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An American Dictionary of the English Language

by Noah Webster

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.

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  1. Likely, a.p. 774Worthy of belief; probable; credible; as, a likely story. 2. Having probability; having or giving reason to expect; — followed by an infinitive; as, I am likely to preach to-morrow; it might be…
  2. Like'ly, adv.p. 774Probably. While man was innocent, he was likely ignorant of nothing important for him to know. Glanville.
  3. Like'-mīnd'ed, a.p. 774Having a like disposition or purpose.
  4. Lik'en, v. t.p. 774To represent as resembling or similar; to compare. Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his house upon a rock. Matt. vii. 24.
  5. Like'ness, n.p. 774The state of being like; similitude; resemblance. 2. That which resembles or copies; especially, a portrait of a person, or a picture of an animal or thing. I took you for your likeness, Chloe.…
  6. Lik'en-ing, n.p. 774The forming of resemblance.
  7. Like'-owl, n.p. 774See LICK-OWL.
  8. Lik'er-oŭs, a.p. 774See LICKERISH. [Obs.]
  9. Like'-wāke, n.p. 774See LICH-WAKE.
  10. Like'wise, conj.p. 774In like manner; also; moreover; too. For he seeth that wise men die; likewise the fool and the brutish person perish. Ps. xlix. 10. Syn.—Also; too. See ALSO.
  11. Lik'ing, a.p. 774Of a good appearance; likely; pleasing. [Obs.] Dan. i. 10.
  12. Lik'ing, n.p. 774A good state of body; healthful appearance; plumpness. [Obs.] Their young ones are in good liking. Job xxxix. 4. 2. State of trial. [Rare.] Would he be the degenerate scion of that royal line . . .…
  13. Li'lae, n.p. 774(Bot.) A shrub of the genus Syringa (S. vulgaris), a native of Persia. The common lilac is cultivated for its fragrant flowers, which are purple or white.
  14. Līl'a-çïne, n.p. 774(Chem.) The bitter principle of the lilac.
  15. Lĭl'i-ā'ceous, a.p. 774(Bot.) Pertaining to lilies; lily-like.
  16. Līl'ied, a.p. 774Embellished with lilies. “By sandy Ladon's lilied banks.” Milton.
  17. Lĭl'i-pŭ'tian, n.p. 774One belonging to a diminutive race described in Swift’s “Voyage to Liliput.” 2. Hence, a person of very small size.
  18. Lil'i-pū'tian, a.p. 774Of, or pertaining to, the imaginary island of Liliput described by Swift, or to its inhabitants. 2. Hence, of very small size; diminutive; dwarfed.
  19. Lill, v. t.p. 774To loll. See LOLL. [Obs., or local.] “And lilled forth his bloody flaming tongue.” Spencer.
  20. Lĭl'/li-bul-lē'ro, n.p. 774A popular song in England during and after the reign of James II.
  21. Lilt, v. i.p. 774To do any thing with dexterity or quickness, as to fly or to hop. [Prov. Eng.] Whether the bird flew here or there, O'er table lilt, or perch on chair. Wordsworth. 2. To sing or play cheerfully and…
  22. Lĭl'y, n.p. 774(Bot.) An endogenous, bulbous plant, having a regular perianth of six colored pieces, six stamens, and a superior three-celled ovary. The flowers are generally very showy, and some are very fragrant.…
  23. Lĭl'y-hănd'ed, a.p. 774Having white, delicate hands.
  24. Lĭl'y-lĭv'ered, a.p. 774White-livered; cowardly. [Obs.]
  25. Lī-mā'ceoŭs, a.p. 774Belonging to, or resembling, the slug.
  26. Lī-mā'tion, n.p. 774The act of filing or polishing.
  27. Lī'ma-tūre, n.p. 774The act of filing. 2. That which is filed off; filings.
  28. Lī'max, n.p. 774(Zoöl.) A genus of air-breathing mollusks without shells; the slug or snail.
  29. Lĭmb (lĭm), n.p. 774Edge or border; limit; extremity. 2. An extremity of the human body; a member; a projecting part, as the arm or leg. Of courage haughty, and of limb Heroic built. Shak. 3. The branch of a tree larger…
  30. Lĭmb, v. t.p. 774To supply with limbs. 2. To dismember; to tear off the limbs of.
  31. Līm'bat, n.p. 774A cooling, periodical wind in the Isle of Cyprus, blowing from the north-west from eight o'clock, A. M., to the middle of the day or later.
  32. Lim'bate, a.p. 775(Bot.) Bordered, as when one color is surrounded by an edging of another.
  33. Lim'beck, n.p. 775A still. [Obs.] The dull drops As from a limbec did adown distill. Spencer.
  34. Lim'bee, v. t.p. 775To strain or pass through a still; to distill. [Obs.] Sandys.
  35. Lĭmbed, a.p. 775Having limbs; formed with regard to limbs; — used in composition; as, well-limbed; large-limbed; short-limbed. Numerous living creatures, perfect forms, Limbed and full grown. Milton.
  36. Lim'ber, a.p. 775Easily bent; flexible; pliant; yielding. “Who have a spirit so limber they can stretch it any whither.” Barrow.
  37. Lim'ber, v. t.p. 775To attach to the limbers; as, to limber the gun; — often with up. 2. [From the adjective.] To cause to become limber; to make flexible or pliant.
  38. Lĭm'ber, n.p. 775(Mil.) That part of a gun-carriage, consisting of two wheels and a shaft, to which the horses are harnessed. 2. A shaft of a carriage; a thill. 3. (pl.) (Naut.) Holes cut through the floor timbers…
  39. Lim'ber-ness, n.p. 775The quality of being limber; flexibleness; pliancy.
  40. Limb'less, a.p. 775Destitute of limbs.
  41. Limb'meal, a.p. 775Piecemeal. [Obs.] Shak.
  42. Lim'bo or Lim'bus, n.p. 775(Scholastic Theol.) A region bordering on hell. “As far from help as limbo is from bliss.” Shak. A limbo large and broad, since called The paradise of fools. Milton. The limbus patrum was considered…
  43. Lime, n.p. 775A viscous substance, something laid on twigs for catching birds. Like the lime That foolish birds are caught with. Wordsworth. 2. (Chem.) Oxide of calcium; the white, caustic substance, usually…
  44. Lime, n.p. 775A fruit allied to the lemon, but smaller, and more intensely sour. It is produced by the Citrus limetta, and found in all warm climates.
  45. Lime, v. t.p. 775To smear with a viscous substance. These twigs, in time, will come to be limed. L'Estrange. 2. To entangle; to insnare. We had limed ourselves with open eyes. Tennyson. 3. To manure with lime. Land…
  46. Lime'-bûrn'er, n.p. 775One who burns limestone to form lime.
  47. Līme'-hound, n.p. 775A hound or sporting dog, so called as led or confined by a lime; also, a blood-hound. I have seen him Smell out her footing like a lime-hound. Massinger.
  48. Līme'kĭln, n.p. 775A kiln or furnace in which limestone or shells are exposed to a strong heat and reduced to lime.
  49. Lĭ-mĕn'e-an, n.p. 775(Geog.) A native or inhabitant of Lima, in Peru.
  50. Lĭ-mĕn'e-an, a.p. 775(Geog.) Of or pertaining to Lima, or to the inhabitants of Lima.
  51. Līme'-plănt, n.p. 775The May-apple.
  52. Līme'-rŏd, n.p. 775The same as LIME-TWIG. Halliwell.
  53. Līme'-sĭnk, n.p. 775A rounded hole or depression in the ground in limestone countries.
  54. Līme'stōne, n.p. 775A kind of stone consisting largely or chiefly of carbonate of lime; from which lime is obtained by the expulsion of its carbonic acid. Bala limestone (Geol.), a dark limestone associated with slate…
  55. Līme'-twĭg, n.p. 775A twig smeared with lime; hence, that which catches; snare. “Entered the very lime-twigs of his spells.” Milton.
  56. Līme'-twĭgged, a.p. 775Smeared with lime. Addison.
  57. Līme'-wa'ter, n.p. 775Water impregnated with lime.
  58. Līm'ing, n.p. 775The act of manuring with lime.
  59. Lĭm'it, n.p. 775That which terminates, circumscribes, restrains, or confines; the bound, border, or edge; as, the limit of a walk, of a town, of a country; the limits of human knowledge. 2. (Logic & Metaph.) A…
  60. Lĭm'it, v. t.p. 775To bound, to set bounds to. 2. To confine within certain bounds; to circumscribe; to restrain. Limit each leader to his several charge. Shak. 3. To restrain or confine the signification of; to define…