English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

la

noun

In solfège, the syllable used for the sixth note of a major scale.

lab

noun

A laboratory — a room or building equipped for scientific experiments, testing, or research.

label

noun

A small tag, sticker, or printed note attached to something, giving information about it.

labeled

adj

Marked with a label or tag identifying what it is.

labeling

noun

The labels attached to products or objects, or the process of putting them on.

labelled

adj

British and Canadian spelling of "labeled" — marked with an identifying tag.

labia

noun

The folds of skin on either side of the vaginal opening, part of the external female genitalia.

Labor

name

A surname of French origin, a variant of Labarre.

laboratory

noun

A room or building equipped for scientific research, testing, or experiments.

laborer

noun

Someone who does physical work, especially unskilled manual work, often paid by the hour.

laboring

noun

The act of working hard, especially physical toil.

laborious

adj

Requiring a great deal of physical effort; tiring and hard work.

labour

noun

Hard physical or mental effort put into a task; work.

laboured

adj

Showing clear signs of strain or heavy effort.

labourer

noun

British spelling of "laborer" — someone who does physical, often unskilled, work.

Labrador

noun

A large, friendly breed of dog, originally bred as a retriever, popular as both a working and family dog.

labyrinth

noun

A complicated network of winding paths or passages that is hard to find your way through; a maze.

lac

noun

A resin-like substance secreted by certain scale insects, used to make lacquer and shellac.

lace

noun

A delicate, decorative fabric made of patterned holes and thread.

laced

adj

Fastened using laces.

lacerated

adj

Cut or torn, describing a wound, or figuratively describing something badly damaged.

laceration

noun

A deep, jagged cut or tear in the skin or flesh.

Lacey

name

A unisex given name and surname, originally a Norman habitational name from Lassy in Normandy, also the name of towns in New Jersey and Washington.

Lachie

name

A diminutive of the male given name Lachlan, common in Scotland and Australia.

Lachlan

name

A male given name of Scottish Gaelic origin, popular in Scotland and Australia, also a river in New South Wales.

Laci

name

A unisex given name and surname, a variant spelling of Lacey.

lack

noun

The absence or shortage of something needed or wanted.

lackey

noun

A servant, especially one in uniform, or by extension someone who follows orders without question.

lacking

adj

Missing, or not having enough of something needed.

Lacks

name

A surname.

lacquer

noun

A glossy protective coating applied to wood, metal, or nails to give a hard, shiny finish.

Lacroix

name

A surname of French origin, meaning "the cross."

lacrosse

noun

A team sport where players use netted sticks to carry, pass, and shoot a ball into the opposing goal.

lactose

noun

The natural sugar found in milk and dairy products.

lacy

adj

Made of lace, or resembling the delicate, patterned look of lace.

lad

noun

A boy or young man, especially used informally or affectionately.

Lada

name

A female given name of Czech origin, also the brand name of cars made by the Russian manufacturer AvtoVAZ.

ladder

noun

A frame with rungs used for climbing up or down.

ladders

noun

Plural of ladder — more than one climbing frame with rungs.

laddie

noun

A young boy, used affectionately or informally, especially in Scottish English.

laden

adj

Weighed down or heavily loaded with something.

ladies

noun

Plural of "lady," or informally, a women's restroom.

ladle

noun

A long-handled, deep-bowled spoon used for serving liquids like soup.

lady

noun

A polite or formal word for a woman, especially one with refined manners.

ladybird

noun

A small, round beetle, usually red or orange with black spots, that eats garden pests like aphids.

ladybug

noun

American English name for the small, round, spotted beetle known in Britain as a ladybird.

ladylike

adj

Behaving or appearing in a refined, polite, feminine way traditionally expected of a well-mannered woman.

ladyship

noun

A respectful title used to address or refer to a noblewoman, without stating her specific title.

Laertes

name

In Greek mythology, the father of Odysseus; also the name of a character in Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Laetitia

name

A female given name from Latin, meaning "happiness," a variant spelling of Letitia.

Lafayette

noun

A silvery coastal fish (also called the spot or goody) common along the southern Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States.

Lafferty

name

A surname of Irish origin.

Lafite

noun

A prestigious red Bordeaux wine produced at the Château Lafite Rothschild estate in France.

Lafitte

name

A surname of French origin, also an unincorporated community in Louisiana.

Lafleur

name

A surname of French origin, meaning "the flower."

lag

verb

To fall behind or fail to keep pace with something else.

lager

noun

A pale, crisp style of beer brewed at cool temperatures using a slow-acting yeast.

lagging

adj

Falling behind; failing to keep up with the expected pace.

Lago

name

A surname.

lagoon

noun

A shallow stretch of water separated from the open sea by a sandbar, reef, or narrow strip of land.

Lagos

name

The largest city in Nigeria and its former capital, also a city in southern Portugal.

Laguardia

name

A surname of Italian or Spanish origin, meaning "the guard."

Laguna

noun

A member of the Laguna Pueblo, a federally recognized Native American tribe in New Mexico.

lah

particle

A sentence-ending word used in Singapore/Malaysia English and similar varieties to add emphasis, reassurance, or a casual, friendly tone.

Lahey

name

A surname of Irish origin, a variant spelling of Leahy.

Lahore

name

The second-largest city in Pakistan, capital of Punjab province, known for its Mughal-era architecture.

lai

noun

A short medieval narrative poem, often about love or adventure, popular in French and English literature.

laid

verb

Past tense and past participle of "lay" — to have placed something down.

Laila

name

A female given name of Arabic origin, a variant spelling of Leila, traditionally meaning "night".

lain

verb

Past participle of "lie" — to have rested in a horizontal position.

laine

noun

An area of open, cultivated farmland at the base of a hill, especially in parts of southern England.

Lainey

name

A pet form of the female given name Elaine.

lair

noun

The den or hidden resting place of a wild animal.

laird

noun

A person, especially in Scotland, who owns a large estate of land.

lait

verb

To search for or seek something (archaic or dialectal).

lake

noun

A large body of water surrounded by land.

laker

noun

A cargo ship built to operate on the Great Lakes of North America.

Lakes

name

Short for "the Lake District", a scenic mountainous region in northwest England famous for its lakes and hiking trails.

lakeshore

noun

The land bordering a lake.

lakeside

noun

The area of land next to a lake.

Lakewood

name

A common American place name shared by cities and towns in several states, including Ohio, California, and Colorado.

lakh

num

In South Asian English, the number one hundred thousand (100,000).

Lakota

noun

A member of one of the Native American Sioux nations, historically based in the Northern Plains of the United States.

Lakshmi

name

The Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, consort of Vishnu; also a female given name used in India.

Lal

name

A surname common in South Asia.

Lala

name

A language spoken in Papua New Guinea.

Lally

noun

A leg (informal/dialect usage).

lalo

noun

A powder made from dried baobab leaves, used in West African cooking to thicken soups and stews.

lam

verb

To hit or beat someone hard.

lama

noun

A senior teacher or spiritual master in Tibetan Buddhism.

Lamar

name

A male given name and surname, also the name of several towns across the United States, from an Old French place name meaning "the pool."

Lamarr

name

A surname.

Lamaze

noun

A method of preparing for childbirth that teaches breathing and relaxation techniques to manage labour without heavy reliance on medication.

lamb

noun

A young sheep.

Lambda

name

A female given name, also the eleventh letter of the Greek alphabet used as a symbol in science and mathematics.

Lambert

noun

A unit of brightness (luminance) in the old CGS measurement system, equal to one lumen per square centimeter.

Lamborghini

noun

A high-performance sports car made by the Italian manufacturer Lamborghini.

lame

adj

Unable to walk normally because of an injury or problem with the legs or feet.

lament

verb

To express deep sorrow or regret over something.

lamentable

adj

So poor or regrettable as to cause sorrow or disappointment; deplorable.

lamented

adj

Mourned or grieved for, especially after death.

lamenting

noun

The act of expressing grief or regret.

Lamia

noun

In folklore, a monstrous female figure, part woman and part serpent, said to prey on children.

laminate

verb

To build up a material from thin layers bonded together, or to coat something in a thin protective layer of plastic.

laminated

adj

Made by bonding thin layers together, or coated in a protective plastic film.

Lamont

name

A surname, also the name of several small towns across the United States and Canada.

lamp

noun

A device that produces light, whether electric, oil-burning, or otherwise.

lamppost

noun

A tall post that holds a light to illuminate a street or path.

lampshade

noun

A cover placed over a light bulb to soften or direct the light and prevent glare.

Lan

name

A surname of Chinese origin, also a county in Shanxi, China.

lana

noun

A tropical tree (Genipa americana) that produces a large edible fruit used to make juice and dye.

Lancashire

noun

A crumbly white cheese traditionally made in Lancashire, England.

Lancaster

name

A city in Lancashire, England, and the name of a historic English royal house; also many towns across the United States, Canada, and Australia.

lance

noun

A long spear, traditionally carried by a mounted soldier or knight.

Lancelot

name

A masculine given name, famous as the name of the legendary Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend.

lancer

noun

A soldier, historically on horseback, armed with a lance.

lancers

noun

A 19th-century social dance for several couples, based on the quadrille.

Lancia

noun

A car made by the Italian manufacturer Lancia.

land

noun

The solid, dry part of the Earth's surface, as opposed to sea or sky.

landau

noun

A four-wheeled carriage with a folding top, in which the front and rear seats face each other.

landed

adj

Owning land, especially a large amount of it, as a source of wealth or status.

lander

noun

A spacecraft designed to touch down on the surface of a planet, moon, or other body.

Landers

name

An English surname, originally denoting someone who owned or worked land.

landfall

noun

The first sighting or arrival at land after a journey by sea or air.

landfill

noun

A site where waste is buried in the ground under layers of soil.

landing

noun

The act of coming down onto a surface, especially of an aircraft.

Landis

name

A surname of German origin, a variant of "Landis" meaning "from the land."

landlady

noun

A woman who owns and rents out property, or who runs a pub or lodging house.

landline

noun

A telephone connection that runs through a fixed physical cable, as opposed to a mobile signal.

landlord

noun

A person or company that owns property and rents it out to tenants.

landmark

noun

A building, monument, or natural feature that is easily recognized and often used for navigation or as a symbol of a place.

landmine

noun

An explosive device buried just below the ground surface, designed to detonate when stepped on or driven over.

Lando

name

A masculine given name, a short form of Orlando or Rolando.

Landon

name

A masculine given name of English origin, meaning "long hill."

landowner

noun

A person or organization that owns land.

Landru

name

A French surname, notably borne by Henri Landru, an infamous early 20th-century serial killer.

Landry

name

A surname and given name of French origin, derived from an old Germanic name meaning "ruler of the land."

landscape

noun

A stretch of land and everything visible in it, especially its scenery.

landscaping

noun

The design and arrangement of plants, paths, and features to make outdoor land more attractive.

landslide

noun

A sudden collapse and downhill movement of a mass of soil, rock, and debris.

lane

noun

A narrow road, path, or passageway, often bordered by hedges, walls, or buildings.

Laney

name

A feminine given name, often used as a short form of Elaine or Delaney.

lang

adj

Long (a Scots and Northern English dialect word).

Langdon

name

An English surname and given name meaning "long hill," originally referring to a place.

Lange

name

A German and Scandinavian surname meaning "tall" or "long."

langer

noun

(Irish slang, informal) A foolish, annoying, or contemptible person, usually a man.

Langford

name

An English surname and place name meaning "long ford," a crossing over a river.

Langham

name

An English surname and place name meaning "long homestead."

Langley

noun

A unit of solar energy received per unit area, used in older meteorology and physics, equal to one calorie per square centimeter.

Langston

name

An English surname and given name meaning "long stone" or "long town," notably borne by poet Langston Hughes.