English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

luckman

name

A family name that came from a first name.

Lucknow

name

A city in India, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh.

lucks

name

A family name that came from a first name.

lucky

adjective

Having good fortune; enjoying favourable outcomes without necessarily earning them.

lucrative

adjective

Generating a lot of profit; financially rewarding.

lucre

noun

Money or wealth, especially when gained dishonestly or seen as morally corrupting.

Lucretia

name

A feminine given name of Latin origin, also the name of a 6th-century BC Roman noblewoman whose story led to the fall of the Roman monarchy.

lucretian

adj

Relating to Lucretius, the ancient Roman poet and philosopher.

lucubrate

verb

To study or work hard late at night, by lamp or candlelight.

Lucy

noun

Slang term for the drug LSD.

Luddite

noun

A person who is opposed to new technology, or who is unwilling or unable to use it.

ludicrous

adjective

So absurd or unreasonable that it's almost funny.

ludicrousness

noun

The quality of being ridiculous or absurd.

Ludlow

name

A placename: A town and civil parish with a town council in south Shropshire, England (OS grid ref SO5174).

Ludo

noun

A simple board game where players race coloured tokens around a track based on dice rolls.

Ludovic

name

A male given name, the French form of Louis/Ludwig.

Ludwig

name

A male given name of German origin, meaning roughly "famous warrior."

luella

name

A female given name that began as an invented coinage, a variant of Louella.

luft

noun

In chess, a piece moved to stop the king being trapped and checkmated along the back row.

Luftwaffe

noun

The German air force, most often referred to in the context of the Second World War.

lug

verb

To carry or drag something heavy, usually with effort.

luge

noun

A small racing sled for one or two people, ridden lying on the back.

luger

noun

A German semi-automatic pistol widely used by German forces in both World Wars.

luggage

noun

Suitcases, bags, and other containers used to carry a traveller's belongings.

lugging

noun

The act of carrying or dragging something heavy and awkward from one place to another.

lugh

name

A pre-Christian Irish deity represented in mythological texts as a hero and High King of the distant past: the son of Cian and Ethniu.

lugsail

noun

A four-sided sail attached to a pole that crosses the mast at an angle.

lugsome

adj

Heavy and awkward to move around; not easily portable.

lugubrious

adj

Extremely gloomy and sad, often in an exaggerated way.

lugworm

noun

Any of several kinds of large sea worm belonging to the genus Arenicola.

Lui

name

A Chinese surname, a romanization of a Cantonese family name.

Luigi

name

A male given name, the Italian equivalent of Louis.

Luis

name

A male given name, the Spanish form of Louis.

Luk

name

A surname derived from a Cantonese Chinese family name.

Luka

name

A male given name common across Slavic languages, related to Luke.

Lukas

name

A male given name derived from Latin, a variant of Lucas.

Luke

name

A common male given name, ultimately from Greek, meaning roughly "from Lucania."

lukewarm

adjective

Only slightly warm; neither hot nor cold.

lula

name

A female first name.

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

Relating 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 who works cutting, producing, or selling timber.

lumbermill

noun

A mill where logs are cut into planks or boards.

lumbosacral

adj

Relating to the lower part of the back and the base of the spine near the pelvis.

lumen

noun

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

lumic

adj

Moving at, or close to, the speed of light.

luminaire

noun

An electrical fitting that houses a lamp to provide light.

luminal

adj

Describes something that relates to the lumen.

luminance

noun

The state of giving off light.

luminant

adj

Giving off light; bright.

luminary

noun

Someone widely admired for their great skill or success in a particular field.

lumination

noun

Lighting, especially light made artificially.

luminescence

noun

Light given off by something for a reason other than heat.

luminescent

adj

Giving off light through luminescence.

luminiferous

adj

Giving off or carrying light.

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 or stupid person.

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

A worker taken on to help load or unload a lorry or ship.

lumpish

adj

Shaped roughly like a lump, with no clear or neat form.

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 modest diner or eatery 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

Plates and other 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

(informal) A stupid person.

lunkheaded

adj

Stupid or foolish.

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

Another name for Lop, deriving from Mandarin Chinese.

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

Like a wolf in every way; wolfish.

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

Given to lurking, or typical of it.

lurky

adj

Inclined to lurk, or suggesting that kind of behaviour.

lurry

noun

A messy heap or noisy crowd of people, or a jumble of sounds.

luscious

adj

Richly sweet, juicy, and delicious.

lush

adj

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

lusitanian

adj

Relating to Lusitania, an ancient Roman province, or its people and 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

Having no shine; dull and matte rather than glossy.

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 of having no lust.

lustmaking

noun

(informal) Sex that is driven purely by lust, with no other reason behind it.

lustrate

verb

To ritually cleanse or renew something, sometimes with an offering, or, historically, the Roman censor's ceremony held every five years to purify the city after a census.

lustre

noun

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

lustrious

adj

Dazzling and sparkling; beautiful.

lustrous

adj

Having a shine or gleam.

lustuous

adj

Full of lust; 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

A city and island of Roman antiquity, located where modern Paris now stands, in what is today France.

lutetium

noun

A silvery-white metal element, number 71 on the periodic table, that does not corrode easily 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

Someone, or a business, that builds or mends wooden string instruments like violins and guitars.

Luthor

name

A male given name, a variant spelling of Luther.

luting

noun

A sticky clay-like cement used for sealing or coating.

lutruwita

name

The island of Tasmania, particularly when regarded as 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

A fond or friendly way of addressing someone.

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

The name of 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

Growing thickly and richly, or full of detail.

luxuriate

verb

To take great pleasure in something comfortable or enjoyable.

luxurious

adj

Extremely comfortable and high in quality, often expensively so.

luxuriously

adv

In a rich, comfortable and costly way.

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.