English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

lycanthrope

noun

A person able to change into an animal, such as a werewolf.

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 building used for talks, readings or concerts.

lychee

noun

A small, bright red fruit with a single stone surrounded by soft white flesh.

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

An old rowing boat with one mast, often used as a symbol of a Scottish island title.

lymphatic

adj

Relating to lymph or the body's 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

The name of 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 first name of Welsh, variant of Lynette origin.

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

One of twenty places in the United States, including a Boulder County, Colorado town, a Rice County, Kansas city that serves as its seat, and a Berks County, Pennsylvania borough.

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

Someone who writes the words for songs.

lyrics

noun

The words that make up a song.

Lysander

name

A Spartan admiral who died in 395 BC

lysine

noun

Lysine is an amino acid that occurs in proteins and is essential in the human diet.