English dictionary — definitions & meanings

lull

noun

A temporary period of calm or reduced activity.

lullaby

noun

A soft, soothing song sung to help a child fall asleep.

lulu

noun

Informal: someone or something remarkable, striking, or impressive.

lum

noun

Scots dialect for a chimney, or the top part of one.

lumbaginous

adj

Of or pertaining to lumbago.

lumbago

noun

Pain in the lower back, often caused by muscle strain or a slipped disc.

lumbar

adjective

Relating to the lower part of the back, between the ribs and the pelvis.

lumber

noun

Wood that has been sawn into boards or planks for building.

lumbering

adjective

Moving in a slow, heavy, and clumsy way.

lumberjack

noun

A person whose job is cutting down trees for timber.

lumberman

noun

A man involved in the production or sale of lumber; a lumberjack or logger.

lumbermill

noun

A mill for processing lumber and logs; a sawmill.

lumbosacral

adj

Of or pertaining to the lumbar and sacral regions of the back; the small of the back and the back portion of the pelvis.

lumen

noun

The standard unit for measuring the total amount of visible light emitted by a source.

lumic

adj

Having the speed of light or a similar speed.

luminaire

noun

An electrical device that contains an electric lamp that provides illumination.

luminal

adj

of or pertaining to the lumen

luminance

noun

The quality of being luminous.

luminant

adj

That illuminates; luminous.

luminary

noun

One who is an inspiration to others; one who has achieved success in one's chosen field; a leading light.

lumination

noun

Illumination; specifically, artificial illumination.

luminescence

noun

Any emission of light that cannot be attributed merely to the temperature of the emitting body.

luminescent

adj

Emitting light by luminescence.

luminiferous

adj

Producing or transmitting light; luminous.

luminol

noun

A chemical compound that glows blue when it reacts with certain oxidizing agents, widely used by forensic investigators to detect trace blood.

luminous

adjective

Giving off light; glowing.

lummox

noun

A clumsy, stupid person; an awkward bungler.

lump

noun

A solid piece or mass of something without a definite shape.

lump sum

noun

A single payment of the whole amount at once, rather than a series of smaller instalments.

lumper

noun

An extra laborer hired to assist in the loading or unloading of a truck or a ship.

lumpish

adj

Having an ill-defined or rough form or shape like a lump; lumplike.

lumps

noun

Informal: a physical beating, or harsh verbal criticism.

lumpy

adj

Full of lumps; not smooth or even.

luna

name

A female given name from Latin, meaning "moon."

lunacy

noun

Madness or insanity, especially of a kind once believed to come and go with the phases of the moon.

lunar

adj

Relating to, or associated with, the moon.

lunatic

noun

A person regarded as insane or wildly irrational (now considered old-fashioned and offensive as a clinical term).

lunch

noun

A meal eaten around the middle of the day.

lunchbox

noun

A container used to carry a packed meal, especially to school or work.

luncheon

noun

A formal meal eaten in the middle of the day.

luncheonette

noun

A small diner or restaurant that serves lunch.

lunching

noun

The act of eating lunch.

lunchroom

noun

A room set aside for eating lunch, such as in a school or workplace.

lunchtime

noun

The time of day when lunch is usually eaten.

lunchware

noun

The dishes used for serving lunch.

Lund

name

A surname of Scandinavian or German origin, originally referring to someone who lived near a grove or small forest.

Lundgren

name

A Swedish surname.

Lundy

name

A small island in the Bristol Channel off the coast of Devon, England, known for its puffin colonies.

lune

noun

A crescent-shaped figure or object.

lung

noun

One of the pair of organs in the chest that breathe in air and pass oxygen into the blood.

lunge

noun

A sudden forward movement, such as an attack with a sword or an attempt to grab something.

lunged

adj

Having lungs of a specified kind (used in combinations like "strong-lunged").

lunk

noun

A fool; an idiot; a lunkhead.

lunkheaded

adj

obtuse; foolish; idiotic.

Luo

noun

A Nilotic ethnic group native to parts of Kenya, Sudan, and neighbouring East African countries, or a member of this group.

luopu

name

Synonym of Lop: the Mandarin Chinese-derived name.

lupe

noun

A short form of the given name Guadalupe, used especially in Spanish-speaking cultures.

lupin

noun

A tall garden plant with dense spikes of colourful flowers, in the pea family.

lupine

adj

Wolfish (all senses); wolflike.

Lupo

name

An Italian surname meaning "wolf."

lupus

noun

An autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks its own tissue, most commonly referring to systemic lupus erythematosus.

lurch

noun

A sudden, unsteady movement, especially forward or to one side.

lure

noun

Something that tempts or attracts, often with the promise of pleasure or reward.

lurid

adj

Shockingly graphic or sensational, especially about violence, scandal, or sex.

luring

noun

The act of tempting or attracting someone, often into danger or a trap.

lurk

verb

To stay hidden or out of sight, often with the intention to ambush or wait.

lurking

noun

The act of waiting or hiding somewhere quietly, often with the intent to watch, ambush, or avoid being noticed.

lurksome

adj

Characterised or marked by lurking; lurky

lurky

adj

Tending to lurk; given to or indicative of lurking

lurry

noun

A confused heap; a throng or jumble, as of people or sounds.

luscious

adj

Richly sweet, juicy, and delicious.

lush

adj

Growing thickly and vigorously; richly green and full of life.

lusitanian

adj

Of or pertaining to ancient Roman province of Lusitania, its people or culture.

lust

noun

A strong feeling of desire, especially sexual desire.

luster

noun

A gentle shine or sheen, especially on a surface like metal, hair, or pearls.

lusterless

adj

Without luster, dull, not shiny, flat or matte finished.

lustful

adj

Full of, or driven by, strong sexual desire.

Lustig

name

A surname, often of German or Jewish origin, meaning "cheerful" or "merry" in German.

lusting

noun

The act of feeling or expressing strong desire.

lustlessness

noun

The state or condition of being lustless; absence of lust.

lustmaking

noun

Sexual intercourse motivated solely by lust.

lustrate

verb

Synonym of purify, to ritually cleanse or renew, particularly to do so with a propitiatory offering or (historical) the lustration, quinquennial ritual of the Roman censor to cleanse the city after a census.

lustre

noun

UK standard spelling of luster (shine, etc.).

lustrious

adj

Dazzling, sparkling; beautiful.

lustrous

adj

Having a glow or lustre.

lustuous

adj

Characterised by lust or lustfulness; lustful

lusty

adj

Full of energy and vigour; strong and healthy.

lute

noun

A stringed musical instrument with a rounded, pear-shaped body and a fretted neck, played by plucking.

lutetia

name

An ancient Roman city and island in what is now modern France, on the site of what is now Paris.

lutetium

noun

The chemical element with atomic number 71, a silvery-white metal which resists corrosion in dry air.

Luther

name

Martin Luther, the German monk and theologian whose writings sparked the Protestant Reformation.

Lutheran

adj

Relating to the theology of Martin Luther or the church founded on his teachings.

luthier

noun

A person who, or a business which, makes or repairs stringed wooden musical instruments, such as lutes, violins, and guitars.

Luthor

name

A male given name, a variant spelling of Luther.

luting

noun

lute (a kind of sticky clay or cement)

lutruwita

name

The island of Tasmania, especially seen as an Aboriginal territory.

lutz

noun

In figure skating, a jump where the skater takes off from the back outside edge of one skate, turns counterclockwise in the air, and lands on the back outside edge of the other skate.

luvvy

noun

An affectionate term of address.

lux

noun

The standard unit of illuminance — how much light is falling on a surface — equal to one lumen per square metre.

luxe

adjective

Expensive-looking and luxurious, especially in a sleek, fashionable way.

Luxembourg

name

A small country in Western Europe, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

luxemburg

name

A town in Iowa.

Luxor

name

A city in southern Egypt built on the site of the ancient city of Thebes, famous for its temples and tombs.

luxuriant

adj

Abundant in growth or detail.

luxuriate

verb

To enjoy luxury, to indulge.

luxurious

adj

Extremely comfortable and high in quality, often expensively so.

luxuriously

adv

In a manner that involves luxury; in an expensive or indulgent manner.

luxury

noun

A state of great comfort, ease, and often expensive surroundings.

luz

noun

In Jewish and Muslim folklore, a small, indestructible bone in the spine said to be the seed from which the body will be reformed after death.

Lv

name

A Chinese surname, a romanized form of the Mandarin surname Lǚ.

Ly

name

A Vietnamese surname.

lycanthrope

noun

More generally, any sort of werecreature.

lycanthropy

noun

The state of being a lycanthrope (or werewolf), a person who can shapeshift between the form of a human being and a wolf, often said to happen involuntarily during a full moon; werewolfdom.

lyceum

noun

A public hall designed for lectures, readings, or concerts.

Lycra

noun

A stretchy synthetic fabric (a brand name for spandex) used in tight-fitting clothing.

Lydia

name

A female given name from Ancient Greek, originally meaning "woman from Lydia."

lye

noun

A strongly alkaline substance, traditionally made by soaking wood ash in water, used for cleaning or making soap.

lying

noun

The act of telling lies; dishonesty in speech.

Lyla

name

A female given name, a spelling variant of Leila.

Lyle

name

A unisex given name, originally a Scottish surname meaning "the island."

Lyman

name

A surname and, less commonly, a male given name.

Lyme

noun

Short for Lyme disease, a tick-borne bacterial infection that can cause fever, rash, and joint pain.

lymph

noun

A clear, watery fluid that circulates through the body's lymphatic system, carrying white blood cells and helping fight infection.

lymphad

noun

A single-masted ship propelled by oars, usually indicating a Scottish title associated with islands.

lymphatic

adj

Pertaining to lymph or the lymphatic system.

lymphoma

noun

A cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, usually starting in the lymph nodes or other lymphoid tissue.

Lyn

name

A short form of female given names ending in "-lyn," such as Evelyn or Carolyn; also used as a unisex middle name.

lynch

verb

To kill someone, typically by hanging, at the hands of a mob acting outside the law.

lynching

noun

The killing of a person by a mob, without any legal trial, historically often by hanging.

Lynda

name

A female given name, a spelling variant of Linda.

Lyndon

name

A male given name transferred from an English surname.

Lyndsey

name

A female given name, a less common spelling of Lindsay or Lindsey.

lyne

name

A village in Runnymede district, Surrey, England (OS grid ref TQ0166).

Lynette

name

A female given name of Welsh origin.

Lynn

name

A unisex given name, often used as a middle name, derived from an English or Scottish surname.

Lynne

name

A female given name, a spelling variant of Lynn.

lynnette

name

A female given name from Welsh, variant of Lynette.

lynx

noun

A medium-sized wild cat with tufted ears and a short tail, found in forests across the Northern Hemisphere.

Lyon

name

The third-largest city in France, located at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers.

lyons

name

A number of places in the United States:

lyra

noun

A hoop suspended from above, used by aerial acrobats to perform holds, spins, and drops.

lyre

noun

A small stringed instrument from ancient Greece, with two arms rising from a body to a crossbar, plucked like a harp.

lyric

adj

Relating to poetry that expresses personal thoughts and feelings, often in a musical, song-like style.

lyrical

adj

Expressing deep emotion in a flowing, song-like, or poetic way.

lyricist

noun

A person who writes the lyrics of a song.

lyrics

noun

The words that make up a song.

Lysander

name

A Spartan admiral who died in 395 BC