English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

lifeblood

noun

Blood, viewed as essential to staying alive.

lifeboat

noun

A small boat built to rescue people from a sinking or distressed ship, or to carry passengers to safety.

lifeguard

noun

A trained person, usually a strong swimmer, employed to watch over and rescue swimmers at a beach or pool.

lifeless

adj

Dead, or showing no signs of life.

lifelessness

noun

The state of having no life or energy; a lack of movement or spirit.

lifelike

adj

Closely resembling a real living person or thing; realistic.

lifeline

noun

Something essential that keeps a person, group, or system going, especially in a crisis.

lifelong

adj

Lasting for someone's entire life.

lifelore

noun

Understanding gained from living, especially practical wisdom about life.

lifer

noun

A prisoner serving a life sentence.

lifesaver

noun

Someone or something that saves a person's life, especially by rescue.

lifesaving

noun

The skills and techniques used to rescue people, especially from drowning.

lifespan

noun

The length of time an organism typically lives.

lifestyle

noun

The way a person or group typically lives, including their habits, attitudes, and values.

lifetime

noun

The entire duration of someone's or something's life.

lifey

adj

Typical of life in general.

lift

verb

To raise something to a higher position.

lifted

adj

Raised up or held high.

lifter

noun

A person or thing that raises something up.

lifting

noun

The action of raising something, or the process of doing so.

liftoff

noun

The moment a rocket or aircraft leaves the ground at launch.

ligament

noun

A tough band of tissue that connects one bone to another and helps stabilize a joint.

ligate

verb

To tie up using a ligature or bandage.

ligation

noun

A cord, thread or band used to tie something.

ligature

noun

A cord, thread, or wire used to tie something tightly, especially to close off a blood vessel in surgery.

light

noun

Brightness that lets people see, from the sun, a lamp, or fire.

lightbox

noun

A box with a light inside and a pale see-through top, used for looking at photographic slides.

lightbulb

noun

A glass bulb that produces light when electricity passes through it.

lighted

adj

Lit up; filled with light.

lighten

verb

To make or become brighter.

lightening

noun

The act or process of making something brighter or lighter in weight.

lighter

noun

A small handheld device that produces a flame, used to light cigarettes, candles, and so on.

lightfoot

adj

Light on one's feet; nimble or quick-moving.

lightheadedness

noun

A dizzy, faint feeling, as if you might lose your balance or consciousness.

lighthearted

adj

Happy and cheerful, without worry or sadness.

lightheartedly

adv

In a cheerful, easy-going way.

lighthouse

noun

A tower with a powerful light at the top, built to warn or guide ships near dangerous coastlines.

lightie

noun

(informal) A black person whose skin is fairly light in colour.

lighting

noun

The equipment used to provide light, or the light it produces.

lightless

adj

Completely dark, with no light at all.

lightlessness

noun

The condition of total darkness; a complete absence of light.

lightly

adv

In a gentle or delicate manner; with little force or weight.

lightman

noun

A person responsible for operating or maintaining lights, especially in theatre or film production.

lightness

noun

The state of weighing little, or of exerting little force.

lightning

noun

The bright flash of light in the sky during a storm, caused by electricity passing between clouds or between a cloud and the ground.

lights

noun

The lungs of an animal, especially when used as food.

lightsaber

noun

A fictional weapon with a blade made of concentrated light or energy, from the Star Wars films.

lightship

noun

A ship anchored in place and showing a light to guide sailors, used where building a fixed lighthouse would be impractical.

lightskirt

noun

(dated) A woman considered to have loose morals, especially a prostitute.

lightsomeness

noun

The quality of giving off light; brightness.

lightspeed

noun

The speed at which light travels, usually through a vacuum.

lightweight

noun

A boxing (or similar combat sport) weight class between welterweight and featherweight, or a competitor in it.

lignite

noun

A low-grade type of coal that is brownish-black in colour.

likable

adj

Easy to like; friendly and pleasant in a way that draws people in.

like

verb

To enjoy something or find it agreeable; to be favorably disposed toward someone or something.

like-for-like

adjective

Comparing two things on exactly the same basis, so that the comparison is fair.

liked

verb

Past tense and past participle of like: to have found someone or something pleasant, enjoyable or agreeable.

likelihood

noun

The chance that something will happen; probability.

likeliness

noun

How probable something is; the chance that it will happen.

likely

adj

Probable; expected to happen or be true.

liken

verb

To say that one person or thing is similar to another; to compare them.

likeness

noun

The quality of resembling someone or something; a similarity.

likewise

adv

In the same way; similarly.

liking

noun

A fondness or preference for something.

lil

name

A shortened, affectionate form of Lilian, Lillian, or Lily.

lila

noun

In Hindu philosophy, the idea that the universe and its events are the playful, creative expression of the divine.

lilac

noun

A shrub (genus Syringa) that produces clusters of fragrant white, pink, or purple flowers.

Lilah

name

A female first name, either a short form of Delilah or a variant of Leila.

Lili

name

A female first name, a spelling variant of Lily.

lilia

name

A female first name of Latin origin.

Lilian

name

A female first name derived from the Latin word for "lily."

Liliana

name

A female first name, an elaborated Latinate form of Lilian, also common in Italian and Spanish.

lilianna

name

A female first name of Latin, a less common spelling of Liliana origin.

Lilith

name

In ancient Mesopotamian myth, a demon associated with storms, disease, and death.

lill

verb

An old or dialectal word meaning to loll, lounge, or hang loosely.

Lille

name

A city in northern France, capital of the Hauts-de-France region.

Lillian

name

A female first name derived from the Latin word for "lily," common in American usage.

lilliana

name

A female first name of Latin, a less common spelling of Liliana origin.

Lillie

name

A female first name, either a variant of Lily or a nickname for Lillian.

Lilly

name

A female first name, a common variant spelling of Lily.

lilo

noun

British: an inflatable mattress used for floating on water or camping.

lilt

verb

To move or play, usually music, in a light, quick, rhythmic way.

lily

noun

A plant of the genus Lilium, grown for its large, often trumpet-shaped flowers, or a similar-looking flowering plant.

Lim

name

A common Korean surname.

lima

noun

A flat, pale green bean grown for food, or the plant it comes from.

liman

noun

A broad river-mouth lagoon cut off from the sea by a sandbank, found mainly near the Black Sea.

limb

noun

An arm, leg, or wing — a major projecting part of a body used for movement.

limber

adj

Flexible and able to bend or move easily.

limberness

noun

The quality of being able to bend and move easily.

limbic

adj

Relating to the limbic system, the group of brain structures involved in emotion, memory, and motivation.

limbo

noun

A state of being stuck between two situations, with no clear resolution or progress.

lime

noun

A small, round, green citrus fruit with a sharp, tart flavor.

Limehouse

name

A district in East London, now part of the borough of Tower Hamlets.

limelight

noun

The center of public attention; fame and visibility.

limerence

noun

An intense, involuntary infatuation with someone, marked by obsessive thoughts and a craving for the feeling to be returned.

limerick

noun

A humorous five-line poem with a bouncing rhythm and an AABBA rhyme scheme.

limes

noun

A fortified frontier line or border, especially of the ancient Roman Empire.

limescale

noun

A crusty white build-up left inside kettles and washing machines by hard water.

limestone

noun

A common sedimentary rock made mostly of calcium carbonate, formed from ancient marine deposits.

limey

noun

Informal, often used in American English: a British person.

limeyland

name

Refers to England, or the United Kingdom.

limit

noun

The furthest point or greatest amount allowed or possible; a boundary.

limitation

noun

A restriction on what something can do or how far it can go; a shortcoming.

limited

adj

Restricted in size, amount, or scope; not extensive.

limiter

noun

A person or thing that keeps something within certain bounds.

limiting

adj

Restricting what is possible; imposing a boundary or constraint.

limitless

adj

Having no boundary or upper limit; endless in size, extent, or quantity.

limitlessness

noun

The quality of having no limit or end.

limn

verb

(literary) To draw or paint a picture of something.

limned

adj

Shown or described so vividly that it seems real.

Limoges

name

A city in west-central France, historically the capital of the old Limousin region and known for its fine porcelain.

Limos

name

In Greek mythology, the personification of hunger and starvation, child of Eris.

limousin

name

A geographic region and former administrative region of France; since 2016, part of the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

limousine

noun

A large, luxurious car, often with a stretched body and a driver, used for chauffeuring passengers in comfort.

limp

verb

To walk unevenly, favoring one leg because of an injury or pain.

limpet

noun

A small sea creature with a cone-shaped shell that grips tightly onto rocks.

limpid

adj

Clear and easy to see through.

limpidity

noun

The quality of being clear and easy to see through.

limping

noun

An uneven, halting way of walking, usually caused by injury or pain in a leg or foot.

lin

verb

(archaic) To stop or cease doing something.

Lina

name

A female first name, often a short form of longer names ending in -lina, such as Angelina or Carolina.

Linc

name

A nickname for the male given name Lincoln.

linchpin

noun

A pin pushed through the end of an axle to keep a wheel from sliding off.

Lincoln

noun

An American brand of luxury automobiles.

Lincolnshire

name

A county in eastern England, bordering the North Sea and several neighbouring counties.

lind

noun

Another name for the lime tree (linden tree).

Linda

name

A female first name of Germanic origin, historically linked to words meaning "gentle" or "soft."

Lindberg

name

A surname of Swedish origin.

Lindbergh

name

A surname, most famously associated with aviator Charles Lindbergh.

Linde

name

A surname of German, Dutch, or Scandinavian origin, referring to the linden (lime) tree; also a Spanish surname meaning "boundary."

linden

noun

A deciduous tree of the genus Tilia, with heart-shaped leaves and fragrant flowers; also called the lime tree.

Linder

name

A surname.

Linderman

name

A surname.

Lindley

name

A surname derived from any of several English place names.

Lindo

name

A surname, in English usage generally derived from the place name Lindow.

Lindsay

name

A Scottish and Irish surname, originally derived from the Lindsey district of Lincolnshire.

Lindsey

name

A historic district and former administrative division of Lincolnshire, England.

Lindstrom

name

A surname of Swedish origin.

lindy

noun

A energetic, partnered swing dance, sometimes called the Lindy Hop, that originated in Harlem in the 1920s-30s.

line

noun

A long, thin mark or stroke, straight or curved, on a surface.

lineage

noun

A line of descent traced from an ancestor; a family's ancestry or a sequence of generations.

lineal

adj

Made up of, or connected with, lines.

lineament

noun

A particular shape or outline that stands out.

linear

adj

Arranged in or resembling a straight line.

linebacker

noun

In American football, a defensive player positioned just behind the defensive line, responsible for stopping runs and covering short passes.

lined

adj

Having an inner layer of material added for warmth, protection, or comfort.

linelike

adj

Shaped like, or similar to, a line.

lineman

noun

A worker who installs and repairs overhead power or telephone lines.

linen

noun

A strong, cool fabric woven from flax fibers.

linens

noun

Household textiles such as bed sheets, tablecloths, and towels.