English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

Lawton

name

An English surname and place name meaning "hill settlement," also a city in Oklahoma.

lawyer

noun

A person qualified to advise on or represent others in legal matters.

lawyering

noun

The practice or profession of working as a lawyer.

lax

adj

Not strict or careful; loose in standards or discipline.

laxation

noun

The act of making something looser or less tight, or the resulting state of looseness.

laxative

noun

A substance, food, or medicine that stimulates bowel movement.

lay

verb

To put something down, especially in a flat or resting position.

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."

layland

noun

Farmland that is left unploughed and unplanted for a time.

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.

layperson

noun

Someone who is not a member of the clergy.

Layton

name

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

laytown

name

The name of a village on the coast in County Meath, Ireland.

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.

lazaret

noun

Another word for lazaretto.

lazaretto

noun

A place reserved for people with infectious diseases (especially leprosy or plague) to live on a long-term basis.

lazarist

noun

A priest belonging to the religious order that Saint Vincent de Paul founded, also called the Congregation of the Mission.

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.

laze

verb

To be idle and let time pass without doing anything useful.

lazily

adv

Done in a way that shows a person is being lazy.

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.

LBM

noun

Lean body mass: the total weight of your body minus its fat, covering muscle, bone, organs and water. It is used in fitness and nutrition to track progress that a scale weight alone hides.

lbs

noun

The abbreviation for pounds, the unit of weight equal to about 0.454 kilograms. It is written after the number, as in 150 lbs.

LDR

abbreviation

Long-distance relationship: a romantic partnership between people who live far enough apart that they cannot see each other regularly in person.

LDS

adjective

Belonging to or connected with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the religious denomination whose members are commonly called Mormons.

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.

lead time

noun

The amount of time between the start of a process and its completion, especially between placing an order and receiving the goods.

leaden

adj

Connected with the metal lead.

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.

leafage

noun

All the leaves on a plant or group of plants; foliage.

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.

leal

adj

Faithful and truthful.

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.

leansome

adj

Thin, or having little flesh on the body.

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.

learnedness

noun

Having a great deal of knowledge, gained through study.

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.

leasehold

adj

(law) Describes land or property held by a tenant for a fixed number of years under a lease.

leaseholder

noun

Someone who rents property under the terms of a lease.

leash

noun

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

leashed

adj

Wearing a leash of a particular colour.

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.

leatherworker

noun

Someone whose craft is making items out of leather.

leathery

adjective

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

leave

verb

To go away from a place or person.

leaven

noun

Any agent used to make dough rise or to have a similar effect on baked goods.

Leavenworth

name

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

leavings

noun

Bits left over after something has been used, such as food scraps or wood shavings.

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.

lechatelierite

noun

A glass, occurring naturally or made artificially, produced when silica sand or sandstone is melted suddenly by intense heat, for example from a lightning strike, an impact event, or a nuclear explosion, and then cools quickly.

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."

lectern

noun

A sloped stand in a church that holds the Bible while it is read aloud during a service.

lectic

adj

(technical) Describing a way of ordering sets, related to alphabetical order, where two sets are compared by removing what they share and looking at what remains.

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.

lede

noun

The introductory paragraph or paragraphs of a newspaper, or a news or other type of article; the lead or lead-in.

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.

leetness

noun

(informal) The quality of being very skilled or impressive.

leeward

adj

On or towards the side that is sheltered from the wind.

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.

leftism

noun

Support for left-wing political ideas.

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.

legalise

verb

A non-Oxford British English standard spelling of legalize.

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.

legalness

noun

Being lawful, or allowed under the law.

legate

noun

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

legatee

noun

A person who is left something in someone's will.

legateship

noun

The position and power held by a legate.

legatine

adj

Relating to a legate.

legation

noun

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

lege

noun

A famous or admired figure; used informally for someone highly respected.

legend

noun

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

legendary

adj

Described in or belonging to legend.

leger

adj

Light in weight, slim, or of little importance.

legerity

noun

Speed and ease of movement, in body or thought.

legged

adj

Having legs of a specified type or number.

leggy

adj

Having noticeably long, attractive legs.

legibility

noun

How easy something is to read.

legible

adj

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