Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Le-ġĭt'i-mĭst, n. p. 763One who supports legitimate authority; an adherent of divine or hereditary rights. 2. Specifically, in France, an adherent of the elder branch of the Bourbon family, which was driven from the throne…Le-ġĭt'i-mīze, v. t. p. 763To legitimate, or make lawful.Lĕġ'i-tĭve, a. p. 763Lawful; legitimate. [Obs.] Berners.Lĕg'less, a. p. 763Having no legs.Lē'go-lĭt'e-ra-ry, a. p. 763Pertaining to the literature of law. “An essay on this lego-literary subject.” Lord Campbell.Lē'gu-lē'ian, a. p. 763Lawyer-like; legal. [Rare.] “In the classical English sense, or in the sense of leguleian barbarism.” De Quincey.Lē'gu-lē'ian, n. p. 763One in the legal profession; a lawyer. [Obs.] Milton.Lĕg'ūme or Le-gūme', n. p. 763(Bot.) A pod dehiscent into two pieces or valves, and having the seed attached at one suture, as that of the pea. ☞ In the latter circumstance, it differs from a siliqua, in which the seeds are…Le-gū'men, n. p. 763The same as LEGUME.Le-gū'mĭne, n. p. 763(Chem.) A principle obtained from the seeds of papilionaceous plants; vegetable caseine.Le-gū'mi-noŭs, a. p. 763Pertaining to pulse; consisting of pulse. 2. (Bot.) Bearing legumes, as seed-vessels; related to plants bearing legumes, as peas.Le-hŭnt'ite, n. p. 763(Min.) A variety of zeolite of a flesh-red color, consisting chiefly of the hydrous silicate of alumina and soda.Leī'o-phy̆l'lum, n. p. 763(Bot.) A genus of low, branching, evergreen shrubs, having smooth, shining leaves, and small white flowers; sand-myrtle. Gray.Leī-pō'ā, n. p. 763(Ornith.) A genus of birds including but a single species (L. ocellata), found in Australia. They lay their eggs in a mound of sand, to be hatched by the heat of the sun, but in most other respects…Leī'po-thy̆m'ic, a. p. 763See LIPOTHYMIC.Lēi'sur-a-ble, a. p. 763Vacant of employment; not occupied; as, leisurable hours. [Obs.] Browne.Lēi'sur-a-bly, adv. p. 763At leisure; without hurry. [Obs.] Hooker.Lēi'sure, n. p. 763Freedom from occupation or business; vacant time; time free from employment. The desire of leisure is much more natural than of business and care. Sir Wm. Temple. I shall leave with him that rebuke…Lēi'sure-ly, a. p. 764Exhibiting, or employing, leisure; not hasty; deliberate; slow; as, a leisurely walk or march; a leisurely survey of life.Lēʹsure-ly, adv. p. 764In a deliberate manner; slowly; at leisure; deliberately. We descended very leisurely, my friend being careful to count the steps. Addison.Lēll, v. t. p. 764To loll or thrust out. [Obs.] “Yawning and lelling out his tongue.” Holland.Lē'man or Lēm'an, n. p. 764A sweetheart, of either sex; a gallant, or a mistress;—usually in a bad sense. Chaucer. Spenser. Shak.Lēme, n. p. 764A ray or glimmer of light. [Obs.] Chaucer.Lēme, v. i. p. 764To shine. [Obs.]Lĕm'ing, n. p. 764See LEMMING.Lēm'mā, n. p. 764(Math.) An auxiliary proposition demonstrated for immediate use in the demonstration of some other proposition. Whatever is—so much I conceive to have been a fundamental lemma for Hazlitt—is wrong.…Lēm'ming, n. p. 764(Zoöl.) A burrowing animal of the rat family and the genus Mus; the M. lemmus, or Norvegicus. These animals are found in the north of Europe, and are remarkable for their periodic migrations in great…Lĕm'nā, n. p. 764(Bot.) Duck-weed. See DUCK-WEED.Lēm'ni-an, a. p. 764(Geog.) Of, or pertaining to, the isle of Lemnos. Lemnian earth, or sphragide, an aluminous earth of a grayish-yellow color. It was formerly made into cakes, stamped with a seal, and sold as…Lēm/nis-cē/tā or Lem-nĭs'cate, n. p. 764(Geom.) A curve in the form of the figure 8, with both parts symmetrical, generated by the point in which a tangent to an equilateral hyperbola meets the perpendicular on it drawn from the center.Lēm'on, n. p. 764An oval or roundish fruit resembling the orange, and containing an intensely acid pulp. It is produced by a tropical tree of the genus Citrus, the common fruit known in commerce being that of the…Lĕm'on-āde', n. p. 764A beverage consisting of lemon-juice mixed with water and sweetened.Lēm'on-grāss, n. p. 764(Bot.) A fragrant grass (Andropogon Schœnanthus), found in India.Lē'mur, n. p. 764(Zoöl.) One of a family of nocturnal mammals allied to the monkeys, but of small size, and having a sharp and fox-like muzzle. They feed upon birds, insects, and fruit, and are natives of Madagascar…Lēm'ū-rēz, n. pl. p. 764Spirits or ghosts of the departed; specters. The Lars and Lemures mean with midnight plaint. Milton.Lē'nă, n. p. 764A procuress; a bawd. “My lean lena.” J. Webster.Lĕnd, v. t. p. 764To grant to another for temporary use; to furnish on condition of receiving the same again, or an equivalent in kind; to loan; as, to lend a book, or a sum of money. 2. To afford; to grant or furnish…Lĕnd'a-ble, a. p. 764Capable of being lent. Sherwood.Lènd'er, n. p. 764One who lends; especially, one who makes a business of lending money. The borrower is servant to the lender. Prov. xxii. 7. Interest would certainly encourage the lender to venture in such a time of…Lĕnd'ing, n. p. 764The act of loaning. 2. That which is lent or furnished.Lĕnds, n. pl. p. 764Loins. [Obs.] Wycliffe.Lē'ne, a. p. 764(Pron.) Produced by an explosive utterance, and incapable of being prolonged;—said of certain consonants.Lē'ne, n. p. 764(Pron.) A consonant produced by an explosive utterance, and incapable of prolongation; as, k, p, t, and the like.Lēngth, n. p. 764The longest measure of any object, in distinction from depth, thickness, breadth, or width; the extent of any thing from end to end; the longest line which can be drawn through a body, parallel to…Lĕngth, v. t. p. 764To extend; to lengthen. [Obs.] When your eyes have done their part, Thought must length it in the heart. Daniel.Lĕngth'en, v. t. p. 764<br>1. To extend in length; to make longer; to elongate; as, to lengthen a line.<br>2. To extend in time; to continue in duration; to protract; as, to lengthen life.<br>What if I please to lengthen…Lēngth'en, v. i. p. 764To grow longer; to extend in length.Lēngth'ful, a. p. 764Of great length in measure; long. [Obs.] Pope.Length'i-ly, adv. p. 764In a lengthy manner; at great length or extent.Lēngth'i-ness, n. p. 764The state of being lengthy; prolixity.Lēngth'wāys or Lēngth'wīse, adv. p. 764In the direction of the length; in a longitudinal direction.Lēngth'y, a. p. 764Having length; immoderately long; prolix; not short; not brief;—said chiefly of discourses, writings, and the like; as, a lengthy sermon; a lengthy dissertation; a lengthy detail. “Lengthy periods.”…Lē'ni-ence or Lē'ni-en-cy, n. p. 764Lenity; clemency.Lē'ni-ent, a. p. 764Relaxing; emollient. Oils relax the fibers, are lenient, balsamic. Arbuthnot. 2. Softening; mitigating; assuasive; — sometimes followed by of. “Lenient of grief.” Milton. Time, that on all things…Lē'ni-ent, n. p. 764(Med.) That which softens or assuages; an emollient.Lē'ni-ent-ly, adv. p. 764In a lenient manner; mitigatingly; assuagingly.Lēn'i-fy, v. t. p. 764To assuage; to soften; to mitigate; to alleviate. [Obs.] Bacon. Dryden.Lēn'i-ment, n. p. 764An assuasive. [Obs.]Lēn'i-tīve, a. p. 764Having the quality of softening or mitigating, as pain or acrimony; assuasive; emollient.Lēn'i-tive, n. p. 764(Med.) (a.) A medicine or application that has the quality of easing pain; that which softens or mitigates. (b.) A mild purgative; a laxative. 2. That which tends to allay passion or excitement; a…