English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

layaway

noun

A shopping arrangement where a customer pays a deposit and the store holds an item until it is paid off in full.

layer

noun

A single thickness of material covering a surface, or one level in a stack of such materials.

layered

adj

Arranged in or made up of layers.

laying

noun

The act of putting something down or of a bird producing eggs.

Layla

name

A feminine given name of Arabic origin, meaning "night," famous from classic Arabic poetry and the song "Layla."

layman

noun

A person without specialised knowledge or training in a particular subject.

Layne

name

A given name and surname, a variant spelling of Lane.

layout

noun

The way parts of something are arranged or positioned.

layover

noun

A short stop or rest between stages of a journey, especially a flight.

Layton

name

An English surname and given name meaning "settlement by the stream," also a place name.

Laz

noun

A member of an ethnic group native to the Black Sea coast of Turkey and Georgia, or the Kartvelian language they speak.

lazar

noun

An old-fashioned word for someone suffering from leprosy or a similarly disfiguring contagious disease.

Lazarus

name

In the Bible, a man raised from the dead by Jesus; used figuratively for anyone or anything that returns after being given up for dead.

laziness

noun

Unwillingness to work or make an effort.

Lazlo

name

A masculine given name, an alternate spelling of Laszlo, common in Hungary.

lazy

adj

Unwilling to work or make an effort; disinclined to exertion.

lazybones

noun

An informal, often affectionate, term for a lazy person.

lb

noun

Abbreviation for "pound," the unit of weight.

le

article

The French masculine singular word for "the," sometimes borrowed into English for humorous or stylistic effect.

lea

noun

A meadow or open grassy field, especially in poetic or literary use.

leach

verb

To remove a soluble substance from something by letting liquid filter through it, or (of a substance) to be removed this way.

lead

noun

A soft, heavy, bluish-grey metal, chemical symbol Pb.

leader

noun

A person who guides or is in charge of a group, organisation, or country.

leadership

noun

The ability to guide, direct, or inspire a group of people.

leading

adjective

Most important or most prominent; ranking first.

leaf

noun

A flat, usually green part of a plant that grows from a stem or branch and carries out photosynthesis.

leaflet

noun

A small printed sheet, usually with information or advertising, handed out or distributed widely.

leafy

adjective

Covered with or full of leaves.

league

noun

A group of sports teams, or of countries or organizations, that compete together or work toward a shared goal.

Leah

name

A feminine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "weary" or possibly "gazelle," borne by a matriarch in the Book of Genesis.

leak

noun

A crack or hole that lets liquid or gas escape or get in when it shouldn't.

leakage

noun

The escape of liquid, gas, or electric current through an unwanted gap.

leaked

adjective

Describing a document, recording, or piece of information that was meant to stay private but got out to the public.

leaking

noun

The act of letting liquid, gas, or information escape.

leaky

adjective

Having a crack or hole that lets liquid or gas escape; not properly sealed.

lean

verb

To bend or tilt away from an upright position, or to rest against something for support.

Leander

name

A masculine given name of Greek origin, meaning "lion man," known from the myth of Hero and Leander.

leaning

noun

A tendency to favor a particular idea, belief, or direction.

Leann

name

A feminine given name, a blend of Lee and Ann.

Leanne

name

A feminine given name, a variant spelling of Leann, combining Lee and Anne.

leap

verb

To jump a long distance, or jump over something suddenly and forcefully.

leapfrog

noun

A children's game in which players take turns vaulting over each other's stooped backs.

lear

noun

Knowledge or lore passed down as teaching; archaic or dialect term for learning.

learn

verb

To gain knowledge or a skill through study, practice, or experience.

learned

adjective

Having extensive knowledge, gained through years of study; scholarly.

learner

noun

A person who is in the process of learning something, especially a beginner.

learning

noun

The process of gaining knowledge or skill.

Leary

name

An Irish surname, an anglicized form of a Gaelic name meaning "descendant of the seaman."

lease

noun

A legal agreement letting someone use property, such as a home or car, for a set time in exchange for payment.

leased

adjective

Rented out or held under the terms of a lease.

leash

noun

A strap or cord used to hold and control an animal, especially a dog.

leasing

noun

An old or dialect word for lying or deceit.

least

determiner

The smallest amount, extent, or degree; the superlative of "little."

leather

noun

A durable material made from tanned animal hide, used for clothing, furniture, and accessories.

Leathers

name

An English surname, an occupational name for someone who worked with leather.

leathery

adjective

Having a texture like leather — tough, thick, and often wrinkled.

leave

verb

To go away from a place or person.

Leavenworth

name

A surname and place name, notably a city in Kansas and a federal prison there.

Lebanese

adjective

Relating to Lebanon or its people, culture, or language.

Lebanon

noun

A country in the Middle East on the eastern Mediterranean coast, with Beirut as its capital.

Lebeau

name

A French surname meaning "the handsome one."

Leblanc

name

A French surname meaning "the white one," historically describing fair complexion or hair.

Lebron

name

A masculine given name, notably borne by basketball star LeBron James.

lech

noun

A strong, lustful craving.

lecher

noun

A man who pursues sex in an excessive, sleazy way.

lecherous

adj

Showing an excessive, distasteful sexual appetite.

lechery

noun

Excessive or inappropriate sexual desire and behaviour.

Leclerc

name

A French surname meaning "the clerk" or "the scholar."

lecture

noun

A talk given to teach an audience about a subject.

lecturer

noun

Someone who gives lectures, especially as their job.

lecturing

noun

The act of giving a lecture, or of scolding someone.

led

adj

Guided, directed, or under someone else's control.

Leda

name

A feminine given name from Greek mythology, the queen seduced by Zeus in the form of a swan.

ledge

noun

A narrow flat shelf sticking out from a wall, cliff, or other surface.

ledger

noun

A book or record used to track financial transactions.

lee

noun

The sheltered side of something, away from the wind.

leech

noun

A blood-sucking worm that lives in water, sometimes used medicinally.

Leeds

name

A large city in West Yorkshire, England.

leek

noun

A long, mild-flavoured vegetable related to the onion, with white and green layered leaves.

Leela

name

A feminine given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "divine play," common in South Asia.

leer

verb

To look at someone sideways in a way that suggests sexual desire or ill intent.

leery

adj

Cautious or suspicious about something, unwilling to fully trust it.

lees

noun

The sediment of dead yeast and fruit residue left after fermenting a drink like wine.

leeway

noun

Extra freedom or flexibility to act without strict limits.

Leeza

name

A feminine given name, a variant spelling of Liza or Lisa.

Lefebvre

name

A French surname, an occupational name meaning "the blacksmith."

left

adj

On or toward the side of the body where the heart usually sits, opposite of right.

leftist

noun

A person holding left-wing political views.

leftover

adj

Remaining after the rest has been used or eaten.

lefty

noun

A left-handed person.

leg

noun

One of the limbs used for standing and walking.

legacy

noun

Money or property left to someone in a will.

legal

adj

Relating to the law.

legality

noun

The state of being lawful or in accordance with the law.

legalize

verb

To make something officially permitted by law.

legally

adv

In a way that is permitted by law.

legate

noun

An official representative sent by the pope on a special church mission.

legation

noun

A diplomatic mission or its official residence, typically ranking below an embassy.

legend

noun

A traditional story from the past, often only partly true.

legendary

adj

Described in or belonging to legend.

legged

adj

Having legs of a specified type or number.

leggy

adj

Having noticeably long, attractive legs.

legible

adj

Clear enough to be read easily, especially handwriting or print.

legion

noun

A large division of the ancient Roman army, typically a few thousand infantry plus cavalry support.

legionnaire

noun

A member of a legion, particularly the French Foreign Legion, a famous unit historically open to foreign recruits.

legislation

noun

The process of drafting and passing laws.

legislative

adj

Relating to making laws, or having the authority to make them.

legislature

noun

An official body of people, such as a parliament or congress, with the power to make, change, and repeal laws.

legit

adj

Informal for legitimate: genuine, honest, or allowed by the rules.

legitimacy

noun

The state of being lawful, valid, or generally accepted as proper.

legitimate

adj

Allowed by, or in agreement with, the law.

legitimately

adv

In a lawful, genuine, or properly justified way.

legitimize

verb

To make something officially lawful or accepted as valid.

legless

adj

Having no legs.

Lego

noun

Small interlocking plastic building bricks, best known under the Lego brand, used to construct toy models.

Legrand

name

A French surname meaning "the tall one" or "the great one."

legs

noun

The streaks that form on the inside of a wine glass after swirling, used informally to judge a wine's body.

legwork

noun

Practical groundwork, research, or preparation that takes real time and effort, often literally involving travel or walking.

Leh

particle

A Singlish/Singapore English sentence-ending particle used to soften a disagreement, offer a tentative suggestion, or gently remind the listener of something.

Lehman

name

A surname of German-Jewish origin, meaning "fief holder" or "vassal."

lei

noun

A garland made of flowers, leaves, or shells, traditionally worn around the neck in Hawaii as a sign of welcome or celebration.

Leia

name

A feminine given name popularized by Princess Leia from the "Star Wars" films.

Leicester

noun

A breed of English sheep prized for both its meat and its long, lustrous wool.

leigh

noun

An old, mostly literary or dialectal word for a meadow or a clearing in a forest.

Leighton

name

An English surname and given name meaning "herb garden settlement" or "meadow farm."

Leila

name

A feminine given name of Arabic origin, meaning "night," a variant spelling of Layla.

Leipzig

name

A city in Germany, historically significant for its trade fairs, music, and the Battle of Leipzig.

leisure

noun

Free time away from work or other obligations, used for rest or enjoyment.

leisurely

adj

Relaxed and unhurried.

Leith

name

A surname and place name, notably a port district of Edinburgh, Scotland.

lek

noun

The official currency of Albania.

Lela

name

A feminine given name, a variant of Leila or a short form of names like Angelina.

Leland

name

A masculine given name and surname of English origin, meaning "fallow land" or "meadow land."

Lele

noun

A member of the Lele people, an ethnic group of the Democratic Republic of the Congo closely related to the Kuba.

LEM

noun

The Lunar (Excursion) Module, the spacecraft that carried astronauts down to the Moon's surface during the Apollo missions.

lemel

noun

Fine metal shavings or filings produced by filing or grinding metal.

lemme

contraction

An informal, spoken-style contraction of "let me."

lemming

noun

A small rodent found in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, known for periodic dramatic population swings.

Lemmy

name

A masculine given name, a nickname form used notably by the musician Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead.

lemon

noun

A yellow, oval citrus fruit with sour juice.

lemonade

noun

A drink made from lemon juice, water, and sugar, sometimes carbonated.

Lemond

name

A surname notably borne by cyclist Greg LeMond, the first American to win the Tour de France.

lemur

noun

A tree-dwelling primate native to Madagascar, known for large eyes and, in some species, a long ringed tail.

Len

noun

A short form of the male given name Leonard.

Lena

name

A feminine given name, a short form of names such as Helena or Magdalena.

lend

verb

To let someone use something of yours for a while, on the understanding they will give it back.

lender

noun

A person or organisation that lends money, especially as a business.

lending

noun

The act or business of giving out loans, whether of money or goods.

lene

noun

In phonetics, an unaspirated (or "smooth") voiceless stop consonant, as opposed to an aspirated one.

leng

adjective

British slang for good-looking or excellent; a synonym of "peng."