ladies (-dĭz). [ Middle English ladi , læfdi , Anglo-Saxon hlǣfdige , hlǣfdie ; Anglo-Saxon hlāf loaf + a root of uncertain origin, possibly akin to English dairy . See Loaf , and confer Lord .]

1. A woman who looks after the domestic affairs of a family; a mistress; the female head of a household.

Agar, the handmaiden of Sara, whence comest thou, and whither goest thou? The which answered, Fro the face of Sara my lady .

Wyclif (Gen. xvi. 8.).

2. A woman having proprietary rights or authority; mistress; -- a feminine correlative of lord . "Lord or lady of high degree." Lowell.

Of all these bounds, even from this line to this, . . .
We make thee lady .

Shak.

3. A woman to whom the particular homage of a knight was paid; a woman to whom one is devoted or bound; a sweetheart.

The soldier here his wasted store supplies,
And takes new valor from his lady's eyes.

Waller.

4. A woman of social distinction or position. In England, a title prefixed to the name of any woman whose husband is not of lower rank than a baron, or whose father was a nobleman not lower than an earl. The wife of a baronet or knight has the title of Lady by courtesy, but not by right.

5. A woman of refined or gentle manners; a well-bred woman; -- the feminine correlative of gentleman .

6. A wife; -- not now in approved usage. Goldsmith.

7. (Zoology) The triturating apparatus in the stomach of a lobster; -- so called from a fancied resemblance to a seated female figure. It consists of calcareous plates.

Ladies' man , a man who affects the society of ladies. -- Lady altar , an altar in a lady chapel. Shipley. -- Lady chapel , a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. -- Lady court , the court of a lady of the manor. -- Lady crab (Zoology) , a handsomely spotted swimming crab ( Platyonichus ocellatus ) very common on the sandy shores of the Atlantic coast of the United States. -- Lady fern . (Botany) See Female fern , under Female , and Illust. of Fern . -- Lady in waiting , a lady of the queen's household, appointed to wait upon or attend the queen. -- Lady Mass , a Mass said in honor of the Virgin Mary. Shipley. Lady of the manor , a lady having jurisdiction of a manor; also, the wife of a manor lord. Lady's maid , a maidservant who dresses and waits upon a lady. Thackeray. -- Our Lady , the Virgin Mary.

Lady adjective Belonging or becoming to a lady; ladylike.

Some lady trifles. Shak.

Lady Day (dā). The day of the annunciation of the Virgin Mary, March 25. See Annunciation .

Lady-killer noun A gallant who captivates the hearts of women. "A renowned dandy and lady-killer ." Blackw. Mag.

Lady-killing noun The art or practice of captivating the hearts of women.

Better for the sake of womankind that this dangerous dog should leave off lady-killing .

Thackeray.

Ladybird noun [ Equiv. to, bird of Our Lady.] (Zoology) Any one of numerous species of small beetles of the genus Coccinella and allied genera (family Coccinellidæ ); -- called also ladybug , ladyclock , lady cow , lady fly , and lady beetle . Coccinella seplempunctata in one of the common European species. See Coccinella .

» The ladybirds are usually more or less hemispherical in form, with a smooth, polished surface, and often colored red, brown, or black, with small spots of brighter colors. Both the larvæ and the adult beetles of most species feed on aphids, and for this reason they are very beneficial to agriculture and horticulture.

Ladybug noun (Zoology) Same as Ladybird .

Ladyclock noun (Zoology) See Ladybird .

Ladyfish noun (Zoology) (a) A large, handsome oceanic fish ( Albula vulpes ), found both in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans; -- called also bonefish , grubber , French mullet , and macabé . (b) A labroid fish ( Harpe rufa ) of Florida and the West Indies.

Ladyhood noun The state or quality of being a lady; the personality of a lady.

Ladykin noun [ Lady + - kin .] A little lady; -- applied by the writers of Queen Elizabeth's time, in the abbreviated form Lakin , to the Virgin Mary.

» The diminutive does not refer to size, but is equivalent to "dear." Brewer.

Ladylike adjective
1. Like a lady in appearance or manners; well-bred.

She was ladylike , too, after the manner of the feminine gentility of those days.

Hawthorne.

2. Becoming or suitable to a lady; as, ladylike manners. "With fingers ladylike ." Warner.

3. Delicate; tender; feeble; effeminate.

Too ladylike a long fatigue to bear.

Dryden.

Ladylikeness noun The quality or state of being ladylike.