Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
- Pages
- 1,538
- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
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…Lēn’i-tūde, n. p. 764The quality or habit of being lenient; lenity. [Obs.] Blount.Lĕn'i-ty, n. p. 764Mildness of temper; gentleness of treatment; softness; tenderness; — opposed to severity and rigor. His exceeding lenity disposes us to be somewhat severe. Macaulay. Syn.—Gentleness; kindness…Lēn'nock, a. p. 764Slender; pliable. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.Le-nŏc'i-nant, a. p. 764Given to lewdness. [Obs.] More.Lēns, n. p. 764(Opt.) A piece of glass, or other transparent substance, ground with two opposite regular surfaces, either both curved, or one curved and the other plane, and commonly used, either singly or…Lēnt, n. p. 764(Eccl.) A fast of forty days, beginning with Ash-Wednesday and continuing till Easter, observed by many Christian churches as commemorative of the fast of our Savior.Lēnt, n. p. 764That which is loaned; a loan. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.Lēnt, a. p. 764Slow; mild; as, lenter heats. [Obs.] B. Jonson. 2. (Mus.) See LENTE.Len-tăn'do p. 764(Mus.) Slackening; retarding; — a direction to the performer to play the notes over which it is written with increasing slowness; — the same as ALLENTANDO. Moore.Lēn'te p. 764(Mus.) Slowly; — a direction to the singer or player to perform the passage, over which it is written, slowly. [Written also lento.]Lën’te-ment, adv. p. 765(Mus.) Slowly;—a direction to perform in slow time the movement to which it is prefixed. Moore.Lënt'en, a. p. 765Pertaining to lent; used in lent; hence, spare; plain; not abundant or showy. “Lenten entertainment.” Shak. Who can read In thy pale face, dead eye, and lenten suit, The liberty thy ever-giving hand…Lĕn’ti-cel, n. p. 765(Bot.) The same as LENTICELLE.Lēn'ti-celle, n. p. 765(Bot.) (a.) One of the small, oval, rounded spots upon the stem or branch of a plant, from which roots issue, either in the air, or more commonly when the stem or branch is covered with water or…Len-tĭc'u-lă, n. p. 765(Opt.) A lens of small size. 2. (Bot.) A small tubercle or spot on the stem of a plant; also, a small gland on the under side of a leaf; a lenticelle. 3. (Med.) A kind of eruption upon the skin…Len-tĭc'ū-lar, a. p. 765Resembling a lentil in size or form. 2. Having the form of a double-convex lens; lentiform. Lenticular glands (Anat.), mucous follicles having the shape of a lentil, observed especially toward the…Len-tĭc'ū-lar-ly, adv. p. 765In the manner of a lens; with a curve.Lĕn'ti-fōrm, a. p. 765Of the form of a double-convex lens; lenticular.