Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter L - Page 2
Laborer (n.) One who labors in a toilsome occupation; a person who does work that requires strength rather than skill, as distinguished from that of an artisan.
Laborer (n.) Someone who works with their hands; someone engaged in manual labor [syn: laborer, manual laborer, labourer, jack].
Laboring (a.) That labors; performing labor; esp., performing coarse, heavy work, not requiring skill also, set apart for labor; as, laboring days.
The sleep of a laboring man is sweet. -- Eccl. v. 12.
Laboring (a.) Suffering pain or grief. -- Pope.
Laboring oar, The oar which requires most strength and exertion; often used figuratively; as, to have, or pull, the laboring oar in some difficult undertaking.
Laboring (a.) Doing arduous or unpleasant work; "drudging peasants"; "the bent backs of laboring slaves picking cotton"; "toiling coal miners in the black deeps" [syn: drudging, laboring, labouring, toiling].
Laborious (a.) Requiring labor, perseverance, or sacrifices; toilsome; tiresome.
Dost thou love watchings, abstinence, or toil, Laborious virtues all? Learn these from Cato. -- Addison.
Laborious (a.) Devoted to labor; diligent; industrious; as, a laborious mechanic. -- La*bo"ri*ous*ly, adv. -- La*bo"ri*ous*ness, n.
Laborious (a.) Characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort; "worked their arduous way up the mining valley"; "a grueling campaign"; "hard labor"; "heavy work"; "heavy going"; "spent many laborious hours on the project"; "set a punishing pace" [syn: arduous, backbreaking, grueling, gruelling, hard, heavy, laborious, operose, punishing, toilsome].
Laborless (a.) Not involving labor; not laborious; easy.
Laborous (a.) Laborious. [Obs.] -- Wyatt. -- La"bor*ous*ly, adv. [Obs.] -- Sir T. Elyot.
Labor-saving (a.) 節省勞力的，省力的 Saving labor; adapted to supersede or diminish the labor of men; designed to replace or conserve human and especially manual labor; as, labor-saving machinery; labor-saving appliances [4]; labor-saving devices like washing machines.
Syn: laborsaving.
Laborsaving (a.) Designed to replace or conserve human and especially manual labor; "laborsaving devices like washing machines" [syn: {laborsaving}, {laboursaving}].
Laborsome (a.) Made with, or requiring, great labor, pains, or diligence. [Obs.] -- Shak.
Laborsome (a.) (Naut.) Likely or inclined to roll or pitch, as a ship in a heavy sea; having a tendency to labor.
Labrador
(n.) A
region of British America on the Atlantic coast, north of
Labrador duck (Zool.), A sea duck ({Camtolaimus Labradorius) allied to the eider ducks. It was formerly common on the coast of New England, but is now supposed to be extinct, no specimens having been reported since 1878.
Labrador
feldspar. See
Labradorite.
Labrador tea (Bot.), A name of two low, evergreen shrubs of Ledum+({Ledum+palustre">the
genus Ledum ({Ledum palustre and Ledum latifolium), found in Northern
Europe and America. They are used as tea in British America, and in
Scandinavia as a substitute for hops.
Labrador (n.) The mainland part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador in the eastern part of the large Labrador-Ungava Peninsula in northeastern Canada.
Labradorite (n.) (Min.) A kind of feldspar commonly showing a beautiful play of colors, and hence much used for ornamental purposes. The finest specimens come from Labrador. See Feldspar.
Labras (n. pl.) Lips. [Obs. & R.] -- Shak.
Labroid (a.) (Zool.) Like the genus Labrus; belonging to the family Labridae, an extensive family of marine fishes, often brilliantly colored, which are very abundant in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The tautog and cunner are American examples.
Labrose (a.) Having thick lips.
Labra (n. pl. ) of Labrum.
Labrums (n. pl. ) of Labrum.
Labrum (n.) A lip or edge, as of a basin.
Labrum (n.) (Zool.) An organ in insects and crustaceans covering the upper part of the mouth, and serving as an upper lip. See Illust. of Hymenoptera.
Labrum (n.) (Zool.) The external margin of the aperture of a shell. See Univalve.
Labri (n. pl. ) of Labrus.
Labrus (n.) (Zool.) A genus of marine fishes, including the wrasses of Europe. See Wrasse.
Laburnic (a.) Of, pertaining to, or derived from, the laburnum.
Laburnine (n.) (Chem.) A poisonous alkaloid found in the unripe seeds of the laburnum.
Laburnum (n.) [L.] (Bot.) A small leguminous tree ({Cytisus Laburnum), native of the Alps. The plant is reputed to be poisonous, esp. the bark and seeds. It has handsome racemes of yellow blossoms.
Note: Scotch laburnum ({Cytisus alpinus) is similar, but has smooth leaves; purple laburnum is Cytisus purpureus.
Laburnum (n.) Flowering shrubs or trees having bright yellow flowers; all parts of the plant are poisonous [syn: Laburnum, genus Laburnum].
Labyrinth (n.) An edifice or place full of intricate passageways which render it difficult to find the way from the interior to the entrance; as, the Egyptian and Cretan labyrinths.
Note: The Labyrinth of Classical Mythology was a vast maze constructed by Daedalus on the island of Crete, in order to confine the Minotaur; the task was done at the command of King Minos. One theory suggests that the myth had some basis in the structure of the palace of King Minos at Knossos, in Crete, it being a multistoried royal palace with labyrinthine passages between rooms.
Labyrinth (n.) Hence: Any intricate or involved inclosure; especially, an ornamental maze or inclosure in a park or garden, having high hedges separating confusingly convoluted passages.
Labyrinth (n.) Any object or arrangement of an intricate or involved form, or having a very complicated nature.
The serpent . . . fast sleeping soon he found, In labyrinth of many a round self-rolled. -- Milton.
The labyrinth of the mind. -- Tennyson.
Labyrinth (n.) An inextricable or bewildering difficulty.
I' the maze and winding labyrinths o' the world. -- Denham.
Labyrinth (n.) (Anat.) The internal ear. See Note under Ear.
Labyrinth (n.) (Metal.) A series of canals through which a stream of water is directed for suspending, carrying off, and depositing at different distances, the ground ore of a metal. -- Ure.
Labyrinth (n.) (Arch.) A pattern or design representing a maze, -- often inlaid in the tiled floor of a church, etc.
Syn: Maze; confusion; intricacy; windings.
Usage: Labyrinth, Maze. Labyrinth, originally; the name of an edifice or excavation, carries the idea of design, and construction in a permanent form, while maze is used of anything confused or confusing, whether fixed or shifting. Maze is less restricted in its figurative uses than labyrinth. We speak of the labyrinth of the ear, or of the mind, and of a labyrinth of difficulties; but of the mazes of the dance, the mazes of political intrigue, or of the mind being in a maze.
Labyrinth (n.) Complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost [syn: maze, labyrinth].
Labyrinth (n.) A complex system of interconnecting cavities; concerned with hearing and equilibrium [syn: inner ear, internal ear, labyrinth].
Labyrinthal (a.) Pertaining to, or resembling, a labyrinth; intricate; labyrinthian.
Labyrinthian (a.) Intricately winding; like a labyrinth; perplexed; labyrinthal.
Labyrinthian (a.) Resembling a labyrinth in form or complexity; "a labyrinthine network of tortuous footpaths" [syn: labyrinthine, labyrinthian, mazy].
Labyrinthibranch (a.) (Zool.) Of or pertaining to the Labyrinthici. Labyrinthic
Labyrinthibranch (n.) One of the Labyrinthici.
Labyrinthic (a.) Alt. of Labyrinthical.
Labyrinthical (a.) Like or pertaining to a labyrinth.
Labyrinthici (n. pl.) (Zool.) An order of teleostean fishes, including the Anabas, or climbing perch, and other allied fishes.
Note: They have, connected with the gill chamber, a special cavity in which a labyrinthiform membrane is arranged so as to retain water to supply the gills while the fish leaves the water and travels about on land, or even climbs trees.
Labyrinthiform (a.) Having the form of a labyrinth; intricate.
Labyrinthine (a.) Pertaining to, or like, a labyrinth; labyrinthal.
Labyrinthodon (n.) (Paleon.) A genus of very large fossil amphibians, of the Triassic period, having bony plates on the under side of the body. It is the type of the order Labyrinthodonta. Called also Mastodonsaurus.
Labyrinthodont (a.) (Paleon.) Of or pertaining to the Labyrinthodonta.
Labyrinthodont (n.) One of the Labyrinthodonta.
Labyrinthodont (n.) An amphibian of the superorder Labyrinthodontia.
Labyrinthodonta (n. pl.) (Paleon.) An extinct order of Amphibia, including the typical genus Labyrinthodon, and many other allied forms, from the Carboniferous, Permian, and Triassic formations. By recent writers they are divided into two or more orders. See Stegocephala. Lac
Compare: Stegocephala
Stegocephala (n. pl.) (Paleon.) An extinct order of amphibians found fossil in the Mesozoic rocks; called also Stegocephali, and Labyrinthodonta.
Note: Their teeth, in transverse sections, usually show a labyrinthiform arrangement of the cement and dentine.
The under side of the body was covered with bony plates. Some of the Stegocephala were of very large size, and the form of the body varied from short, stout forms to others that were as slender as serpents.
Labyrinthodonta (n.) Extinct amphibians typically resembling heavy-bodied salamanders or crocodiles and having a solid flattened skull and conical teeth; Devonian through Triassic [syn: Labyrinthodontia, superorder Labyrinthodontia, Labyrinthodonta, superorder Labyrinthodonta].
Lac (n.) Alt. of Lakh.
Lakh (n.) One hundred thousand; also, a vaguely great number; as, a lac of rupees. [Written also lack.] [East Indies].
Lac (n.) A resinous substance produced mainly on the banyan tree, but to some extent on other trees, by the Coccus lacca, a scale-shaped insect, the female of which fixes herself on the bark, and exudes from the margin of her body this resinous substance.
Note: Stick-lac is the substance in its natural state, incrusting small twigs. When broken off, and the coloring matter partly removed, the granular residuum is called seed-lac. When melted, and reduced to a thin crust, it is called shell-lac or shellac. Lac is an important ingredient in sealing wax, dyes, varnishes, and lacquers.
Ceylon lac, A resinous exudation of the tree Croton lacciferum, resembling lac.
Lac dye, A scarlet dye obtained from stick-lac.
Lac lake, The coloring matter of lac dye when precipitated from its solutions by alum.
Mexican lac, An exudation of the tree Croton Draco.
Lac (n.) Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects; used in e.g. varnishes and sealing wax.
LAC, () Lotus Authorized Consultants (Lotus)
Laccic (a.) (Chem.) Pertaining to lac, or produced from it; as, laccic acid.
Laccin (n.) (Chem.) A yellow amorphous substance obtained from lac. Laccolite
Laccolite (n.) Alt. of Laccolith.
Laccolith (n.) (Geol.) A mass of igneous rock intruded between sedimentary beds and resulting in a mammiform bulging of the overlying strata. -- Lac`co*lit"ic, a.
Lace (n.) That which binds or holds, especially by being interwoven; a string, cord, or band, usually one passing through eyelet or other holes, and used in drawing and holding together parts of a garment, of a shoe, of a machine belt, etc.
His hat hung at his back down by a lace. -- Chaucer.
For striving more, the more in laces strong Himself he tied. -- Spenser.
Lace (n.) A snare or gin, especially one made of interwoven cords; a net. [Obs.] -- Fairfax.
Vulcanus had caught thee [Venus] in his lace. -- Chaucer.
Lace (n.) A fabric of fine threads of linen, silk, cotton, etc., often ornamented with figures; a delicate tissue of thread, much worn as an ornament of dress.
Our English dames are much given to the wearing of costly laces. -- Bacon.
Lace (n.) Spirits added to coffee or some other beverage. [Old Slang] -- Addison.
Alen[,c]on lace, A kind of point lace, entirely of needlework, first made at Alen[,c]on in France, in the 17th century. It is very durable and of great beauty and cost.
Bone lace, Brussels lace, etc. See under Bone, Brussels, etc.
Gold lace, or Silver lace, Lace having warp threads of silk, or silk and cotton, and a weft of silk threads covered with gold (or silver), or with gilt.
Lace leather, Thin, oil-tanned leather suitable for cutting into lacings for machine belts.
Lace lizard (Zool.), A large, aquatic, Australian lizard ({Hydrosaurus giganteus), allied to the monitors.
Lace paper, Paper with an openwork design in imitation of lace.
Lace piece (Shipbuilding), The main piece of timber which supports the beak or head projecting beyond the stem of a ship.
Lace pillow, and Pillow lace. See under Pillow.
Laced (imp. & p. p.) of Lace.
Lacing (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Lace.
Lace (v. t.) To fasten with a lace; to draw together with a lace passed through eyelet holes; to unite with a lace or laces, or, figuratively. with anything resembling laces. -- Shak.
When Jenny's stays are newly laced. -- Prior.
Lace (v. t.) To adorn with narrow strips or braids of some decorative material; as, cloth laced with silver. -- Shak.
Lace (v. t.) To beat; to lash; to make stripes on. [Colloq.]
I'll lace your coat for ye. -- L'Estrange.
Lace (v. t.) To add something to (a food or beverage) so as to impart flavor, pungency, or some special quality; as, to lace a punch with alcohol; to lace the Kool-Aid with LSD. [Old Slang].
Lace (v. t.) To twine or draw as a lace; to interlace; to intertwine.
The Gond . . . picked up a trail of the Karela, the vine that bears the bitter wild gourd, and laced it to and fro across the temple door. -- Kipling.
Lace (v. i.) To be fastened with a lace, or laces; as, these boots lace.
Lace (n.) A cord that is drawn through eyelets or around hooks in order to draw together two edges (as of a shoe or garment) [syn: lace, lacing].
Lace (n.) A delicate decorative fabric woven in an open web of symmetrical patterns.
Lace (v.) Spin,wind, or twist together; "intertwine the ribbons"; "Twine the threads into a rope"; "intertwined hearts" [syn: intertwine, twine, entwine, enlace, interlace, lace] [ant: untwine].
Lace (v.) Make by braiding or interlacing; "lace a tablecloth" [syn: braid, lace, plait].
Lace (v.) Do lacework; "The Flemish women were lacing in front of the cathedral".
Lace (v.) Draw through eyes or holes; "lace the shoelaces" [syn: lace, lace up].
Lace (v.) Add alcohol to (beverages); "the punch is spiked!" [syn: spike, lace, fortify].
Lace, () Language for Assembling Classes in Eiffel. Specifies how to assemble an Eiffel system : in which directories to find the clusters, which class to use as the root, permits class renaming to avoid name clashes. "Eiffel: The Language", Bertrand Meyer, P-H 1992.
Lacebark (n.) A small tree or shrub ({Hoheria populnea) of New Zealand having a profusion of axillary clusters of honey-scented paper-white flowers and whose bark is used for cordage.
Syn: ribbonwood, houhere, Hoheria populnea.
Lace-bark (n.) (Bot.) A shrub in the West Indies ({Lagetta Iintearia); -- so called from the lacelike layers of its inner bark.
Compare: Patterned
Patterned (a.) Having describable patterns, especially patterns of colors.
[Narrower terms: banded, blotched, blotchy, splotched, brindled, brindle, brinded, tabby, burled, checked, checkered, dappled, mottled, dotted, flecked, specked, speckled, stippled, figured, floral, flowered, laced, marbled, marbleized, moire, watered, pinstriped, pinstripe(prenominal), slashed, streaked, spotted, sprigged, streaked, streaky, striped, stripy, tessellated, veined, venose] plain, solid.
Laced (a.) Fastened with a lace or laces; decorated with narrow strips or braid. See Lace, v. t.
Laced (v. t.) Decorated with the fabric lace.
A shirt with laced ruffles. -- Fielding.
Laced mutton, A prostitute. [Old slang]
Laced stocking, A strong stocking which can be tightly laced; -- used in cases of weak legs, varicose veins, etc. -- Dunglison.
Decorated (a.) Having decorations. [Narrower terms: beaded, beady, bejeweled, bejewelled, bespangled, gemmed, jeweled, jewelled, sequined, spangled, spangly; bedaubed; bespectacled, monocled, spectacled; braided; brocaded, embossed, raised; buttony; carbuncled; champleve, cloisonne, enameled; crested, plumed having a decorative plume); crested, top-knotted, topknotted, tufted; crested; embellished, ornamented, ornate; embroidered; encircled, ringed, wreathed; fancied up, gussied, gussied up, tricked out; feathery, feathered, plumy; frilled, frilly, ruffled; fringed; gilt-edged; inflamed; inlaid; inwrought; laced; mosaic, tessellated; paneled, wainscoted; studded; tapestried; tasseled, tasselled; tufted; clinquant, tinseled, tinselly; tricked-out].
Also See: clothed, fancy. Antonym: unadorned.
Syn: adorned.
Laced (a.) Closed with a lace; "snugly laced shoes" [syn: laced, tied] [ant: unlaced, untied].
Laced (a.) Edged or streaked with color; "white blossoms with purple-laced petals".
Lacedaemonian (a.) Of or pertaining to Lacedaemon or Sparta, the chief city of Laconia in the Peloponnesus.
Lacedaemonian (n.) A Spartan. [Written also Lacedemonian.]
Lacemen (n. pl. ) of Laceman.
Laceman (n.) A man who deals in lace.
Lacerable (a.) That can be lacerated or torn.
Lacerated (imp. & p. p.) of Lacerate.
Lacerating (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Lacerate.
Lacerate (v. t.) To tear; to rend; to separate by tearing; to mangle; as, to lacerate the flesh. Hence: To afflict; to torture; as, to lacerate the heart. Lacerate
Lacerate (p. a.) Alt. of Lacerated.
Lacerated (p. a.) Rent; torn; mangled; as, a lacerated wound.
By each other's fury lacerate -- Southey.
Lacerated (p. a.) (Bot. & Zool.) Jagged, or slashed irregularly, at the end, or along the edge.
Lacerate (a.) Irregularly slashed and jagged as if torn; "lacerate leaves" [syn: lacerate, lacerated].
Lacerate (a.) Having edges that are jagged from injury [syn: lacerate, lacerated, mangled, torn].
Lacerate (v.) Cut or tear irregularly.
Lacerate (v.) Deeply hurt the feelings of; distress; "his lacerating remarks".
Laceration (n.) The act of lacerating.
Laceration (n.) A breach or wound made by lacerating. -- Arbuthnot.
Laceration (n.) A torn ragged wound.
Laceration (n.) The act of lacerating.
Lacerative (a.) Lacerating, or having the power to lacerate; as, lacerative humors. -- Harvey.
Lacert (n.) A muscle of the human body. [Obs.] -- Chaucer.
Lacerta (n.) A fathom. [Obs.] -- Domesday Book.
Lacerta (n.) (Zool.) A genus of lizards. See Lizard.
Note: Formerly it included nearly all the known lizards. It is now restricted to certain diurnal Old World species, like the green lizard ({Lacerta viridis) and the sand lizard ({Lacerta agilis), of Europe.
Lacerta (n.) (Astron.) The Lizard, a northern constellation.
Lacerta (n.) Type genus of the Lacertidae [syn: Lacerta, genus Lacerta].
Lacertian (a.) (Zool.) Like a lizard; of or pertaining to the Lacertilia.
Lacertian (n.) One of the Lacertilia.
Lacertilia (n. pl.) (Zool.) An order of Reptilia, which includes the lizards.
Note: They are closely related to the snakes, and like the latter, usually have the body covered with scales or granules. They usually have eyelids, and most of then have well-formed legs; but in some groups (amphisb[ae]na, glass-snake, etc.) the legs are absent and the body is serpentlike. None are venomous, unless Heloderma be an exception. The order includes the chameleons, the Cionocrania, or typical lizards, and the amphisb[ae]nas. See Amphisb[ae]na, Gecko, Gila monster, and Lizard.
Lacertilia (n.) True lizards; including chameleons and geckos [syn: Sauria, suborder Sauria, Lacertilia, suborder Lacertilia].
Lacertilian (a. & n.) Same as Lacertian.
Lacertilian (a.) Of or relating to lizards [syn: saurian, lacertilian].
Lacertiloid (a.) (Zool.) Like or belonging to the Lacertilia.
Lacertine (a.) (Zool.) Lacertian.
Lacerti (n. pl. ) of Lacertus.
Lacertus (n.) (Anat.) A bundle or fascicle of muscular fibers.
Lacewing (n.) (Zool.) Any one of several species of neuropterous insects of the genus Chrysopa and allied genera. They have delicate, lacelike wings and brilliant eyes. Their larvae are useful in destroying aphids. Called also lace-winged fly, and goldeneyed fly.
Lacewing (n.) Any of two families of insects with gauzy wings (Chrysopidae and Hemerobiidae); larvae feed on insect pests such as aphids [syn: lacewing, lacewing fly].
Lace-winged (a.) (Zool.) Having thin, transparent, reticulated wings; as, the lace-winged flies. Laches
Laches (n.) Alt. of Lache.
Lache (n.) (Law) Neglect; negligence; remissness; neglect to do a thing at the proper time; especially, a delay in asserting a claim, sufficient to cause a person to lose the right to adjuducation of the claim by a court.
It ill became him to take advantage of such a laches with the eagerness of a shrewd attorney. -- Macaulay.
LACHES. () This word, derived from the French lecher, is nearly synonymous with negligence.
LACHES. () In general, when a party has been guilty of laches in enforcing his right by great delay and lapse of time, this circumstance will at common law prejudice, and sometimes operate in bar of a remedy which it is discretionary and not compulsory in the court to afford. In courts of equity, also delay will generally prejudice. 1 Chit. Pr. 786, and the cases there cited; 8 Com. Dig. 684; 6 Johns. Ch. R. 360.
LACHES. () But laches may be excused from, ignorance of the party's rights; 2 Mer. R. 362; 2 Ball & Beat. 104; from the obscurity of the transaction; 2 Sch. & Lef. 487; by the pendancy of a suit; 1 Sch. & Lef. 413; and where the party labors under a legal disability, as insanity, coverture, infancy, and the like. And no laches can be imputed to the public. 4 Mass. Rep. 522; 3 Serg. & Rawle, 291; 4 Hen. & Munf. 57; 1 Penna. R. 476. Vide 1 Supp. to Ves. Jr. 436; 2 Id. 170; Dane's Ab. Index, h.t.; 4 Bouv. Inst. n. 3911.
Lachrymable (a.) Lamentable. -- Martin Parker.
Lachrymae Christi () A rich, sweet, red Neapolitan wine.
Compare: Lachrymatory
Lachrymatory (n.; pl. -{ries.}) (Antiq.) A "tear-bottle;" a narrow-necked vessel found in sepulchers of the ancient Romans; -- so called from a former notion that the tears of the deceased person's friends were collected in it. Called also lachrymal or lacrymal.
Lachrymal (a.) Of or pertaining to tears; as, lachrymal effusions.
Lachrymal (a.) (Anat.) Pertaining to, or secreting, tears; as, the lachrymal gland.