Word
|
Definition
|
labarum | moral standard; ecclesiastical banner bearing Christ's monogram
|
labefactation | a weakening decay; overthrow
|
labeorphily | collection and study of beer bottle labels
|
labidometer | instrument for measuring size of the head of a fetus
|
labile | adaptable; unstable
|
lability | plasticity; openness to change or breakdown
|
labiomancy | lip reading
|
labret | lip ornament
|
labrose | thick-lipped
|
labtebricole | living in holes
|
lac | dark red transparent resin used to make shellac
|
laccolith | mass of igneous rock intruded between two sedimentary beds
|
lacertiform | shaped like a lizard
|
lacertilian | of, like or pertaining to lizards
|
laches | negligence or undue delay in fulfilling legal duty
|
lachrymatory | narrow-necked bottle or vase
|
lachrymiform | shaped like a tear
|
lachrymogenic | causing tears or weeping
|
lachrymose | shedding tears
|
laciniate | cut into narrow lobes; slashed; fringed
|
laciniform | shaped like a fringe
|
lacis | network
|
lackaday | expression of regret or deprecation
|
laconicum | sauna
|
lactarium | dairy farm or milking operation
|
lacteous | milky
|
lactescent | secreting milk
|
lactiferous | milk-bearing
|
lactifluous | flowing with milk
|
lactogenic | producing milk
|
lactometer | instrument for testing relative density of milk
|
lactoscope | instrument for measuring purity or richness of milk
|
lacuna | a blank space or missing part
|
lacunar | sunken panel or coffer in a ceiling
|
lacuscular | of, like or pertaining to pools
|
lacustrine | of, like or pertaining to lakes
|
ladronism | banditry; robbery
|
laeotropic | turning to the left
|
laetificate | to cheer up
|
laevoduction | movement leftwards
|
lagan | cargo jettisoned from ship but marked by buoys for recovery
|
lagan | wreckage or goods at the bottom of the sea
|
lagena | flask
|
lageniform | shaped like a flask
|
lagerphone | percussion instrument with bottlecaps loosely nailed to pole
|
lagniappe | gratuity
|
lagostoma | harelip
|
lagotic | having ears like a hare's
|
laic | of, like or pertaining to lay people rather than clergy
|
laicisation | process of returning a clergyman to lay status
|
laicism | doctrine of opposition to clergy and priests
|
lairwite | fine given to married women for adultery
|
laitance | milky deposit on top of fresh concrete
|
lallation | childish speech; mispronunciation of speech sounds
|
lambdoid | shaped like the letter lambda (^) or “L”
|
lambent | moving about as if touching lightly; flickering; glowing
|
lambert | unit of brightness of light
|
lambitive | taken by licking up with the tongue
|
lamboys | armoured plate skirt around the waist and thighs
|
lambrequin | drapery over a window or doorway; veil over a helmet
|
lambrequin | hood or covering for a helmet
|
lamé | fabric in which metallic threads are interwoven
|
lamella | thin plate or layer
|
lamelliform | shaped like a plate or layer
|
lamiaceous | minty; of, like or pertaining to the mint plant
|
lamina | thin plate or layer
|
laminary | of, like or pertaining to thin plates or layer
|
lamister | fugitive
|
lammergeier | giant vulture-like bird of prey
|
lampad | lamp, candlestick or torch
|
lampadedromy | torch-race
|
lampadephore | torchbearer
|
lampadomancy | divination by flame
|
lampas | flowered silk fabric
|
lampion | decorated oil lamp
|
lamprophony | speaking in loud and clear tones
|
lampyridine | of, like or pertaining or pertaining to glow-worms or fireflies
|
lanai | private balcony in a hotel room
|
lanameter | instrument for measuring quality of wool
|
lanate | woolly
|
lanceolate | shaped like a lance-head
|
lanciform | shaped like a lance
|
lancinate | to lacerate; to pierce
|
lancination | sharp; shooting pain
|
landau | horse-drawn carriage with folding top
|
landocracy | government by the propertied class; timocracy
|
langlauf | cross-country skiing or running
|
langley | unit of solar radiation
|
languescent | growing languid
|
languet | tongue-like object or part
|
languor | listlessness; weariness
|
langur | long-tailed Indian monkey
|
laniary | of teeth or claws designed for tearing (canine teeth)
|
laniferous | wool-bearing
|
lanigerous | bearing wool
|
lanuginose | downy; covered with fine soft hair
|
lanyard | cord for hanging a knife or whistle around the neck
|
lanyard | rope or line for fastening something in a ship
|
Laodicean | lukewarm; half-hearted
|
lapactic | purgative
|
laparoscope | instrument for viewing interior of peritoneal cavity
|
lapicide | stonecutter
|
lapidarian | of, like or pertaining to stones; inscribed on stones
|
lapidary | gem-cutter
|
lapidate | to pelt with stones; to kill by stoning
|
lapideous | stony
|
lapidescent | becoming stone; petrifying
|
lapifidication | petrifaction
|
lapilliform | shaped like a small stone
|
lapillus | small stone ejected by volcanic eruption
|
lappaceous | prickly
|
lappet | fold or flap on a garment or headdress worn by priest
|
laquearia | panelled ceiling
|
lar | local god of a house
|
larboard | left side of a ship
|
lardaceous | of, like or pertaining to lard
|
lares | local Roman gods
|
largifical | ample; bountiful
|
largiloquent | talkative; full of words
|
largition | giving of largess
|
larine | of, like or pertaining to gulls
|
larithmics | study of population statistics
|
laroid | of, like or pertaining to gulls
|
larrigan | high oil-tanned leather boot or moccasin
|
larrup | to flog or thrash
|
larvicide | killing of larvae
|
larviparous | giving birth to larvae
|
larvivorous | feeding on larvae
|
laryngology | study of larynx
|
laryngoscope | instrument for examining interior of the larynx
|
lasher | weir
|
lassitude | state of being tired or weary
|
lastage | room for stowing goods in a ship
|
lasting | sturdy cotton or worsted cloth
|
latebricole | living in holes
|
lateen | triangular sail rigged on ship's spar
|
laterad | towards the side
|
laterigrade | running or moving sideways
|
lateritious | brick-red
|
latescent | becoming latent
|
laticiferous | containing or conveying latex
|
latidentate | having broad teeth
|
latifundia | great landed estates
|
latinitaster | a petty scholar of Latin
|
latipennate | having broad wings
|
latitant | lurking; lying in wait; hibernating
|
latitat | writ based on supposition that person is in hiding
|
latitudinarian | one having tolerant or free religious views
|
latitudinarianism | doctrine of broad liberality in religious belief and conduct
|
latitudinous | broad or wide interpretation
|
lative | indicating motion up to or as far as
|
latrant | barking
|
latration | the act of yelping or barking
|
latria | highest degree of veneration, assigned to God over saints
|
latrocinate | to engage in highway robbery
|
latten | metal in thin plates
|
latticinio | glass having white veins
|
laudanum | an opium preparation
|
lauds | prayer service held at dawn following matins
|
lauricomous | having hair like bay-leaves
|
lauriferous | bearing laurels
|
lautenclavicymbel | lute harpsichord with gut strings
|
lautitious | sumptuous
|
lavabo | ceremony in which priest washes his hands; basin for the ceremony
|
lavadero | place for washing gold ore
|
lavaliere | jeweled pendant worn round the neck; pendant microphone
|
lavatory | wash-basin for washing bodies of newly dead; room where lavabo kept
|
laveer | to sail against the wind
|
laver | large vessel for washing, especially for ritual purification
|
lavic | of, like or pertaining to lava
|
lavolta | lively bouncy dance for two persons
|
lavra | group of recluses' cells
|
lawn | fine sheer plain-woven cotton or linen
|
laxism | belief that an unlikely opinion may be safely followed
|
layette | baby's complete set of clothing
|
laystall | place for depositing dung or rubbish
|
lazar | leper or person with similar pestilential disease
|
lazaret | space in ship between decks used for storage
|
lazaretto | hospital for lepers
|
lea | arable land left fallow or used for pasture
|
lecanomancy | divination using water in a basin or pool
|
lecanoscopy | staring at pool of water as means of self-hypnosis
|
lechwe | light brown water antelope of South Africa
|
lecithal | having a yolk
|
lectern | desk or stand from which church lessons are read
|
lection | reading; lesson read in church
|
lectisternium | sacrifice where images of gods placed on couches and offered food
|
lectrice | female reader in church
|
lectual | requiring bed rest or confinement to bed
|
leeboard | wood or metal planes attached to hull to prevent leeway
|
leech | a vertical edge of a square sail
|
legalism | belief that salvation depends on strict adherence to the law
|
legatine | of, like or pertaining to a legate
|
legerity | lightness; nimbleness
|
legicide | killer or destroyer of laws
|
legist | person knowledgeable about the law
|
leguleian | like a lawyer; underhanded and legalistic
|
leiotrichous | straight-haired
|
leister | three-pronged spear or trident used for fishing
|
leman | a lover, sweetheart or paramour
|
lemma | preliminary proposition, theme, argument or headword
|
lemures | spirits of the dead
|
lemurine | of, like or pertaining to lemurs
|
lendrumbilate | to gullibly believe in a word's veracity
|
lenify | to mitigate or assuage
|
lenitive | soothing; laxative; mitigating
|
lenity | mildness; clemency
|
leno | open-woven fabric
|
lentic | associated with standing water
|
lentiform | shaped like a lens
|
lentiginose | minutely dotted; freckled
|
lentigo | freckle
|
lentitude | lethargy; slowness
|
lentor | sluggishness; viscidity
|
leonine | of or like a lion; rhyming last two or three syllables in a line
|
leontiasis | form of leprosy in which the face becomes wrinkly and somewhat lion-like
|
leopon | crossbreed between a leopard and a lion
|
lepadoid | resembling a barnacle
|
lepid | pleasant; charming; amusing
|
lepidine | composed of scales
|
lepidity | facetiousness; wit
|
lepidopterology | study of butterflies and moths
|
lepidopterous | having four wings, such as a moth or butterfly
|
leporicide | killing or killer of hares
|
leporiform | resembling or shaped like a hare
|
leporine | of, like or pertaining to the hare
|
leprology | study of leprosy
|
leprosarium | hospital for lepers
|
leprose | scaly; scurfy
|
leptochrous | abnormally thick-skinned
|
leptometer | instrument for measuring oil viscosity
|
leptosome | person with a slight or slender build
|
lethe | oblivion; forgetfulness
|
lethiferous | causing death; carrying or bearing death
|
lethologica | inability to remember the right word
|
lethonomia | tendency to forget names
|
leucochroic | white or pale-coloured
|
leucomelanous | having dark hair and eyes but fair skin
|
leucous | albino; having fair or pale hair or complexion
|
lev | monetary unit of Bulgaria
|
levant | to run away from a debt
|
leveret | a hare in its first year; a mistress
|
levigate | to smooth; to grind to a fine powder; to polish; to lighten
|
levin | lightning
|
levirate | custom of compulsory marriage with brother's widow
|
lexer | law student
|
lexicology | study of words and their meanings
|
lexigram | sign which represents a word
|
lexigraphy | art of definition of words
|
lexigraphy | system of writing in which each sign represents a word
|
lexiphanic | bombastic; sesquipedalian; using many long words
|
lexis | way in which a piece of writing is expressed in words
|
ley | mystical straight line between features of landscape
|
liard | grey; dapple-grey
|
lias | fossil-bearing limestone
|
libaniferous | yielding or bearing incense
|
libanomancy | divination by watching incense smoke
|
libanotophorous | producing incense
|
libeccio | southwest wind
|
libellant | one who brings a charge of libel
|
liber | phloem or fibre from tree
|
liberalism | doctrine of social change and tolerance
|
libertarianism | doctrine that personal liberty is the highest value
|
liberticide | destruction of liberty
|
libertinage | debauchery
|
libidinist | lewd person
|
libken | place to sleep in
|
librate | to oscillate; to be poised
|
libration | apparent oscillation of moon's visible surface
|
libricide | killing or killer of books
|
libriform | shaped like a book
|
lichenography | description of lichens
|
lichenology | study of lichens
|
lickerish | lecherous; lusty; greedy
|
lictor | ancient Roman magistrate's attendant
|
lido | bathing beach; open-air swimming pool
|
lief | soon; gladly
|
lienal | of, like or pertaining to the spleen
|
lientery | discharge of partially digested food
|
ligation | the act of binding; the state of being bound
|
ligger | horizontal timber of a scaffolding
|
lighter | large open boat used in loading and unloading ships
|
lighterage | cargo carried by or fee for carrying cargo by lighter
|
ligneous | woody; wooden
|
ligniform | of the form or shape of wood
|
lignify | to make woody; to turn into wood
|
ligniperdous | destructive of wood
|
lignite | woody coal
|
lignivorous | feeding on wood
|
ligulate | resembling or shaped like a strap
|
ligyrophobia | fear of loud noises
|
limaciform | slug-like
|
limacine | of, like or pertaining to slugs
|
limacology | study of slugs
|
limation | polishing or smoothing; correction of astronomical errors
|
limax | slug
|
limbate | possessing a border
|
limbus | border
|
limes | border
|
limicoline | living on a shore; of, like or pertaining to wading birds
|
limicolous | living in mud
|
limitrophe | near the frontier or border
|
limivorous | eating mud
|
limn | to portray, paint or delineate
|
limner | painter of portraits
|
limnetic | living in fresh water; pertaining to fresh water
|
limnobiology | study of freshwater ecosystems
|
limnology | study of bodies of fresh water
|
limnophilous | living in ponds or marshes
|
limoniad | meadow nymph
|
limophoitos | insanity due to lack of food
|
limosis | abnormally ravenous appetite
|
limous | muddy; slimy
|
limpid | clear; transparent
|
limpkin | Caribbean crane-like bird
|
linaceous | of, like or pertaining to flax
|
linchpin | person or thing vital to an organization
|
lincrusta | thick embossed wallpaper
|
lindy hop | lively dance closely resembling the jitterbug and famous for its aerials
|
lineament | distinctive feature or characteristic
|
lineolate | marked with fine lines
|
lingual | of, like or pertaining to language, speech or the tongue
|
linguiform | shaped like a tongue
|
linography | photographic reproduction on linen
|
linonophobia | fear of string
|
linsang | white civet-like Javanese mammal
|
linsey | coarse linen and wool blend
|
linsey-woolsey | coarse inferior wool or wool-flax weave; nonsense or confusion
|
lintel | horizontal beam supporting the load above a door
|
lioncelle | small lion used as a bearing
|
lionism | lion-like appearance symptomatic of leprosy
|
lipogram | piece of writing in which a certain letter is excluded
|
lipography | accidental omission of letter or syllable in wrting
|
lipomatosis | obesity
|
lipothymy | swoon
|
lippitude | soreness of the eyes
|
lipsanographer | one who writes about relics
|
lipsanotheca | container for relics
|
liquate | to melt; to subject to liquation
|
liquescent | becoming liquid
|
liquifacient | liquifying agent
|
liquifaction | the act of liquefying something
|
liripipe | long tail of a graduate's hood; a part or lesson committed to memory
|
lissome | lithe; nimble; flexible
|
lissotrichous | smooth-haired
|
litany | prayer of supplication in responsive style
|
literatim | letter for letter
|
literation | representation of sounds by letters
|
literator | dabbler in learning
|
literose | spuriously or affectedly literary
|
lithochromy | painting upon stone
|
lithoclast | stone breaker; tool for breaking rocks
|
lithodomous | living in burrows in rocks
|
lithogenous | rock-building
|
lithoglyph | engraving on stone
|
lithography | art of imaging using impression on stone
|
litholatry | stone-worship
|
lithology | study of rocks
|
lithomancy | divination by stones or meteorites
|
lithophagous | stone-swallowing; rock-boring; eating rock
|
lithophilous | living among stones
|
lithophyte | plant that grows on rock
|
litotes | understatement by affirming using negation of the contrary
|
littoral | of, like or pertaining to the shore of a body of water
|
liturate | spotted
|
liturgician | one who studies or recites church rituals
|
liturgiology | study of liturgical forms and church rituals
|
liturgist | leader in public worship
|
lituus | long curved trumpet
|
livedo | pathological blueness of skin
|
lixiviation | leaching
|
loan-word | word borrowed from another language
|
lobar | of, like or pertaining to a lobe
|
lobate | having a lobe or lobes
|
lobcock | bumpkin, boor or lout
|
lobular | shaped like a lobe
|
locanda | lodging-house; inn
|
locative | indicating location or place where
|
locellate | divided into small compartments
|
locellus | small compartment of a cell
|
lochetic | waiting in ambush
|
lochlet | little loch
|
lockram | coarse linen
|
lockstep | method of marching in tight formation
|
locomobile | self-propelling machine; early automobile
|
loculate | having loculi
|
loculus | small compartment or recess for holding an urn
|
locum | clergyman temporarily replacing regular priest
|
locuplete | well-stored
|
locutory | room for conversation
|
loden | heavy waterproof woollen fabric
|
lodesman | pilot
|
loess | deposit of rich and fertile soil
|
logan | rocking-stone
|
loganamnosis | obsession with trying to recall forgotten words
|
logarithmancy | divination by means of algorithms
|
loggia | covered open arcade
|
logia | collection of sayings
|
logicaster | a petty logician
|
logice | in a logical manner
|
logicism | theory that mathematics can be derived from a set of logical axioms
|
logocentrism | belief that meaning derives from the analysis of words and symbols
|
logocracy | government of words
|
logodaedalus | artificer in words
|
logodaedaly | verbal legerdemain
|
logogogue | one who issues laws or rules regarding words
|
logogram | single sign standing for word or phrase
|
logography | writing using signs or units for entire words
|
logogriph | riddle in which word is found from other words' letters
|
logomachy | contention about words or in words
|
logomancy | divination using words
|
logomania | pathological loquacity
|
logopedics | speech therapy
|
logophile | a lover of words
|
logorrhea | excessive flow of words; uncontrollable garrulity
|
logos | divine rational principle
|
logotype | body of text with frequently occurring word or syllable
|
loimic | of, like or pertaining to plagues
|
loimography | description of pestilential diseases
|
loimology | study of plagues and epidemics
|
lollop | to bound about wildly
|
longanimity | forbearance; patience
|
longe | rope used in training horses
|
longeron | longitudinal membrane of an airplane
|
longiloquence | long-winded language
|
longiniquity | remoteness
|
longueur | period of dullness or tedium
|
loquence | speech
|
loranthaceous | of, like or pertaining to the mistletoe
|
lordolatry | worship of nobility
|
lordosis | convex curvature of the spine
|
loreal | located in the area between the eyes and the nose or snout
|
lorette | courtesan
|
lorgnette | eyeglasses with a handle
|
lorgnon | an eyeglass
|
loricate | armoured with plates or scales; to coat or armour protectively
|
lorikeet | brightly coloured southeast Asian parrot
|
lorimer | saddlemaker
|
loris | large-eyed south Asian arboreal primate
|
losel | worthless fellow; scamp
|
lotic | associated with or living in running water
|
lotophagous | feeding on lotuses; indolent; lazy; dreamy
|
louche | squinting; ambiguous; shady
|
louchettes | spectacles used to reduce glare and prevent squinting
|
loupe | jeweller's magnifying glass worn on the eye-socket
|
lour | to look sullen or threatening
|
louvre | sloping slat placed across an opening
|
lovat | grey-green; blue-green
|
loxodograph | device used to record ship's travels
|
loxodrome | line on the globe equally oblique to all meridians
|
loxodromy | study of sailing along rhumb-lines
|
loxophthalmus | squint
|
loxotic | distorted; oblique
|
lozenge | diamond-shaped mark indicating possibility in formal logic
|
lubricious | slippery; lewd
|
lubricity | greasiness; wiliness
|
lubritorium | service station
|
lucarne | dormer window
|
lucent | shining; bright
|
lucernal | of, like or pertaining to lamps
|
luciferous | light-bringing; light-giving
|
luciform | like light
|
lucifugous | shunning or avoiding light
|
lucigen | lamp burning oil mixed with air in a spray
|
lucimeter | instrument for measuring light intensity
|
luciphyllous | light-absorbing or consuming
|
lucre | sordid gain; riches
|
lucriferous | lucrative; yielding profit
|
lucripetous | eager for gain
|
luctation | struggle
|
lucubration | study protracted late into the night
|
luculent | bright; clear; convincing
|
ludibry | contempt; derision
|
ludibund | playful
|
ludic | spontaneously and aimlessly playful
|
ludicrism | burlesque
|
luff | windward side of a ship; forward edge of fore-and-aft sail
|
lugsail | four-sided sail bent to an obliquely hanging yard
|
lugubrious | mournful; dismal
|
lulav | palm-frond waved at certain Jewish religious services
|
lumbriciform | shaped like a worm; worm-like
|
lumbricine | of, like or pertaining to earthworms
|
lumen | unit of luminous flux
|
luminiferous | bearing or bringing light
|
luminist | artist who uses the effects of light; impressionist
|
lumpenintelligentsia | those of the intellectual class regarded disparagingly as of little worth
|
lunarist | one who believes that the moon affects the weather
|
lunate | crescent-shaped
|
lunation | lunar month; interval between successive new moons
|
lunette | crescent-shaped space where a vault meets a wall
|
lunisolar | pertaining jointly to the moon and sun
|
lunistice | time when moon is farthest north or south each month
|
lunula | Bronze Age crescent necklace; white part of fingernail base
|
lunulate | shaped like a small crescent
|
lupanarian | of, like or pertaining to a brothel
|
lupicide | killing of a wolf
|
lupiform | shaped like a wolf
|
lupine | of, like or pertaining to wolves
|
lupulic | of, like or pertaining to hops
|
lur | ancient Scandinavian trumpet
|
lurdan | lazy and dull individual
|
lurid | red-yellow; yellow-brown
|
lusory | playful
|
lustrate | to purify by sacrifice
|
lustration | ritual washing; ablution
|
lustring | glossy silk
|
lustrum | period of five years; periodic purification of Roman empire
|
lutaceous | of, like or pertaining to or comprised of mud
|
lutarious | inhabiting mud
|
lutchet | fitting on ship's deck to allow mast to pivot to pass under bridges
|
luteolous | yellowish
|
luteous | golden-yellow
|
lutescent | yellowish
|
lutestring | plain glossy silk
|
luthier | maker of stringed instruments
|
lutose | covered with mud or clay; muddy
|
lutrine | of, like or pertaining to otters
|
lutulent | thick; muddy
|
lutung | small monkey of Malaysia
|
lux | unit of illumination equal to one lumen per square meter
|
luxate | to displace or dislocate
|
luxation | dislocation of an anatomical part
|
luxmeter | instrument for measuring illumination
|
luxuriant | overabundant in growth
|
lycanthropy | mythical ability of humans to turn into wolves; werewolfism
|
lyceum | school of philosophical instruction
|
lychgate | roofed gate of a churchyard
|
lychnobite | one who works at night and sleeps in the day
|
lychnoscope | low side window
|
Lydian | effeminate; luxurious
|
lygophilia | love of darkness
|
lygophobia | fear of darkness
|
lymphography | description of lymph nodes
|
lyncean | lynx-like; sharp-sighted
|
lyophile | easily dispersed in a suitable medium
|
lyophilization | freeze-drying
|
lypemania | extreme pathological mournfulness
|
lyrate | lyre-shaped
|
lyrichord | kind of obsolete harpsichord
|
lyricon | electronic wind instrument like a large obverse flute
|
lysarden | old wind instrument like a cornett or serpent
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lysigenic | caused by the breaking down of cells
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lysimeter | instrument for measuring percolation of water through soil
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lysis | disintegration; destruction
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lyssophobia | abnormal fear of hydrophobia
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lyterian | indicating the end of a disease
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lythcoop | auction of household goods
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I hope you have found this site to be useful. If you have any corrections, additions, or comments, please contact me. Please note that I am not able to respond to all requests. Please consult a major dictionary before e-mailing your query. All material on this page © 1996-2021 Stephen Chrisomalis. Links to this page may be made without permission.