L.
L (&ebreve;l). 1. L is the twelfth
letter of the English alphabet, and a vocal consonant. It is usually
called a semivowel or liquid. Its form and value are
from the Greek, through the Latin, the form of the Greek letter being
from the Phœnician, and the ultimate origin prob. Egyptian.
Etymologically, it is most closely related to r and u;
as in pilgrim, peregrine, couch (fr.
collocare), aubura (fr. LL. alburnus).
At the end of monosyllables containing a single vowel, it is
often doubled, as in fall, full, bell; but not
after digraphs, as in foul, fool, prowl,
growl, foal. In English words, the terminating syllable
le is unaccented, the e is silent, and l is
preceded by a voice glide, as in able, eagle,
pronounced ā"b'l, ē"g'l.
See Guide to Pronunciation, § 241.
2. As a numeral, L stands for fifty in the
English, as in the Latin language.
For 50 the Romans used the Chalcidian chi, &?;,
which assumed the less difficult lapidary type, &?;, and was then
easily assimilated to L.
I. Taylor (The
Alphabet).
L (&ebreve;l), n. 1.
An extension at right angles to the length of a main building,
giving to the ground plan a form resembling the letter L; sometimes
less properly applied to a narrower, or lower, extension in the
direction of the length of the main building; a wing. [Written
also ell.]
2. (Mech.) A short right-angled pipe
fitting, used in connecting two pipes at right angles. [Written
also ell.]
La (?), n. (Mus.)
(a) A syllable applied to the sixth tone of the
scale in music in solmization. (b) The
tone A; -- so called among the French and Italians.
La (?), interj. [Cf. Lo.]
1. Look; see; behold; -- sometimes followed by
you. [Obs.] Shak.
2. An exclamation of surprise; -- commonly
followed by me; as, La me! [Low]
Laas (?), n. A lace. See
Lace. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Lab (?), v. i. [Cf. OD. labben
to babble.] To prate; to gossip; to babble; to blab.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Lab, n. A telltale; a prater; a
blabber. [Obs.] "I am no lab." Chaucer.
Lab"a*dist, n. (Eccl. Hist.)
A follower of Jean de Labadie, a religious teacher of the
17th century, who left the Roman Catholic Church and taught a kind of
mysticism, and the obligation of community of property among
Christians.
La`bar`raque's" so*lu"tion (?). [From Labarraque,
a Parisian apothecary.] (Med.) An aqueous solution of
hypochlorite of sodium, extensively used as a disinfectant.
||Lab"a*rum (&?;), n.; pl.
Labara (#). [L.] The standard adopted by the
Emperor Constantine after his conversion to Christianity. It is
described as a pike bearing a silk banner hanging from a crosspiece,
and surmounted by a golden crown. It bore a monogram of the first two
letters (CHR) of the name of Christ in its Greek form.
Later, the name was given to various modifications of this
standard.
Lab"da*num (?), n. (Bot.)
See Ladanum.
Lab`e*fac"tion (?), n. [See
Labefy.] The act of labefying or making weak; the state
of being weakened; decay; ruin.
There is in it such a labefaction of all
principles as may be injurious to morality.
Johnson.
Lab"e*fy (?), v. t. [L.
labefacere; labare to totter + facere to make.]
To weaken or impair. [R.]
La"bel (lā"b&ebreve;l), n. [OF.
label sort of ribbon or fringe, label in heraldry, F.
lambeau shred, strip, rag; of uncertain origin; cf. L.
labellum, dim. of labrum lip, edge, margin, G.
lappen flap, patch, rag, tatter (cf. Lap of a dress),
W. llab, llabed, label, flap, Gael. leab,
leob, slice, shred, hanging lip.] 1. A
tassel. [Obs.] Huloet. Fuller.
2. A slip of silk, paper, parchment, etc.,
affixed to anything, and indicating, usually by an inscription, the
contents, ownership, destination, etc.; as, the label of a
bottle or a package.
3. A slip of ribbon, parchment, etc.,
attached to a document to hold the appended seal; also, the
seal.
4. A writing annexed by way of addition, as a
codicil added to a will.
5. (Her.) A barrulet, or, rarely, a
bendlet, with pendants, or points, usually three, especially used as
a mark of cadency to distinguish an eldest or only son while his
father is still living.
6. A brass rule with sights, formerly used,
in connection with a circumferentor, to take altitudes.
Knight.
7. (Gothic Arch.) The name now
generally given to the projecting molding by the sides, and over the
tops, of openings in mediæval architecture. It always has a
square form, as in the illustration. Arch. Pub.
Soc.
8. In mediæval art, the representation
of a band or scroll containing an inscription.
Fairholt.
La"bel, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Labeled (-b&ebreve;ld) or Labelled;
p. pr. & vb. n. Labeling or
Labelling.] 1. To affix a label to; to
mark with a name, etc.; as, to label a bottle or a
package.
2. To affix in or on a label. [R.]
La"bel*er (?), n. One who
labels. [Written also labeller.]
||La*bel"lum (l&adot;*b&ebreve;l"lŭm),
n.; pl. L. Labella (-
l&adot;), E. Labellums (-lŭmz). [L., dim. of
labrum lip.] 1. (Bot.) The lower
or apparently anterior petal of an orchidaceous flower, often of a
very curious shape.
2. (Zoöl.) A small appendage
beneath the upper lip or labrum of certain insects.
La"bent (?), a. [L. labens, p.
pr. of labi to slide, glide.] Slipping; sliding;
gliding. [R.]
||La"bi*a (?), n. pl. See
Labium.
La"bi*al (?), a. [LL. labialis,
fr. L. labium lip: cf. F. labial. See Lip.]
1. Of or pertaining to the lips or labia; as,
labial veins.
2. (Mus.) Furnished with lips; as, a
labial organ pipe.
3. (Phonetics) (a)
Articulated, as a consonant, mainly by the lips, as b, p, m,
w. (b) Modified, as a vowel, by
contraction of the lip opening, as &oomac; (f&oomac;d), ō
(ōld), etc., and as eu and u in French, and
ö, ü in German. See Guide to Pronunciation,
§§ 11, 178.
4. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to
the labium; as, the labial palpi of insects. See
Labium.
La"bi*al, n. 1.
(Phonetics) A letter or character representing an
articulation or sound formed or uttered chiefly with the lips, as
b, p, w.
2. (Mus.) An organ pipe that is
furnished with lips; a flue pipe.
3. (Zoöl.) One of the scales
which border the mouth of a fish or reptile.
La"bi*al*ism (?), n. (Phonetics)
The quality of being labial; as, the labialism of an
articulation; conversion into a labial, as of a sound which is
different in another language. J. Peile.
La`bi*al*i*za"tion (?), n.
(Phonetics) The modification of an articulation by
contraction of the lip opening.
La"bi*al*ize (?), v. t.
(Phonetics) To modify by contraction of the lip
opening.
La"bi*al*ly, adv. In a labial
manner; with, or by means of, the lips.
La"bi*ate (?), v. t. To
labialize. Brewer.
La"bi*ate (?), a. [NL. labiatus,
fr. L. labium lip.] (Bot.) (a)
Having the limb of a tubular corolla or calyx divided into two
unequal parts, one projecting over the other like the lips of a
mouth, as in the snapdragon, sage, and catnip.
(b) Belonging to a natural order of plants
(Labiatæ), of which the mint, sage, and catnip are
examples. They are mostly aromatic herbs.
La"bi*ate, n. (Bot.) A
plant of the order Labiatæ.
La"bi*a`ted (?), a. (Bot.)
Same as Labiate, a.
(a).
{ La`bi*a`ti*flo"ral (?), La`bi*a`ti*flo"ral
(?), } a. [Labiate + L. flos,
floris, flower.] (Bot.) Having labiate flowers, as
the snapdragon.
Lab`i*dom"e*ter (?), n. [Gr.
labi`s, -i`dos, a forceps + meter: cf.
F. labidometre.] (Med.) A forceps with a measuring
attachment for ascertaining the size of the fetal head.
La"bile (?), a. [L. labilis apt
to slip, fr. labi to slip.] Liable to slip, err, fall, or
apostatize. [Obs.] Cheyne.
La*bil"i*ty (?), n. Liability to
lapse, err, or apostatize. [Archaic] Coleridge.
La*bim"e*ter (?), n. [Cf. F.
labimetre.] (Med.) See
Labidometer.
La`bi*o*den"tal (?), a. [Labium
+ dental.] (Phonetics) Formed or pronounced by the
cooperation of the lips and teeth, as f and v. --
n. A labiodental sound or letter.
La`bi*o*na"sal (?), a. [Labium +
nasal.] (Phonetics) Formed by the lips and the
nose. -- n. A labionasal sound or
letter.
La"bi*ose` (?), a. [From
Labium.] (Bot.) Having the appearance of being
labiate; -- said of certain polypetalous corollas.
||La`bi*pal"pus (?), n.; pl.
Labipalpi (&?;). [NL. See Labium, and
Palpus.] (Zoöl.) One of the labial palpi of
an insect. See Illust. under Labium.
||La"bi*um (?), n.; pl. L.
Labia (#), E. Labiums (#). [L.]
1. A lip, or liplike organ.
2. The lip of an organ pipe.
3. pl. (Anat.) The folds of
integument at the opening of the vulva.
4. (Zoöl.) (a)
The organ of insects which covers the mouth beneath, and serves
as an under lip. It consists of the second pair of maxillæ,
usually closely united in the middle line, but bearing a pair of
palpi in most insects. It often consists of a thin anterior part
(ligula or palpiger) and a firmer posterior plate
(mentum). (b) Inner margin of the
aperture of a shell.
Lab"lab (lăb"lăb), n.
(Bot.) an East Indian name for several twining leguminous
plants related to the bean, but commonly applied to the hyacinth bean
(Dolichos Lablab).
La"bor (lā"b&etilde;r), n. [OE.
labour, OF. labour, laber, labur, F.
labeur, L. labor; cf. Gr. lamba`nein to
take, Skr. labh to get, seize.] [Written also labour.]
1. Physical toil or bodily exertion, especially
when fatiguing, irksome, or unavoidable, in distinction from sportive
exercise; hard, muscular effort directed to some useful end, as
agriculture, manufactures, and like; servile toil; exertion;
work.
God hath set
Labor and rest, as day and night, to men
Successive.
Milton.
2. Intellectual exertion; mental effort; as,
the labor of compiling a history.
3. That which requires hard work for its
accomplishment; that which demands effort.
Being a labor of so great a difficulty, the
exact performance thereof we may rather wish than look
for.
Hooker.
4. Travail; the pangs and efforts of
childbirth.
The queen's in labor,
They say, in great extremity; and feared
She'll with the labor end.
Shak.
5. Any pang or distress.
Shak.
6. (Naut.) The pitching or tossing of
a vessel which results in the straining of timbers and
rigging.
7. [Sp.] A measure of land in Mexico and
Texas, equivalent to an area of 177&frac17; acres.
Bartlett.
Syn. -- Work; toil; drudgery; task; exertion; effort;
industry; painstaking. See Toll.
La"bor, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Labored (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Laboring.] [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L.
laborare. See Labor, n.] [Written
also labour.] 1. To exert muscular
strength; to exert one's strength with painful effort, particularly
in servile occupations; to work; to toil.
Adam, well may we labor still to dress
This garden.
Milton.
2. To exert one's powers of mind in the
prosecution of any design; to strive; to take pains.
3. To be oppressed with difficulties or
disease; to do one's work under conditions which make it especially
hard, wearisome; to move slowly, as against opposition, or under a
burden; to be burdened; -- often with under, and formerly with
of.
The stone that labors up the hill.
Granville.
The line too labors,and the words move
slow.
Pope.
To cure the disorder under which he
labored.
Sir W. Scott.
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.
Matt. xi. 28
4. To be in travail; to suffer the pangs of
childbirth.
5. (Naut.) To pitch or roll heavily,
as a ship in a turbulent sea. Totten.
La"bor, v. t. [F. labourer, L.
laborare.] 1. To work at; to work; to
till; to cultivate by toil.
The most excellent lands are lying fallow, or only
labored by children.
W. Tooke.
2. To form or fabricate with toil, exertion,
or care. "To labor arms for Troy." Dryden.
3. To prosecute, or perfect, with effort; to
urge strenuously; as, to labor a point or argument.
4. To belabor; to beat. [Obs.]
Dryden.
Lab"o*rant (?), n. [L. laborans,
p. pr. of laborare to labor.] A chemist. [Obs.]
Boyle.
Lab"o*ra*to*ry (?), n.; pl.
Laboratories (#). [Shortened fr.
elaboratory; cf. OF. elaboratoire, F.
laboratoire. See Elaborate, Labor.] [Formerly
written also elaboratory.] The workroom of a chemist;
also, a place devoted to experiments in any branch of natural
science; as, a chemical, physical, or biological laboratory.
Hence, by extension, a place where something is prepared, or some
operation is performed; as, the liver is the laboratory of the
bile.
La"bored (?), a. Bearing marks of
labor and effort; elaborately wrought; not easy or natural; as,
labored poetry; a labored style.
La"bored*ly, adv. In a labored
manner; with labor.
La"bor*er (?), n. [Written also
labourer.] One who labors in a toilsome occupation; a
person who does work that requires strength rather than skill, as
distinguished from that of an artisan.
La"bor*ing, a. 1.
That labors; performing labor; esp., performing coarse, heavy
work, not requiring skill also, set apart for labor; as,
laboring days.
The sleep of a laboring man is
sweet.
Eccl. v. 12.
2. Suffering pain or grief.
Pope.
Laboring oar, the oar which requires most
strength and exertion; often used figuratively; as, to have, or pull,
the laboring oar in some difficult undertaking.
La*bo"ri*ous (?), a. [L.
laboriosus,fr. labor labor: cf. F. laborieux.]
1. Requiring labor, perseverance, or sacrifices;
toilsome; tiresome.
Dost thou love watchings, abstinence, or toil,
Laborious virtues all ? Learn these from Cato.
Addison.
2. Devoted to labor; diligent; industrious;
as, a laborious mechanic.
-- La*bo"ri*ous*ly, adv. --
La*bo"ri*ous*ness, n.
La"bor*less (lā"b&etilde;r*l&ebreve;s),
a. Not involving labor; not laborious;
easy.
La"bor*ous (lā"b&etilde;r*ŭs),
a. Laborious. [Obs.] Wyatt. --
La"bor*ous*ly, adv. [Obs.] Sir T.
Elyot.
La"bor-sav`ing (?), a. Saving
labor; adapted to supersede or diminish the labor of men; as,
labor-saving machinery.
La"bor*some (?), a. 1.
Made with, or requiring, great labor, pains, or diligence.
[Obs.] Shak.
2. (Naut.) Likely or inclined to roll
or pitch, as a ship in a heavy sea; having a tendency to
labor.
Lab`ra*dor" (?), n. A region of
British America on the Atlantic coast, north of
Newfoundland.
Labrador duck (Zoöl.), a sea
duck (Camtolaimus Labradorius) allied to the eider ducks. It
was formerly common on the coast of New England, but is now supposed
to be extinct, no specimens having been reported since 1878. --
Labrador feldspar. See Labradorite.
-- Labrador tea (Bot.), a name of two
low, evergreen shrubs of the genus Ledum (L. palustre
and L. latifolium), found in Northern Europe and America. They
are used as tea in British America, and in Scandinavia as a
substitute for hops.
Lab"ra*dor`ite (&?;), n. (Min.)
A kind of feldspar commonly showing a beautiful play of colors,
and hence much used for ornamental purposes. The finest specimens
come from Labrador. See Feldspar.
La"bras (?), n. pl. [L. labrum;
cf. It. labbro, pl. labbra.] Lips. [Obs. &
R.] Shak.
La"broid (?), a. [Labrus + -
oid.] (Zoöl.) Like the genus Labrus; belonging
to the family Labridæ, an extensive family of marine
fishes, often brilliantly colored, which are very abundant in the
Indian and Pacific Oceans. The tautog and cunner are American
examples.
La"brose` (l&amc;"brōs`), a. [L.
labrosus, fr. labrum lip.] Having thick
lips.
||La"brum (?), n.; pl. L.
Labra (#), E. Labrums (#). [L.]
1. A lip or edge, as of a basin.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) An
organ in insects and crustaceans covering the upper part of the
mouth, and serving as an upper lip. See Illust. of
Hymenoptera. (b) The external
margin of the aperture of a shell. See Univalve.
||La"brus (?), n.; pl.
Labri (-brī). [L., a sort of fish.]
(Zoöl.) A genus of marine fishes, including the
wrasses of Europe. See Wrasse.
La*bur`nic (l&adot;*bûr"n&ibreve;k),
a. Of, pertaining to, or derived from, the
laburnum.
La*bur`nine (?), n. (Chem.)
A poisonous alkaloid found in the unripe seeds of the
laburnum.
La*bur"num (?), n. [L.] (Bot.)
A small leguminous tree (Cytisus Laburnum), native of the
Alps. The plant is reputed to be poisonous, esp. the bark and seeds.
It has handsome racemes of yellow blossoms.
&fist; Scotch laburnum (Cytisus alpinus) is similar, but
has smooth leaves; purple laburnum is C. purpureus.
Lab"y*rinth (?), n. [L.
labyrinthus, Gr. laby`rinthos: cf. F.
labyrinthe.] 1. An edifice or place full
of intricate passageways which render it difficult to find the way
from the interior to the entrance; as, the Egyptian and Cretan
labyrinths.
2. Any intricate or involved inclosure;
especially, an ornamental maze or inclosure in a park or
garden.
3. Any object or arrangement of an intricate
or involved form, or having a very complicated nature.
The serpent . . . fast sleeping soon he found,
In labyrinth of many a round self-rolled.
Milton.
The labyrinth of the mind.
Tennyson.
4. An inextricable or bewildering
difficulty.
I' the maze and winding labyrinths o' the
world.
Denham.
5. (Anat.) The internal ear. See Note
under Ear.
6. (Metal.) A series of canals through
which a stream of water is directed for suspending, carrying off, and
depositing at different distances, the ground ore of a metal.
Ure.
7. (Arch.) A pattern or design
representing a maze, -- often inlaid in the tiled floor of a church,
etc.
Syn. -- Maze; confusion; intricacy; windings. --
Labyrinth, Maze. Labyrinth, originally; the name
of an edifice or excavation, carries the idea of design, and
construction in a permanent form, while maze is used of
anything confused or confusing, whether fixed or shifting.
Maze is less restricted in its figurative uses than
labyrinth. We speak of the labyrinth of the ear, or of
the mind, and of a labyrinth of difficulties; but of the
mazes of the dance, the mazes of political intrigue, or
of the mind being in a maze.
Lab`y*rin"thal (?), a. Pertaining
to, or resembling, a labyrinth; intricate; labyrinthian.
Lab`y*rin"thi*an (&?;), a.
Intricately winding; like a labyrinth; perplexed;
labyrinthal.
Lab`y*rin"thi*branch (?), a. [See
Labyrinth, and Branchia.] (Zoöl.) Of
or pertaining to the Labyrinthici. -- n.
One of the Labyrinthici.
{ Lab`y*rin"thic (?), Lab`y*rin`thic*al (?), }
a. [L. labyrinthicus: cf. F.
labyrinthique.] Like or pertaining to a
labyrinth.
||Lab`y*rin"thi*ci (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Labyrinth.] (Zoöl.) An order of teleostean
fishes, including the Anabas, or climbing perch, and other allied
fishes.
&fist; They have, connected with the gill chamber, a special
cavity in which a labyrinthiform membrane is arranged so as to retain
water to supply the gills while the fish leaves the water and travels
about on land, or even climbs trees.
Lab`y*rin"thi*form (?), a.
[Labyrinth + -form: cf. F. labyrinthiforme.]
Having the form of a labyrinth; intricate.
Lab`y*rin"thine (?), a. Pertaining
to, or like, a labyrinth; labyrinthal.
Lab`y*rin"tho*don (?), n. [Gr.
laby`rinqos labyrinth + 'odoy`s,
'odo`ntos, tooth.] (Paleon.) A genus of very
large fossil amphibians, of the Triassic period, having bony plates
on the under side of the body. It is the type of the order
Labyrinthodonta. Called also Mastodonsaurus.
Lab`y*rin"tho*dont (?), a.
(Paleon.) Of or pertaining to the Labyrinthodonta.
-- n. One of the Labyrinthodonta.
||Lab`y*rin`tho*don"ta (?), n. pl. [NL.
See Labyrinthodon.] (Paleon.) An extinct order of
Amphibia, including the typical genus Labyrinthodon, and many other
allied forms, from the Carboniferous, Permian, and Triassic
formations. By recent writers they are divided into two or more
orders. See Stegocephala.
{ Lac (lăk), ||Lakh (läk) },
n. [Hind. lak, lākh,
lāksh, Skr. laksha a mark, sign, lakh.] One
hundred thousand; also, a vaguely great number; as, a lac of
rupees. [Written also lack.] [East Indies]
Lac, n. [Per. lak; akin to Skr.
lākshā: cf. F. lague, It. & NL.
lacca. Cf. Lake a color, Lacquer,
Litmus.] A resinous substance produced mainly on the
banyan tree, but to some extent on other trees, by the Coccus
lacca, a scale-shaped insect, the female of which fixes herself
on the bark, and exudes from the margin of her body this resinous
substance.
&fist; Stick-lac is the substance in its natural state,
incrusting small twigs. When broken off, and the coloring matter
partly removed, the granular residuum is called seed-lac. When
melted, and reduced to a thin crust, it is called shell-lac or
shellac. Lac is an important ingredient in sealing wax, dyes,
varnishes, and lacquers.
Ceylon lac, a resinous exudation of the tree
Croton lacciferum, resembling lac. -- Lac
dye, a scarlet dye obtained from stick-lac. --
Lac lake, the coloring matter of lac dye when
precipitated from its solutions by alum. -- Mexican
lac, an exudation of the tree Croton
Draco.
Lac"cic (lăk"s&ibreve;k), a.
[Cf. F. laccique.] (Chem.) Pertaining to lac, or
produced from it; as, laccic acid.
Lac"cin (?), n. [Cf. F.
laccine.] (Chem.) A yellow amorphous substance
obtained from lac.
{ Lac"co*lite (?), Lac"co*lith (?), }
n. [Gr. &?; a cistern + -lite, -
lith.] (Geol.) A mass of igneous rock intruded
between sedimentary beds and resulting in a mammiform bulging of the
overlying strata. -- Lac`co*lit"ic (#),
a.
Lace (lās), n. [OE. las,
OF. laz, F. lacs, dim. lacet, fr. L.
laqueus noose, snare; prob. akin to lacere to entice.
Cf. Delight, Elicit, Lasso, Latchet.]
1. That which binds or holds, especially by
being interwoven; a string, cord, or band, usually one passing
through eyelet or other holes, and used in drawing and holding
together parts of a garment, of a shoe, of a machine belt,
etc.
His hat hung at his back down by a
lace.
Chaucer.
For striving more, the more in laces strong
Himself he tied.
Spenser.
2. A snare or gin, especially one made of
interwoven cords; a net. [Obs.] Fairfax.
Vulcanus had caught thee [Venus] in his
lace.
Chaucer.
3. A fabric of fine threads of linen, silk,
cotton, etc., often ornamented with figures; a delicate tissue of
thread, much worn as an ornament of dress.
Our English dames are much given to the wearing of
costly laces.
Bacon.
4. Spirits added to coffee or some other
beverage. [Old Slang] Addison.
Alencon lace, a kind of point lace, entirely
of needlework, first made at Alencon in France, in the 17th century.
It is very durable and of great beauty and cost. -- Bone
lace, Brussels lace, etc. See under
Bone, Brussels, etc. -- Gold
lace, or Silver lace, lace having
warp threads of silk, or silk and cotton, and a weft of silk threads
covered with gold (or silver), or with gilt. -- Lace
leather, thin, oil-tanned leather suitable for cutting
into lacings for machine belts. -- Lace lizard
(Zoöl.), a large, aquatic, Australian lizard
(Hydrosaurus giganteus), allied to the monitors. --
Lace paper, paper with an openwork design in
imitation of lace. -- Lace piece
(Shipbuilding), the main piece of timber which supports
the beak or head projecting beyond the stem of a ship. --
Lace pillow, ∧ Pillow lace.
See under Pillow.
Lace, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Laced (āst); p. pr. & vb.
n. Lacing (?).] 1. To fasten
with a lace; to draw together with a lace passed through eyelet
holes; to unite with a lace or laces, or, figuratively. with anything
resembling laces. Shak.
When Jenny's stays are newly
laced.
Prior.
2. To adorn with narrow strips or braids of
some decorative material; as, cloth laced with silver.
Shak.
3. To beat; to lash; to make stripes
on. [Colloq.]
I'll lace your coat for ye.
L'Estrange.
4. To add spirits to (a beverage). [Old
Slang]
Lace, v. i. To be fastened with a
lace, or laces; as, these boots lace.
Lace"-bark` (?), n. (Bot.)
A shrub in the West Indies (Lagetta Iintearia); -- so
called from the lacelike layers of its inner bark.
Laced (?), a. 1.
Fastened with a lace or laces; decorated with narrow strips or
braid. See Lace, v. t.
2. Decorated with the fabric lace.
A shirt with laced ruffles.
Fielding.
Laced mutton, a prostitute. [Old slang]
-- Laced stocking, a strong stocking which can
be tightly laced; -- used in cases of weak legs, varicose veins,
etc. Dunglison.
Lac`e*dæ*mo"ni*an (?), a. [L.
Lacedamonius, Gr. Lakedaimo`nios, fr.
Lakedai`mwn Lacedæmon.] Of or pertaining to
Lacedæmon or Sparta, the chief city of Laconia in the
Peloponnesus. -- n. A Spartan.
[Written also Lacedemonian.]
Lace"man (?), n.; pl.
Lacemen (&?;). A man who deals in
lace.
Lac"er*a*ble (?), a. [L.
lacerabilis: cf. F. lacérable.] That can be
lacerated or torn.
Lac"er*ate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Lacerated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Lacerating (&?;>).] [L. laceratus, p. p.
of lacerare to lacerate, fr. lacer mangled, lacerated;
cf. Gr. &?; a rent, rending, &?; to tear; perh. akin to E.
slay.] To tear; to rend; to separate by tearing; to
mangle; as, to lacerate the flesh. Hence: To afflict; to
torture; as, to lacerate the heart.
{ Lac"er*ate (?), Lac"er*a`ted (?), } p.
a. [L. laceratus, p. p.] 1.
Rent; torn; mangled; as, a lacerated wound.
By each other's fury lacerate
Southey.
2. (Bot. & Zoöl.) Jagged, or
slashed irregularly, at the end, or along the edge.
Lac`er*a"tion (?), n. [L.
laceratio: cf. F. lacération.]
1. The act of lacerating.
2. A breach or wound made by
lacerating. Arbuthnot.
Lac"er*a*tive (?), a. Lacerating,
or having the power to lacerate; as, lacerative humors.
Harvey.
La"cert (?), n. [OE. lacerte.
See Lacertus.] A muscle of the human body. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
La*cer"ta (?), n. [L. lacertus
the arm.] A fathom. [Obs.] Domesday Book.
La*cer"ta, n. [L. a lizard. See
Lizard.] 1. (Zoöl.) A genus
of lizards. See Lizard.
&fist; Formerly it included nearly all the known lizards. It is
now restricted to certain diurnal Old World species, like the green
lizard (Lacerta viridis) and the sand lizard (L.
agilis), of Europe.
2. (Astron.) The Lizard, a northern
constellation.
La*cer"tian (?), a. [Cf. F.
lacertien.] (Zoöl.) Like a lizard; of or
pertaining to the Lacertilia. -- n. One
of the Lacertilia.
||Lac`er*til"i*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
L. lacertus a lizard.] (Zoöl.) An order of
Reptilia, which includes the lizards.
&fist; They are closely related to the snakes, and like the
latter, usually have the body covered with scales or granules. They
usually have eyelids, and most of then have well-formed legs; but in
some groups (amphisbæna, glass-snake, etc.) the legs are
wanting and the body is serpentlike. None are venomous, unless
Heloderma be an exception. The order includes the chameleons,
the Cionocrania, or typical lizards, and the
amphisbænas. See Amphisbæna, Gecko, Gila
monster, and Lizard.
Lac`er*til"i*an (-an), a. & n.
Same as Lacertian.
La*cer"ti*loid (?), a.
[Lacertilia + -oid.] (Zoöl.) Like or
belonging to the Lacertilia.
La*cer"tine (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Lacertian.
||La*cer"tus (l&adot;*s&etilde;r"tŭs),
n.; pl. Lacerti (-
tī). [L., the upper arm.] (Anat.) A bundle or
fascicle of muscular fibers.
Lace"wing` (lās"w&ibreve;ng`), n.
(Zoöl.) Any one of several species of neuropterous
insects of the genus Chrysopa and allied genera. They have
delicate, lacelike wings and brilliant eyes. Their larvæ are
useful in destroying aphids. Called also lace-winged fly, and
goldeneyed fly.
Lace"-winged`, a. (Zoöl.)
Having thin, transparent, reticulated wings; as, the lace-
winged flies.
{ Lach"es (?), Lache (?), } n.
[OF. lachesse, fr. lache lax, indolent, F.
lâche, ultimately fr. L. laxus loose, lax. See
Lax.] (Law) Neglect; negligence; remissness;
neglect to do a thing at the proper time; delay to assert a
claim.
It ill became him to take advantage of such a
laches with the eagerness of a shrewd attorney.
Macaulay.
Lach"ry*ma*ble (?), a. [L.
lacrimabilis, fr. lacrima a tear.]
Lamentable. Martin Parker.
||Lach"ry*mæ Chris"ti (?). [L., lit., Christ's
tears.] A rich, sweet, red Neapolitan wine.
Lach"ry*mal (&?;), a. [Cf. F.
lacrymal. See Lachrymose.] 1. Of
or pertaining to tears; as, lachrymal effusions.
2. (Anat.) (a)
Pertaining to, or secreting, tears; as, the lachrymal
gland. (b) Pertaining to the lachrymal
organs; as, lachrymal bone; lachrymal duct.
{ Lach"ry*mal, Lac"ry*mal } (?),
n. See Lachrymatory.
Lach"ry*ma*ry (?), a. Containing,
or intended to contain, tears; lachrymal. Addison.
Lach"ry*mate (-māt), v. i.
To weep. [R.] Blount.
Lach`ry*ma"tion (?), n. [L.
lacrimatio, from lacrimare to shed tears, fr.
lacrima tear.] The act of shedding tears;
weeping.
Lach"ry*ma*to*ry (?), n.; pl. -
ries (#). [Cf. F. lacrymatoire.]
(Antiq.) A "tear-bottle;" a narrow-necked vessel found in
sepulchers of the ancient Romans; -- so called from a former notion
that the tears of the deceased person's friends were collected in it.
Called also lachrymal or lacrymal.
Lach"ry*mi*form (?), a., [L.
lacrima tear + -form; cf. F. lacrymiforme.]
Having the form of a tear; tear-shaped.
Lach"ry*mose` (?), a. [L.
lacrymosus, better lacrimosus, fr. lacrima,
lacruma (also badly spelt lachryma) a tear, for older
dacrima, akin to E. tear. See Tear the
secretion.] Generating or shedding tears; given to shedding
tears; suffused with tears; tearful.
You should have seen his lachrymose
visnomy.
Lamb.
-- Lach"ry*mose`ly, adv.
La"cing (?), n. 1.
The act of securing, fastening, or tightening, with a lace or
laces.
2. A lace; specifically (Mach.), a
thong of thin leather for uniting the ends of belts.
3. A rope or line passing through eyelet
holes in the edge of a sail or an awning to attach it to a yard,
gaff, etc.
4. (Bridge Building) A system of
bracing bars, not crossing each other in the middle, connecting the
channel bars of a compound strut. Waddell.
La*cin"i*a (?), n.; pl. L.
Laciniæ (#). [L., the lappet or flap of a
garment.] 1. (Bot.) (a)
One of the narrow, jagged, irregular pieces or divisions which
form a sort of fringe on the borders of the petals of some
flowers. (b) A narrow, slender portion of
the edge of a monophyllous calyx, or of any irregularly incised
leaf.
2. (Zoöl.) The posterior, inner
process of the stipes on the maxillæ of insects.
{ La*cin"i*ate (?), La*cin"i*a"ted (?), }
a. [See Lacinia.] 1.
Fringed; having a fringed border.
2. (Bot. & Zoöl.) Cut into deep,
narrow, irregular lobes; slashed.
La*cin"i*o*late (?), a. [See
Lacinia.] (Bot.) Consisting of, or abounding in,
very minute laciniæ.
||La*cin"u*la (?), n.; pl.
Lacinulæ (#), E. Lacinulas
(#). [NL.] (Bot.) A diminutive lacinia.
Lack (?), n. [OE. lak; cf. D.
lak slander, laken to blame, OHG. lahan, AS.
leán.] 1. Blame; cause of blame;
fault; crime; offense. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. Deficiency; want; need; destitution;
failure; as, a lack of sufficient food.
She swooneth now and now for lakke of
blood.
Chaucer.
Let his lack of years be no
impediment.
Shak.
Lack, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Lacked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Lacking.] 1. To blame; to find fault
with. [Obs.]
Love them and lakke them not.
Piers Plowman.
2. To be without or destitute of; to want; to
need.
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of
God.
James i. 5.
Lack, v. i. 1. To
be wanting; often, impersonally, with of, meaning, to be less
than, short, not quite, etc.
What hour now ?
I think it lacks of twelve.
Shak.
Peradventure there shall lack five of the
fifty.
Gen. xvii. 28.
2. To be in want.
The young lions do lack, and suffer
hunger.
Ps. xxxiv. 10.
Lack, interj. [Cf. Alack.]
Exclamation of regret or surprise. [Prov. Eng.]
Cowper.
Lack`a*dai"si*cal
(lăk`&adot;*dā"z&ibreve;*kal),
a. [From Lackadaisy, interj.]
Affectedly pensive; languidly sentimental. --
Lack`a*dai"si*cal*ly, adv.
Lack"a*dai`sy (?), interj. [From
Lackaday, interj.] An expression of
languor.
Lack"a*dai`sy, a.
Lackadaisical.
Lack"a*day` (?), interj. [Abbreviated
from alackaday.] Alack the day; alas; -- an expression of
sorrow, regret, dissatisfaction, or surprise.
Lack"brain` (?), n. One who is
deficient in understanding; a witless person. Shak.
Lack"er (?), n. One who lacks or
is in want.
Lack"er, n. & v. See
Lacquer.
Lack"ey (?), n.; pl.
Lackeys (#). [F. laquais; cf. Sp. & Pg.
lacayo; of uncertain origin; perh. of German origin, and akin
to E. lick, v.] An attending male
servant; a footman; a servile follower.
Like a Christian footboy or a gentleman's
lackey.
Shak.
Lackey caterpillar (Zoöl.), the
caterpillar, or larva, of any bombycid moth of the genus
Clisiocampa; -- so called from its party-colored markings. The
common European species (C. neustria) is striped with blue,
yellow, and red, with a white line on the back. The American species
(C. Americana and C. sylvatica) are commonly called
tent caterpillars. See Tent caterpillar, under
Tent. -- Lackey moth
(Zoöl.), the moth which produces the lackey
caterpillar.
Lack"ey, v. t. To attend as a
lackey; to wait upon.
A thousand liveried angels lackey
her.
Milton.
Lack"ey, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Lackeyed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Lackeying.] To act or serve as lackey; to pay servile
attendance.
{ Lack"lus`ter, Lack"lus`tre } (?),
n. A want of luster. --
a. Wanting luster or brightness.
"Lackluster eye." Shak.
Lac"mus (?), n. See
Litmus.
La*co"ni*an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Laconia, a division of ancient Greece; Spartan. -
- n. An inhabitant of Laconia; esp., a
Spartan.
{ La*con"ic (?), La*con"ic*al (?), }
a. [L. Laconicus Laconian, Gr. &?;&?;, fr.
&?;&?; a Laconian, Lacedæmonian, or Spartan: cf. F.
laconique.] 1. Expressing much in few
words, after the manner of the Laconians or Spartans; brief and
pithy; brusque; epigrammatic. In this sense laconic is the
usual form.
I grow laconic even beyond laconicism; for
sometimes I return only yes, or no, to questionary or petitionary
epistles of half a yard long.
Pope.
His sense was strong and his style
laconic.
Welwood.
2. Laconian; characteristic of, or like, the
Spartans; hence, stern or severe; cruel; unflinching.
His head had now felt the razor, his back the rod; all
that laconical discipline pleased him well.
Bp. Hall.
Syn. -- Short; brief; concise; succinct; sententious;
pointed; pithy. -- Laconic, Concise. Concise
means without irrelevant or superfluous matter; it is the opposite of
diffuse. Laconic means concise with the additional
quality of pithiness, sometimes of brusqueness.
La*con"ic, n. Laconism.
[Obs.] Addison.
La*con"ic*al (?), a. See
Laconic, a.
La*con"ic*al*ly, adv. In a laconic
manner.
La*con"i*cism (?), n. Same as
Laconism. Pope.
Lac"o*nism (?), n. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to
imitate Lacedæmonian manners, to speak laconically: cf. F.
laconisme.] 1. A vigorous, brief manner
of expression; laconic style.
2. An instance of laconic style or
expression.
Lac"o*nize (?), v. i. [imp. &
p. p. Laconized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Laconizing (?).] [Gr. &?;. See Laconic.]
To imitate the manner of the Laconians, especially in brief,
pithy speech, or in frugality and austerity.
Lac"quer (?), n. [F. lacre a
sort of sealing wax, Pg. lacte, fr. laca lac. See
Lac the resin.] [Written also lacker.] A varnish,
consisting of a solution of shell-lac in alcohol, often colored with
gamboge, saffron, or the like; -- used for varnishing metals, papier-
maché, and wood. The name is also given to varnishes made of
other ingredients, esp. the tough, solid varnish of the Japanese,
with which ornamental objects are made.
Lac"quer, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Lacquered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Lacquering.] To cover with lacquer.
"Lacquer'd chair." Pope.
Lac"quer*er (?), n. One who
lacquers, especially one who makes a business of
lacquering.
Lac"quer*ing, n. The act or
business of putting on lacquer; also, the coat of lacquer put
on.
||La`cri*mo"so (?), a. [It. See
Lachrymose.] (Mus.) Plaintive; -- a term applied
to a mournful or pathetic movement or style. Moore.
La*crosse" (?), n. [F. la
crosse, lit., the crosier, hooked stick. Cf. Crosier.]
A game of ball, originating among the North American Indians,
now the popular field sport of Canada, and played also in England and
the United States. Each player carries a long-handled racket, called
a "crosse". The ball is not handled but caught with the crosse
and carried on it, or tossed from it, the object being to carry it or
throw it through one of the goals placed at opposite ends of the
field.
Lac"ry*mal (?), n. & a. See
Lachrymatory, n., and Lachrymal,
a.
{ Lac"ry*ma*ry, Lac"ry*to*ry,
Lac"ry*mose. } See Lachrymary,
Lachrymatory, Lachrymose.
Lac"tage (?), n. [L. lac,
lactis, milk: cf. F. laitage. See Lacteal.]
The produce of animals yielding milk; milk and that which is
made from it.
Lac"tam (?), n. [Lactone +
amido.] (Chem.) One of a series of anhydrides of
an amido type, analogous to the lactones, as oxindol.
Lac*tam"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or designating, an amido acid related to lactic
acid, and called also amido-propionic acid.
Lac*tam"ide (?), n. [Lactic +
amide.] (Chem.) An acid amide derived from lactic
acid, and obtained as a white crystalline substance having a neutral
reaction. It is metameric with alanine.
Lac"tant (?), a. [L. lactans, p.
pr. of lactare to suck, fr. lac, lactis, milk.]
Suckling; giving suck.
Lac"ta*rene (?), n. [L. lac,
lactis, milk.] A preparation of casein from milk, used in
printing calico.
Lac"ta*ry (?), a. [l. lactarius,
fr. lac, lactis, milk: cf. F. lactaire.]
Milky; full of white juice like milk. [Obs.]
"Lactary or milky plants." Sir T. Browne.
Lac"ta*ry, n. a dairyhouse.
[R.]
Lac"tate (?), n. [L. lac,
lactis, milk: cf. F. lactate.] (Chem.) A
salt of lactic acid.
Lac*ta"tion (?), n. A giving suck;
the secretion and yielding of milk by the mammary gland.
Lac"te*al (?), a. [L. lacteus
milky, fr. lac, lactis, milk. Cf. Galaxy,
Lettuce.] 1. Pertaining to, or
resembling, milk; milky; as, the lacteal fluid.
2. (Anat. & Physiol.) Pertaining to,
or containing, chyle; as, the lacteal vessels.
Lac"te*al, n. (Anat.) One
of the lymphatic vessels which convey chyle from the small intestine
through the mesenteric glands to the thoracic duct; a chyliferous
vessel.
Lac"te*al*ly, adv. Milkily; in the
manner of milk.
Lac"te*an (?), a. [See Lacteal.]
1. Milky; consisting of, or resembling,
milk. "This lactean whiteness." Moxon.
2. (Anat. & Physiol.) Lacteal;
conveying chyle.
Lac"te*ous (?), a. [See
Lacteal.] 1. Milky; resembling
milk. "The lacteous circle." Sir T. Browne.
2. Lacteal; conveying chyle; as,
lacteous vessels.
Lac"te*ous*ly, adv. In a lacteous
manner; after the manner of milk.
Lac*tes"cence (?), n. [Cf. F.
lactescence.] 1. The state or quality of
producing milk, or milklike juice; resemblance to milk; a milky
color.
This lactescence does commonly ensue when . . .
fair water is suddenly poured upon the solution.
Boyle.
2. (Bot.) The latex of certain plants.
See Latex.
Lac*tes"cent (?), a. [L.
lactescens, p. pr. of lactescere to turn to milk,
incho. fr. lactere to be milky, fr. lac, lactis,
milk: cf. F. lactescent.] 1. Having a
milky look; becoming milky. [Obs.]
2. (Bot.) Producing milk or a milklike
juice or fluid, as the milkweed. See Latex.
Lac"tic (?), a. [L. lac,
lactis, milk: cf. F. lactique. See Lacteal, and
cf. Galactic.] (Physiol. Chem.) Of or pertaining
to milk; procured from sour milk or whey; as, lactic acid;
lactic fermentation, etc.
Lactic acid (Physiol. Chem.), a
sirupy, colorless fluid, soluble in water, with an intensely sour
taste and strong acid reaction. There are at least three isomeric
modifications all having the formula
C3H6O3. Sarcolactic or
paralactic acid occurs chiefly in dead muscle tissue, while
ordinary lactic acid results from fermentation. The two acids
are alike in having the same constitution (expressed by the name
ethylidene lactic acid), but the latter is optically inactive,
while sarcolactic acid rotates the plane of polarization to the
right. The third acid, ethylene lactic acid, accompanies
sarcolactic acid in the juice of flesh, and is optically
inactive. -- Lactic ferment, an organized
ferment (Bacterium lacticum or lactis), which produces lactic
fermentation, decomposing the sugar of milk into carbonic and lactic
acids, the latter, of which renders the milk sour, and precipitates
the casein, thus giving rise to the so-called spontaneous coagulation
of milk. -- Lactic fermentation. See under
Fermentation.
Lac"tide (?), n. [Lactic +
anhydride.] (Chem.) A white, crystalline substance,
obtained from lactic acid by distillation, and regarded as an
anhydride; also, by extension, any similar substance.
Lac*tif"er*ous (?), a. [l. lac,
lactis, milk + -ferous: cf. F.
lactifère.] Bearing or containing milk or a
milky fluid; as, the lactiferous vessels, cells, or tissue of
various vascular plants.
{ Lac*tif"ic (?), Lac*tif"ic*al (?), }
a. [L. lac, lactis, milk +
facere to make.] Producing or yielding milk.
Lac"ti*fuge (?), n. [L. lac,
lactis, milk + fugare to expel.] (Med.) A
medicine to check the secretion of milk, or to dispel a supposed
accumulation of milk in any part of the body.
Lac"tim (?), n. [Lactic +
imido.] (Chem.) One of a series of anhydrides
resembling the lactams, but of an imido type; as, isatine is a
lactim. Cf. Lactam.
Lac*tim"ide (?), n. [Lactic +
imide.] (Chem.) A white, crystalline substance
obtained as an anhydride of alanine, and regarded as an imido
derivative of lactic acid.
Lac"tin (?), n. [L. lac,
lactis, milk: cf. F. lactine. Cf. Galactin.]
(Physiol. Chem.) See Lactose.
Lac`to*a*bu"min (?), n. [L. lac,
lactis, milk + E. albumin.] (Physiol. Chem.)
The albumin present in milk, apparently identical with ordinary
serum albumin. It is distinct from the casein of milk.
Lac`to*bu`ty*rom"e*ter (?), n. [L.
lac, lactis, milk + E. butyrometer.] An
instrument for determining the amount of butter fat contained in a
given sample of milk.
Lac`to*den*sim"e*ter (?), n. [L.
lac, lactis, milk + E. densimeter.] A form
of hydrometer, specially graduated, for finding the density of milk,
and thus discovering whether it has been mixed with water or some of
the cream has been removed.
Lac*tom"e*ter (?), n. [L. lac,
lactis, milk + meter: cf. F. lactomètre.
Cf. Galactometer.] An instrument for estimating the
purity or richness of milk, as a measuring glass, a specific gravity
bulb, or other apparatus.
Lac"tone (?), n. (Chem.)
One of a series of organic compounds, regarded as anhydrides of
certain hydroxy acids. In general, they are colorless liquids, having
a weak aromatic odor. They are so called because the typical lactone
is derived from lactic acid.
Lac*ton"ic (?), a. [From
Lactone.] (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or derived
from, lactone.
Lac*ton"ic, a. [From Lactose.]
(Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid obtained
by the oxidation of milk sugar (lactose).
Lac`to*pro"te*in (?), n. [L.
lac, lactis, milk + E. protein.] (Physiol.
Chem.) A peculiar albuminous body considered a normal
constituent of milk.
Lac"to*ry (?), a.
Lactiferous. [Obs.] "Lactory or milky plants."
Sir T. Browne.
Lac"to*scope (?), n. [L. lac,
lactis + scope.] An instrument for estimating the
amount of cream contained in milk by ascertaining its relative
opacity.
Lac"tose` (?), n. 1.
(Physiol. Chem.) Sugar of milk or milk sugar; a
crystalline sugar present in milk, and separable from the whey by
evaporation and crystallization. It has a slightly sweet taste, is
dextrorotary, and is much less soluble in water than either cane
sugar or glucose. Formerly called lactin.
2. (Chem.) See
Galactose.
||Lac*tu"ca (?), n. [L., lettuce. See
Lettuce.] (Bot.) A genus of composite herbs,
several of which are cultivated for salad; lettuce.
||Lac`tu*ca"ri*um (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
lactuca lettuce.] The inspissated juice of the common
lettuce, sometimes used as a substitute for opium.
Lac*tu"cic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or derived from, the juice of the Lactuca
virosa; -- said of certain acids.
Lac*tu"cin (?), n. [From
Lactuca: cf. F. lactucine.] (Chem.) A
white, crystalline substance, having a bitter taste and a neutral
reaction, and forming one of the essential ingredients of
lactucarium.
Lac*tu"cone (?), n. [From
Lactuca.] (Chem.) A white, crystalline, tasteless
substance, found in the milky sap of species of Lactuca, and
constituting an essential ingredient of lactucarium.
Lac`tu*ram"ic (&?;), a. [Lactic
+ urea + amic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or
designating, an organic amido acid, which is regarded as a derivative
of lactic acid and urea.
Lac"tyl (?), n. [Lactic + -
yl.] (Chem.) An organic residue or radical derived
from lactic acid.
||La*cu"na (l&adot;*kū"n&adot;),
n.; pl. L. Lacunæ
(#); E. Lacunas (#). [L., 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.
{ La*cu"nal (l&adot;*kū"nal),
La*cu"nar (l&adot;*kū"n&etilde;r), }
a. Pertaining to, or having, lacunæ; as,
a lacunar circulation.
La*cu"nar, n.; pl. E.
Lacunars (#), L. Lacunaria (#).
[L.] (Arch.) (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.
La*cune" (l&adot;*kūn"), n. [F.]
A lacuna. [R.] Landor.
{ Lac"u*nose` (?), La*cu"nous (?), }
a. [L. lacunosus full of holes or hollows;
cf. F. lacuneux. See Lacuna.] (Biol.)
Furrowed or pitted; having shallow cavities or lacunæ; as,
a lacunose leaf.
{ La*cus"tral (?), La*cus"trine (?), }
a. [L. lacus lake: cf. F. 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.
Lac"work` (?), n. 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), obs. p. p. of
Lead, to guide. Chaucer.
Lad (lăd), n. [OE. ladde,
of Celtic origin; cf. W. llawd, Ir. lath. √123.
Cf. 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. (Bot.) See Boy's
love, under Boy.
Lad"a*num (?), n. [L. ladanum,
ledanum, Gr. la`danon, lh`danon, fr.
lh^don name of a shrub, mastic; cf. Per.
lādan, lāden. Cf. 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.]
Lad"de (?), obs. imp. of
Lead, to guide. Chaucer.
Lad"der (-d&etilde;r), n. [OE.
laddre, AS. hl&aemacr;der, hl&aemacr;dder; akin
to OFries. hladder, OHG. leitara, G. leiter, and
from the root of E. lean, v. √40. See Lean,
v. i., and cf. 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 (Zoöl.), 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 (Zoöl.), a spiral marine shell of the
genus Scalaria. See Scalaria.
Lad"die (?), n. A lad; a male
sweetheart. [Scot.]
Lade (lād), v. t.
[imp. Laded; p. p.
Laded, Laden (lād'n); p. pr. & vb.
n. Lading.] [AS. hladan to heap, load, draw
(water); akin to D. & G. laden to load, OHG. hladan,
ladan, Icel. hlaða, Sw. ladda, Dan.
lade, Goth. afhlaþan. Cf. 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, v. i. [See Lade,
v. t.] 1. To draw water.
[Obs.]
2. (Naut.) To admit water by leakage,
as a ship, etc.
Lade, n. [Prov. E., a ditch or drain.
Cf. Lode, Lead to conduct.] 1. The
mouth of a river. [Obs.] Bp. Gibson.
2. A passage for water; a ditch or
drain. [Prov. Eng.]
Lade"man (?), n. One who leads a
pack horse; a miller's servant. [Obs. or Local]
Lad"en (?), p. & a. 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.
La"died (?), a. Ladylike; not
rough; gentle. [Obs.] "Stroked with a ladied land."
Feltham.
La"dies' ear`drops` (?). (Bot.) The small-
flowered Fuchsia (F. coccinea), and other closely related
species.
La"di*fy (?), v. t. [Lady + -
fy.] To make a lady of; to make ladylike. [Obs.]
Massinger.
La*din" (?), n. [From L. Latinus
Latin. See Latin] A Romansch dialect spoken in some parts
of Switzerland and the Tyrol.
Lad"ing (?), n. 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.
||La*di"no (?), n.; pl.
Ladinos (#). [Sp.] 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.
Lad"kin (?), n. A little
lad. [R.] Dr. H. More.
La"dle (?), n. [AS.
hlædel, fr. hladan to load, drain. See
Lade, v. t.] 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 (Bot.), the wood of a
South African tree (Cassine Colpoon), used for
carving.
La"dle (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Ladled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
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.
La"dle*ful (?), n.; pl.
Ladlefuls (&?;). A quantity sufficient to fill
a ladle.
La*drone" (?), n. [Sp. ladron,
L. latro servant, robber, Gr. (&?;) a servant.] A robber;
a pirate; hence, loosely, a rogue or rascal.
La"dy (lā"d&ybreve;), n.;
pl. Ladies (-d&ibreve;z). [OE. ladi,
læfdi, AS. hl&aemacr;fdige,
hl&aemacr;fdie; AS. hlāf loaf + a root of
uncertain origin, possibly akin to E. dairy. See Loaf,
and cf. 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. (Zoöl.) 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 (Zoöl.), a handsomely
spotted swimming crab (Platyonichus ocellatus) very common on
the sandy shores of the Atlantic coast of the United States. --
Lady fern. (Bot.) 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.
La"dy, a. Belonging or becoming to
a lady; ladylike.
"Some lady trifles." Shak.
La"dy*bird` (?), n. [Equiv. to, bird of
Our Lady.] (Zoöl.) 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.
&fist; 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.
La"dy*bug` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Same as Ladybird.
La"dy*clock` (?), n.
(Zoöl.) See Ladybird.
La"dy` Day` (dā). The day of the annunciation
of the Virgin Mary, March 25. See Annunciation.
La"dy*fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
(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.
La"dy*hood (?), n. The state or
quality of being a lady; the personality of a lady.
La"dy-kill`er (?), n. A gallant
who captivates the hearts of women. "A renowned dandy and
lady-killer." Blackw. Mag.
La"dy-kill`ing, n. 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.
La"dy*kin (?), n. [Lady + -
kin.] A little lady; -- applied by the writers of Queen
Elizabeth's time, in the abbreviated form Lakin, to the Virgin
Mary.
&fist; The diminutive does not refer to size, but is equivalent to
"dear." Brewer.
La"dy*like` (?), a. 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.
La"dy*like`ness (?), n. The
quality or state of being ladylike.
La"dy*love` (?), n. A sweetheart
or mistress.
La"dy's bed"straw` (?), (Bot.) The common
bedstraw (Galium verum); also, a slender-leaved East Indian
shrub (Pharnaceum Mollugo), with white flowers in
umbels.
La"dy's bow"er (?). (Bot.) A climbing plant
with fragrant blossoms (Clematis vitalba).
&fist; This term is sometimes applied to other plants of the same
genus.
La"dy's comb" (?), (Bot.) An umbelliferous
plant (Scandix Pecten-Veneris), its clusters of long slender
fruits remotely resembling a comb.
La"dy's cush"ion (?), (Bot.) An herb growing
in dense tufts; the thrift (Armeria vulgaris).
La"dy's fin"ger (?), 1. pl.
(Bot.) The kidney vetch.
2. (Cookery) A variety of small cake
of about the dimensions of a finger.
3. A long, slender variety of the
potato.
4. (Zoöl.) One of the
branchiæ of the lobster.
La"dy's gar"ters (?). (Bot.) Ribbon
grass.
La"dy's hair" (?). (Bot.) A plant of the
genus Briza (B. media); a variety of quaking
grass.
La"dy*ship (?), n. The rank or
position of a lady; -- given as a title (preceded by her or
your).
Your ladyship shall observe their
gravity.
B. Jonson.
La"dy's la"ces (?). (Bot.) A slender climbing
plant; dodder.
La"dy's look"ing-glass` (?). (Bot.) See
Venus's looking-glass, under Venus.
La"dy's man"tle (?). (Bot.) A genus of
rosaceous herbs (Alchemilla), esp. the European A.
vulgaris, which has leaves with rounded and finely serrated
lobes.
La"dy's seal" (?).(Bot.) (a)
The European Solomon's seal (Polygonatum
verticillatum). (b) The black bryony
(Tamus communis).
La"dy's slip"per (?). (Bot.) Any orchidaceous
plant of the genus Cypripedium, the labellum of which
resembles a slipper. Less commonly, in the United States, the garden
balsam (Impatiens Balsamina).
La"dy's smock" (?). (Bot.) A plant of the
genus Cardamine (C. pratensis); cuckoo
flower.
La"dy's thim"ble (?). (Bot.) The
harebell.
La"dy's thumb" (?). (Bot.) An annual weed
(Polygonum Persicaria), having a lanceolate leaf with a dark
spot in the middle.
{ La"dy's tra"ces (?), La"dies' tress"es (?). }
(Bot.) A name given to several species of the
orchidaceous genus Spiranthes, in which the white flowers are
set in spirals about a slender axis and remotely resemble braided
hair.
||Læ"laps (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; a dark, furious storm.] (Paleon.) A genus of huge,
carnivorous, dinosaurian reptiles from the Cretaceous formation of
the United States. They had very large hind legs and tail, and are
supposed to have been bipedal. Some of the species were about
eighteen feet high.
Laem"mer*gey`er (?), n.
(Zoöl.) See Lammergeir.
Læ*mod"i*pod (?), n.
(Zoöl.) One of the Læmodipoda.
||Læ`mo*dip"o*da (?), n. pl.
[NL., from Gr. &?; throat + &?; twice + &?;, &?;, foot.]
(Zoöl.) A division of amphipod Crustacea, in which
the abdomen is small or rudimentary and the legs are often reduced to
five pairs. The whale louse, or Cyamus, and Caprella
are examples.
Læ`mo*dip"o*dous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the
Læmodipoda.
Læ*te"re Sun"day (?). The fourth Sunday of
Lent; -- so named from the Latin word Lætare (rejoice),
the first word in the antiphone of the introit sung that day in the
Roman Catholic service.
Læv"i*gate (?), a. [See
Levigate.] (Biol.) Having a smooth surface, as if
polished.
Læ"vo- (?). A prefix. See
Levo.
Læ"vo*ro"ta*to*ry (?), a.
Same as Levorotatory. Cf.
Dextrorotatory.
Læv"u*lose` (?), n.
(Chem.) See Levulose.
La`fa`yette" (?), n.
(Zoöl.) (a) The dollar fish.
(b) A market fish, the goody, or spot
(Liostomus xanthurus), of the southern coast of the United
States.
Laft (?), obs. p. p. of
Leave. Chaucer.
Laf"te (?), obs. imp. of
Leave. Chaucer.
Lag (?), a. [Of Celtic origin: cf.
Gael. & Ir. lagweak, feeble, faint, W. llag,
llac, slack, loose, remiss, sluggish; prob. akin to E.
lax, languid.] 1. Coming tardily
after or behind; slow; tardy. [Obs.]
Came too lag to see him buried.
Shak.
2. Last; long-delayed; -- obsolete, except in
the phrase lag end. "The lag end of my life."
Shak.
3. Last made; hence, made of refuse;
inferior. [Obs.] "Lag souls." Dryden.
Lag (?), n. 1. One
who lags; that which comes in last. [Obs.] "The lag of
all the flock." Pope.
2. The fag-end; the rump; hence, the lowest
class.
The common lag of people.
Shak.
3. The amount of retardation of anything, as
of a valve in a steam engine, in opening or closing.
4. A stave of a cask, drum, etc.; especially
(Mach.), one of the narrow boards or staves forming the
covering of a cylindrical object, as a boiler, or the cylinder of a
carding machine or a steam engine.
5. (Zoöl.) See
Graylag.
Lag of the tide, the interval by which the
time of high water falls behind the mean time, in the first and third
quarters of the moon; -- opposed to priming of the tide, or
the acceleration of the time of high water, in the second and fourth
quarters; depending on the relative positions of the sun and
moon. -- Lag screw, an iron bolt with a
square head, a sharp-edged thread, and a sharp point, adapted for
screwing into wood; a screw for fastening lags.
Lag, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Lagged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Lagging (?).] To walk or more slowly; to stay or fall
behind; to linger or loiter. "I shall not lag behind."
Milton.
Syn. -- To loiter; linger; saunter; delay; be tardy.
Lag, v. t. 1. To
cause to lag; to slacken. [Obs.] "To lag his flight."
Heywood.
2. (Mach.) To cover, as the cylinder
of a steam engine, with lags. See Lag, n.,
4.
Lag, n. One transported for a
crime. [Slang, Eng.]
Lag, v. t. To transport for
crime. [Slang, Eng.]
She lags us if we poach.
De
Quincey.
La"gan (?), n. & v. See
Ligan.
La*gar"to (?), n. [See
Alligator.] An alligator. [Obs.] Sir W.
Raleigh.
||La*ge"na (?), n.; pl. L.
Lagenæ (#), E. Lagenas (#).
[L., a flask; cf. Gr. &?;, &?;.] (Anat.) The terminal
part of the cochlea in birds and most reptiles; an appendage of the
sacculus, corresponding to the cochlea, in fishes and
amphibians.
La*ge"ni*an (?), a. [See
Lagena.] (Zoöl.) Like, or pertaining to,
Lagena, a genus of Foraminifera having a straight, chambered
shell.
La*ge"ni*form (?), a. [See
Lagena, and -form.] (Bot.) Shaped like a
bottle or flask; flag-shaped.
La"ger (lä"g&etilde;r), n.
Lager beer.
La"ger beer` (?). [G. lager bed, storehouse +
bier beer. See Lair, and Beer.] Originally
a German beer, but now also made in immense quantities in the United
States; -- so called from its being laid up or stored for some months
before use.
La"ger wine` (?). Wine which has been kept for some
time in the cellar. Simmonds.
Lag"gard (?), a. [Lag + -
ard.] Slow; sluggish; backward.
Lag"gard, n. One who lags; a
loiterer.
Lag"ger (?), n. A
laggard.
Lag"ging (?), n. 1.
(Mach.) The clothing (esp., an outer, wooden covering),
as of a steam cylinder, applied to prevent the radiation of heat; a
covering of lags; -- called also deading and
cleading.
2. Lags, collectively; narrow planks
extending from one rib to another in the centering of
arches.
Lag"ging*ly, adv. In a lagging
manner; loiteringly.
Lag"ly (?), adv. Laggingly.
[Prov. Eng.]
Lag"o*morph (?), n. (Zoöl.)
One of the Lagomorpha.
||Lag`o*mor"pha (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; a hare + &?; form.] (Zoöl.) A group of
rodents, including the hares. They have four incisors in the upper
jaw. Called also Duplicidentata.
La*goon" (?), n. [It. or Sp.
laguna, L. lacuna ditch, pool, pond, lacus lake.
See Lake, and cf. Lacuna.] [Written also
lagune.] 1. A shallow sound, channel,
pond, or lake, especially one into which the sea flows; as, the
lagoons of Venice.
2. A lake in a coral island, often occupying
a large portion of its area, and usually communicating with the sea.
See Atoll.
Lagoon island, a coral island consisting of
a narrow reef encircling a lagoon.
{ ||Lag`oph*thal"mi*a (?), ||Lag`oph*thal"mos
(?), } n. [NL. lagophtalmia, fr. Gr.
lagw`s hare + 'ofqalmo`s eye; -- so called from
the notion that a hare sleeps with his eyes open.] (Med.)
A morbid condition in which the eye stands wide open, giving a
peculiar staring appearance.
La*go"pous (?), a. [Gr. &?; a hare +
&?;, &?;, foot.] (Bot.) Having a dense covering of long
hair, like the foot of a hare.
La*gune" (?), n. See
Lagoon.
{ La"ic (?), La"ic*al (?), }
a. [L. laicus: cf. F. laïque.
See Lay laic.] Of or pertaining to a layman or the
laity. "Laical literature." Lowell.
An unprincipled, unedified, and laic
rabble.
Milton.
La"ic, n. A layman. Bp.
Morton.
La"ic*al"i*ty (?), n. The state or
quality of being laic; the state or condition of a layman.
La"ic*al*ly (?), adv. As a layman;
after the manner of a layman; as, to treat a matter
laically.
Laid (?), imp. & p. p. of
Lay.
Laid paper, paper marked with parallel lines
or water marks, as if ribbed, from parallel wires in the mold. It is
called blue laid, cream laid, etc., according to its
color.
Laid"ly, a. Ugly; loathsome.
[Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
This laidly and loathsome worm.
W. Howitt.
Lain (?), p. p. of Lie,
v. i.
Lain"ere (?), n. See
Lanier. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Lair (lâr), n. [OE. leir,
AS. leger; akin to D. leger, G. lager couch,
lair, OHG. legar, Goth. ligrs, and to E. lie.
See Lie to be prostrate, and cf. Layer,
Leaguer.]
1. A place in which to lie or rest;
especially, the bed or couch of a wild beast.
2. A burying place. [Scot.]
Jamieson.
3. A pasture; sometimes, food. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Laird (lârd), n. [See
Lord.] A lord; a landholder, esp. one who holds land
directly of the crown. [Scot.]
Laird"ship, n. The state of being
a laird; an estate; landed property. [Scot.]
Ramsay.
La"ism (?), n. See
Lamaism. [R.]
||Lais`sez" faire" (?). [F., let alone.]
Noninterference; -- an axiom of some political economists,
deprecating interference of government by attempts to foster or
regulate commerce, manufactures, etc., by bounty or by restriction;
as, the doctrine of laissez faire; the laissez faire
system of government.
La"i*ty (lā"&ibreve;*t&ybreve;),
n. [See Lay, a.]
1. The people, as distinguished from the clergy;
the body of the people not in orders.
A rising up of the laity against the sacerdotal
caste.
Macaulay.
2. The state of a layman. [Obs.]
Ayliffe.
3. Those who are not of a certain profession,
as law or medicine, in distinction from those belonging to
it.
||La*ka"o (?), n. Sap green.
[China]
Lake (lāk), n. [F. laque,
fr. Per. See Lac.] A pigment formed by combining some
coloring matter, usually by precipitation, with a metallic oxide or
earth, esp. with aluminium hydrate; as, madder lake;
Florentine lake; yellow lake, etc.
Lake, n. [Cf. G. laken.] A
kind of fine white linen, formerly in use. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Lake (lāk), v. i. [AS.
lācan, læcan, to spring, jump,
lāc play, sport, or fr. Icel. leika to play,
sport; both akin to Goth. laikan to dance. √120. Cf.
Knowledge.] To play; to sport. [Prov. Eng.]
Lake, n. [AS. lac, L.
lacus; akin to AS. lagu lake, sea, Icel.
lögr; OIr. loch; cf. Gr. la`kkos pond,
tank. Cf. Loch, Lough.] A large body of water
contained in a depression of the earth's surface, and supplied from
the drainage of a more or less extended area.
&fist; Lakes are for the most part of fresh water; the salt lakes,
like the Great Salt Lake of Utah, have usually no outlet to the
ocean.
Lake dwellers (Ethnol.), people of a
prehistoric race, or races, which inhabited different parts of
Europe. Their dwellings were built on piles in lakes, a short
distance from the shore. Their relics are common in the lakes of
Switzerland. -- Lake dwellings
(Archæol.), dwellings built over a lake, sometimes
on piles, and sometimes on rude foundations kept in place by piles;
specifically, such dwellings of prehistoric times. Lake dwellings are
still used by many savage tribes. Called also lacustrine
dwellings. See Crannog. -- Lake fly
(Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of dipterous
flies of the genus Chironomus. In form they resemble
mosquitoes, but they do not bite. The larvæ live in lakes.
-- Lake herring (Zoöl.), the cisco
(Coregonus Artedii). -- Lake poets,
Lake school, a collective name originally
applied in contempt, but now in honor, to Southey, Coleridge, and
Wordsworth, who lived in the lake country of Cumberland, England,
Lamb and a few others were classed with these by hostile critics.
Called also lakers and lakists. -- Lake
sturgeon (Zoöl.), a sturgeon (Acipenser
rubicundus), of moderate size, found in the Great Lakes and the
Mississippi River. It is used as food. -- Lake
trout (Zoöl.), any one of several species
of trout and salmon; in Europe, esp. Salmo fario; in the
United States, esp. Salvelinus namaycush of the Great Lakes,
and of various lakes in New York, Eastern Maine, and Canada. A large
variety of brook trout (S. fontinalis), inhabiting many lakes
in New England, is also called lake trout. See
Namaycush. -- Lake whitefish.
(Zoöl.) See Whitefish. -- Lake
whiting (Zoöl.), an American whitefish
(Coregonus Labradoricus), found in many lakes in the Northern
United States and Canada. It is more slender than the common
whitefish.
Lake"-dwell`er (?), n. See Lake
dwellers, under Lake.
Lake"let (?), n. A little
lake. Southey.
Lake"weed` (?), n. (Bot.)
The water pepper (Polygonum Hydropiper), an aquatic plant
of Europe and North America.
||Lakh (?), n. Same as Lac,
one hundred thousand.
La"kin (?), n. See
Ladykin.
Lak"ke (?), n. & v. See
Lack. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Lak"y (?), a. Pertaining to a
lake. Sir W. Scott.
Lak"y, a. [From Lake the
pigment.] Transparent; -- said of blood rendered transparent by
the action of some solvent agent on the red blood
corpuscles.
Lal*la"tion (?), n. [L. lallare
to sing lalla, or lullaby: cf. F. lallation.] An
imperfect enunciation of the letter r, in which it sounds like
l.
La"lo (?), n. The powdered leaves
of the baobab tree, used by the Africans to mix in their soup, as the
southern negroes use powdered sassafras. Cf.
Couscous.
Lam (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Lammed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Lamming.] [Icel. lemja to beat, or lama to
bruise, both fr. lami, lama, lame. See Lame.]
To beat soundly; to thrash. [Obs. or Low] Beau. &
Fl.
La"ma (?; 277), n. (Zoöl.)
See Llama.
La"ma, n. [Thibet. blama
(pronounced lä"ma) a chief, a high priest.] In Thibet,
Mongolia, etc., a priest or monk of the belief called
Lamaism.
The Grand Lama, or Dalai Lama
[lit., Ocean Lama], the supreme pontiff in the lamaistic
hierarchy. See Lamaism.
La"ma*ic (?), a. Of or pertaining
to Lamaism.
La"ma*ism (?), n. A modified form
of Buddhism which prevails in Thibet, Mongolia, and some adjacent
parts of Asia; -- so called from the name of its priests. See 2d
Lama.
{ La"ma*ist (?), La"ma*ite (?) }
n. One who believes in Lamaism.
La`ma*is"tic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Lamaism.
La*man"tin (?), n. [F. lamantin,
lamentin, prob. from the name of the animal in the Antilles.
Cf. Manater.] (Zoöl.) The manatee.
[Written also lamentin, and lamantine.]
La*marck"i*an (?), a. Pertaining
to, or involved in, the doctrines of Lamarckianism.
La*marck"i*an*ism (?), n.
(Biol.) Lamarckism.
La"marck"ism (?), n. [From
Lamarck, a distinguished French naturalist.] (Biol.)
The theory that structural variations, characteristic of species
and genera, are produced in animals and plants by the direct
influence of physical environments, and esp., in the case of animals,
by effort, or by use or disuse of certain organs.
La"ma*ser*y (?), n. [See 2d
Lama.] A monastery or convent of lamas, in Thibet,
Mongolia, etc.
Lamb (lăm), n. [AS. lamb;
akin to D. & Dan. lam, G. & Sw. lamm, OS., Goth., &
Icel. lamb.] 1. (Zoöl.) The
young of the sheep.
2. Any person who is as innocent or gentle as
a lamb.
3. A simple, unsophisticated person; in the
cant of the Stock Exchange, one who ignorantly speculates and is
victimized.
Lamb of God, The Lamb
(Script.), the Jesus Christ, in allusion to the paschal
lamb.
The twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Rev. xxi. 14.
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the
sin of the world.
John i. 29.
-- Lamb's lettuce (Bot.), an annual
plant with small obovate leaves (Valerianella olitoria), often
used as a salad; corn salad. [Written also lamb lettuce.]
-- Lamb's tongue, a carpenter's plane with a
deep narrow bit, for making curved grooves. Knight. --
Lamb's wool. (a) The wool of a
lamb. (b) Ale mixed with the pulp of roasted
apples; -- probably from the resemblance of the pulp of roasted
apples to lamb's wool. [Obs.] Goldsmith.
Lamb (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Lambed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Lambing.] To bring forth a lamb or lambs, as
sheep.
Lamb"ale` (?), n. A feast at the
time of shearing lambs.
Lam*baste" (?), v. t. [Lam +
baste to beat.] To beat severely. [Low]
Nares.
Lam"ba*tive (?), a. [L. lambere
to lick. See Lambent.] Taken by licking with the
tongue. "Sirups and lambative medicines." Sir T.
Browne.
Lam"ba*tive, n. A medicine taken
by licking with the tongue; a lincture. Wiseman.
||Lamb"da (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
la`mbda.] 1. The name of the Greek
letter Λ, λ, corresponding with the English letter L,
l.
2. (Anat.) The point of junction of
the sagittal and lambdoid sutures of the skull.
Lambda moth (Zoöl.), a moth so
called from a mark on its wings, resembling the Greek letter lambda
(Λ).
Lamb"da*cism (?), n. [L.
lambdacismus, Gr. &?;, fr. la`mbda the letter
lambda (Λ).] 1. A fault in speaking or in
composition, which consists in too frequent use of the letter
l, or in doubling it erroneously.
2. A defect in pronunciation of the letter
l when doubled, which consists in giving it a sound as if
followed by y, similar to that of the letters lli in
billion.
3. The use of the sound of l for that
of r in pronunciation; lallation; as, Amelican for
American.
Lamb"doid (?), a. [Gr. &?;,
la`mbda the letter lambda (Λ) + e"i^dos
shape.] Shaped like the Greek letter lambda (Λ); as, the
lambdoid suture between the occipital and parietal bones of
the skull.
Lamb*doid"al (?), a. Same as
Lambdoid.
Lam"bent (?), a. [L. lambens,
-enlis, p. pr. of lambere to lick; akin to lap.
See Lap to drink by licking.] 1. Playing
on the surface; touching lightly; gliding over. "A
lambent flame." Dryden. "A lambent style."
Beaconsfield.
2. Twinkling or gleaming; fickering.
"The lambent purity of the stars." W. Irving.
Lam"bert pine` (?). [So called from Lambert, an
English botanist.] (Bot.) The gigantic sugar pine of
California and Oregon (Pinus Lambertiana). It has the leaves
in fives, and cones a foot long. The timber is soft, and like that of
the white pine
