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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. Lȳ'co-pō'di-um, n.p. 796(Bot.) A genus of moss-like plants, the type of the order Lycopodiaceae: club-moss. Lycopodium powder, a fine powder or dust composed of the spores of Lycopodium, and other plants of the order…
  2. Lȳ-cŏp'sis, n.p. 796(Bot.) A genus of plants having small blue flowers in leafy racemes. L. arvensis is the small wild bugloss.
  3. Lȳd'i-an, a.p. 796Pertaining to Lydia, a country of Asia Minor, or to its inhabitants; hence, soft; effeminate; — said especially of one of the ancient Greek modes or keys, the music in which was of a soft, pathetic…
  4. Lȳe, n.p. 796Water impregnated with alkaline salt imbibed from the ashes of wood.
  5. Lȳe, n.p. 796A short piece of track by the side of the main line, and connected with it at each end, into which cars may be run while loading or unloading, or when not in use; also, one of the several sets of…
  6. Lȳe, n.p. 796A falsehood. [Obs.] See LIE.
  7. Lȳ'en-cĕph'a-lōus, a.p. 796See MAMMALIA.
  8. Lȳ'ing, p. pr.p. 796of lie. Being prostrate. See LIE. Lying along, lying prostrate; recumbency. “This lying along is an improper posture for piety.” Fuller.— Lying-in. (a.) Being in childbirth. (b.) n. The act of…
  9. Lȳ'ing-ly, adv.p. 796In a lying manner; falsely.
  10. Lȳm or Lȳm'-hound, n.p. 796See LIMEHOUND, LEAMER, LIMMER, LEAM, LYAM, and cf. HYM. A dog held in a leam; a blood-hound. See LIME. “Hound or spaniel, brach or lym.” Shak.
  11. Lȳm'i-ter, n.p. 796See LIMITER.
  12. Lȳm'nite, n.p. 796(Paleon.) A kind of fresh-water snail found fossil.
  13. Lȳmph, n.p. 796a nymph or inferior goddess, a goddess of fertilizing moisture, especially of those springs, the waters of which were impregnated with exciting or entrancing fumes; the Muses, who were originally of…
  14. Lȳmph'ate or Lȳmph'ā-ted, a.p. 796Frightened into madness; raving. [Obs.]
  15. Lym-phăt'ic, a.p. 796Pertaining to, containing, or conveying lymph. 2. Madly enthusiastic; frantic. Lymphatic gland (Anat.), a reddish-colored gland connected with the lymphatics.
  16. Lym-phât'ic, n.p. 796(Physiol.) A vein-like, valved vessel in vertebrate animals, that contains a transparent fluid; an absorbent;—called also lymph-duct. It is usually connected with lymphatic glands. 2. A mad…
  17. Lȳmph'-ē-dūct, n.p. 796(Physiol.) An absorbent vessel; a lymphatic. See LYMPHATIC.
  18. Lym-phōg'ra-phy, n.p. 796A description of the lymphatic vessels, their origin and uses.
  19. Lȳmph'y, a.p. 796Containing, or like, lymph.
  20. Lȳn, n.p. 796A waterfall. See LIN. [Scot.]
  21. Lȳn'çe-an, a.p. 796Pertaining to the lynx.
  22. Lynch, v. t.p. 796To inflict pain, or punishment upon without the forms of law, as by a mob, or by unauthorized persons. [U. S.]
  23. Lȳnch'-lȧw, n.p. 796The practice of punishing men for crimes or offenses, by private, unauthorized persons, without a legal trial. The term is said to be derived from a Virginia farmer, named Lynch, who thus took the…
  24. Lȳn'den-tree, n.p. 796See LINDEN.
  25. Lȳne, n.p. 796Linen. [Obs.] Spenser.
  26. Lȳnx, n.p. 796(Zoöl.) An animal of several species of the genus Felis, and much resembling the common cat, but having longer ears and a shorter tail. The common lynx of Europe is the F. Lynx; the Canada lynx is…
  27. Lȳnx'-eȳed, a.p. 796Having acute sight.
  28. Lȳ'rȧ, n.p. 796(Astron.) A northern constellation, containing a white star of the first magnitude, called Alpha Lyræ, or Vega. 2. (Anat.) A portion of the brain;—so called from the arrangement of the medullary…
  29. Lȳ'rate or Lȳ'rā-ted, a.p. 796(Bot.) Lyre-shaped, or spatulate and oblong, with small lobes toward the base; as, a lyrate leaf.
  30. Lȳre, n.p. 796(Mus.) A stringed instrument of music; a kind of harp much used by the ancients, as an accompaniment to poetry. ☞ The lyre was the peculiar instrument of Apollo, the tutelary god of music and poetry.…
  31. Lȳre'-bîrd, n.p. 796(Ornith.) A bird of the genus Menura (M. superba), remarkable for having the sixteen tail-feathers of the male arranged in the form of a lyre. It is a native of Australia.
  32. Ly̆r'ic or Ly̆r'ic-al, a.p. 796Pertaining to a lyre or harp. 2. Fitted to be sung to the lyre; hence, also, appropriate for song;—said especially of poetry which expresses the individual emotions of the poet. “Sweet lyric song.”…
  33. Ly̆r'ic, n.p. 796A lyric poem. 2. A composer of lyric poems. [Rare.] Addison. 3. A verse of the kind usually employed in lyric poetry;—used chiefly in the plural.
  34. Ly̆r'i-çism, n.p. 796A lyric composition. Gray.
  35. Lȳ'rist, n.p. 796A musician who plays on the harp or lyre.
  36. Ly̆s'i-mā'chi-ȧ, n.p. 796(Bot.) A genus of low, perennial plants, having yellow flowers; loosestrife.
  37. Ly̆s'sȧ, n.p. 796(Med.) Hydrophobia. ☞ The plural has been used to signify the pustules supposed to be developed under the tongue in hydrophobia.
  38. Lȳ-tē'ri-an, a.p. 796(Med.) Terminating a disease; indicating the end of a disease. Jones.
  39. Lȳthe, n.p. 796(Ichth.) A fish; the whiting of Scotland.
  40. Lȳthe, a.p. 796Soft; flexible. [Obs.] Spenser.
  41. Ly̆th'on-thrĭp'tic or Ly̆th'on-trĭp'tic, a.p. 796See LITHONTRIPTIC.
  42. Ly̆'thrum, n.p. 796(Bot.) A genus of plants; loosestrife. Gray.
  43. Mp. 797is the thirteenth letter of the English alphabet, and represents a labial articulation. As the closure of the lips by which it is formed is accompanied with a humming sound through the nose, it is…
  44. Mā, n.p. 797Mother; an abbreviation of mamma, a child's title for mother.
  45. Mā, adv.p. 797(Mus.) But;—used in cautionary phrases; as, “Vivace, ma non troppo presto”—Lively, but not too quick. Moore.
  46. Mă'am, n.p. 797Madam; my lady;—a colloquial and usual contraction of madam.
  47. Ma-āsh'a, n.p. 797An East Indian coin, of about one tenth of the weight of a rupee.
  48. Māb, n.p. 797A childish or negligent person; a slattern. [Prov. Eng.] 2. (Northern Myth.) The queen of the imaginary beings called fairies.
  49. Măb, v. i.p. 797To dress negligently; to be slovenish. [Prov. Eng.]
  50. Māb'ble, v. t.p. 797To wrap up. [Obs.]
  51. Māb'by, n.p. 797A spirituous liquor or drink distilled from potatoes, used in the Barbadoes.
  52. Mācp. 797A prefix, in names of Scotch origin, signifying son.
  53. Ma-cā'cus, n.p. 797(Zoöl.) A genus of apes, found in Asia, characterized by having short tails and very prominent eyebrows. Baird.
  54. Mac-ăd'am-i-zā'tion, n.p. 797The process or act of covering roads with broken stone.
  55. Mac-ăd'ăm-īze, v. t.p. 797To cover, as a road, way, or path, with small, broken stones, so as to form a smooth, hard surface.
  56. Mac-ād'am-rōad, n.p. 797A road or path covered with small, broken stones, so as to form a smooth, hard surface.
  57. Ma-cā'o, n.p. 797See MACAW.
  58. Măc'a-rīze, v. t.p. 797To bless; to wish joy to, on account of some success or happy event; to congratulate. [Rare.]
  59. Māc'a-rō'nī, n.p. 797[Prov. It. macaroni, It. maccheroni, Sp. maccarrones, from Gr. μακαρία, βρῶμα ἐκ ζωμοῦ καὶ ἀλφίτων, Hesych., properly happiness, bliss, i. e., a very dainty food, from μάκαρ, μακάριος, blessed…
  60. Măc'a-rō'nĭ-an or Măc'a-rōn'ĭe, a.p. 797Pertaining to, or like, a macaroni; empty; trifling; vain; affected. 2. Consisting in the addition of Latin terminations to the vernacular roots of some one modern language, combined with the…