📖 L — The English dictionary · page 14

legume — Everyday, meaning 1: A legume is a plant that grows its seeds in pods, such as peas, beans, lentils, peanuts and clover.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Legumes are also the seeds or pods we eat from these plants.↗ Example: Peas and beans are legumes.↗ · Legumes are a good source of protein.↗ · Clover is a legume that makes soil richer.↗ · Peanuts are legumes, not true nuts.↗ · We cooked a soup with lots of legumes.↗ · Farmers plant legumes to put nitrogen back into the soil.↗

lei — Everyday, meaning 1: A lei is a Hawaiian garland or necklace made of flowers, leaves, shells or feathers, given as a sign of welcome, love or celebration.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Lei is also the plural of «leu», the money of Romania and Moldova: one leu, ten lei.↗ Example: They put a flower lei round our necks when we arrived in Hawaii.↗ · We made paper leis for the Hawaiian party.↗ · Giving a lei is a sign of welcome.↗ · The lei smelled of fresh flowers.↗ · Hawaiian people celebrate Lei Day with flowers.↗ · Some leis are made of shells or feathers.↗ · In Romania a sandwich costs about ten lei.↗ · One leu, two lei: that is Romanian money.↗ · Hugo Winckler (Die Babylonische Kullur, Lei[ /.ig 190i (P. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗

leisure — Everyday, meaning 1: Free time when you are not working or studying and can do what you enjoy.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (as an adjective-like word) For relaxing and fun: leisure centre, leisure activities.↗ Example: In my leisure time I like to draw.↗ · We went swimming at the leisure centre.↗ · Read the book at your leisure.↗ · Football is my favourite leisure activity.↗ · Grandpa has more leisure now that he has retired.↗ · The survey asked how many hours of leisure each pupil had.↗

leisurely — Everyday, meaning 1: Slow and relaxed, with no hurry: a leisurely walk.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Done in a calm, unhurried way: she walked leisurely home.↗ Example: We had a leisurely breakfast on Sunday.↗ · The cow walked leisurely across the field.↗ · He strolled leisurely to school.↗

lemming — Everyday, meaning 1: A lemming is a small, furry, short-tailed rodent that lives in cold northern lands such as the Arctic tundra.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (figurative) A person who blindly follows the crowd, even into danger, is sometimes called a lemming.↗ Example: The lemming dug a tunnel under the snow.↗ · Snowy owls hunt lemmings on the tundra.↗ · Some years there are huge numbers of lemmings, and other years very few.↗ · Lemmings are related to voles and hamsters.↗ · Everyone rushed to the door like lemmings when the bell rang.↗ · Don't be a lemming — think for yourself.↗ · The Arctic fox pounced on a lemming hiding in the grass.↗

lemon — Everyday, meaning 1: A lemon is an oval yellow fruit with sour juice and thick peel.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Lemon is the taste or colour of this fruit: lemon cake, lemon yellow.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Informally, a lemon is something, often a car, that does not work properly.↗ Example: Squeeze a lemon into the water.↗ · Lemons taste very sour.↗ · Mum made a lemon drizzle cake.↗ · Lemon juice is an acid.↗ · We wrote secret messages with lemon juice.↗ · Lemons cost 30 cents each, so 5 lemons cost $1.50.↗ · She painted her room lemon yellow.↗ · When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!↗

lemonade — Everyday, meaning 1: Lemonade is a sweet drink made from lemon juice, water and sugar.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, lemonade often means a clear, sweet, fizzy drink.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A lemonade is one glass or bottle of it.↗ Example: She sells lemonade for 1 dollar a cup.↗ · They sold 30 cups of lemonade.↗ · A jug holds 2 litres of lemonade.↗ · How much money did the stand make?↗ · We set up a lemonade stand on a hot Saturday.↗ · Homemade lemonade needs lemons, water and sugar.↗ · Can I have a lemonade with my fish and chips?↗ · The lemonade was so sour that she added more sugar.↗ · When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.↗ · At one place a man was selling green lemonade, and when the children bought it Dorothy could see that they paid for it with green pennies.↗

lemony — Everyday, meaning 1: Lemony means tasting or smelling of lemon, or being the pale yellow colour of a lemon.↗ Example: The cake had a lemony taste.↗ · The kitchen smelled lemony after cleaning.↗ · She painted the walls a lemony yellow.↗ · This tea is fresh and lemony.↗ · The fish came with a lemony sauce.↗ · The lemony sweets made my mouth pucker.↗

lemur — Everyday, meaning 1: A lemur is a furry animal with big eyes, a pointed face and usually a long tail, found in the wild only on the island of Madagascar, off the coast of Africa.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The best-known kind, the ring-tailed lemur, has a long black-and-white striped tail.↗ Example: Lemurs live wild only on Madagascar.↗ · The ring-tailed lemur held its striped tail high.↗ · Lemurs sunbathe in the morning to warm up.↗ · A baby lemur clings to its mother's back.↗ · Some lemurs are active at night and have huge eyes.↗ · Lemurs are primates, like monkeys and apes.↗ · Cutting down the forest puts lemurs in danger.↗

lend — Everyday, meaning 1: To lend is to give something to someone for a while, and they give it back later.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To lend money is to give it so that it is paid back, sometimes with extra money called interest.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To lend a hand is to help.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To lend something a quality is to add it: flowers lend the room a happy look.↗ Example: Sam lends Tom 5 dollars.↗ · She lent 3 books to her friend.↗ · How many books does she have now?↗ · He will get 5 dollars back next week.↗ · Could you lend me a pencil, please?↗ · The library lends books for three weeks.↗ · The bank lent my parents money to buy the house.↗ · Can you lend a hand with these bags?↗ · I lent my bike to my cousin and he scratched it.↗ · Lend me thy coat, Shere Khan.↗ · Thou shalt stand without, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring forth the pledge without unto thee.↗ (Torah DEU.24.11, JPS 1917)↗ · When thou dost lend thy neighbour any manner of loan, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.↗ (Torah DEU.24.10, JPS 1917)↗ · but thou shalt surely open thy hand unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth.↗ (Torah DEU.15.8, JPS 1917)↗ · Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said unto them: 'Ye lend upon pledge, every one to his brother.'↗ And I held a great assembly against them.↗ (Writings NEH.5.7, JPS 1917)↗

lender — Everyday, meaning 1: A person or organisation that lends something, especially money, which must be paid back.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (money) A bank or company that gives loans or mortgages and charges interest.↗ Example: The bank is the lender, and Dad is the borrower.↗ · A lender charges interest on a loan.↗ · «Neither a borrower nor a lender be» is a famous old line.↗ · The mortgage lender agreed to lend money for the house.↗ · In the old story, the money lender was very greedy.↗ · If the lender charges 10% interest on £100, you pay back £110.↗ · My friend was the lender of the pencil, so I gave it back.↗ · Good harvests, or bad, the farmer was always poor, the money-lender rich.↗ · The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.↗ (Writings PRO.22.7, JPS 1917)↗

length — Everyday, meaning 1: Length is how long something is from one end to the other.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Length is how long something lasts in time: the length of the film.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A length is the distance from one end of a swimming pool to the other.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A length of something is a piece of it: a length of rope.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: «At length» means for a long time, or at last.↗ Example: The length of the room is 6 m.↗ · Find the length of the ribbon left.↗ · The pool is 25 m in length.↗ · Length × width gives the area.↗ · Measure the length of your pencil with a ruler.↗ · She swam ten lengths of the pool.↗ · The length of the movie is two hours.↗ · He cut a short length of string for the kite.↗ · They went to great lengths to find the lost puppy.↗ · At length his longing was satisfied.↗ · Four-square it shall be and double: a span shall be the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof.↗ (Torah EXO.28.16, JPS 1917)↗ · Ten cubits was the length of a board, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each board.↗ (Torah EXO.36.21, JPS 1917)↗ · Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each board.↗ (Torah EXO.26.16, JPS 1917)↗ · Is wisdom with aged men, and understanding in length of days? — (Writings JOB.12.12, JPS 1917)↗ · For length of days, and years of life, and peace, will they add to thee.↗ (Writings PRO.3.2, JPS 1917)↗ · The length by cubits after the ancient measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.↗ (Writings 2CH.3.3, JPS 1917)↗

lengthen — Everyday, meaning 1: To lengthen something means to make it longer: «lengthen a skirt», «lengthen a sentence».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To lengthen means to become longer: «The days lengthen in spring».↗ Example: The days lengthen after midwinter.↗ · Mum lengthened my trousers because I grew.↗ · Can you lengthen this sentence with an adjective?↗ · The shadows lengthened as the sun went down.↗ · Runners lengthen their stride to go faster.↗ · The teacher lengthened break time because of the sunshine.↗ · We lengthened the rope by tying two together.↗ · The queue lengthened as more people came.↗ · Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations, spare not; lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes.↗ (Prophets ISA.54.2, JPS 1917)↗ · And if thou wilt walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.'↗ (Prophets 1KI.3.14, JPS 1917)↗

lengthened — Everyday, meaning 1: Lengthened means made longer, or became longer.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Lengthened can describe time: days lengthen in spring, a lesson can be lengthened.↗ Example: Gran lengthened my school skirt because I had grown.↗ · The days lengthened as spring came.↗ · The shadows lengthened in the evening sun.↗ · The playtime was lengthened by ten minutes.↗ · The bridge was lengthened to cross the wider river.↗ · When each side of the square was lengthened by 2 cm, its perimeter grew by 8 cm.↗ · He returned after a lengthened absence, and sat down wearily upon his throne.↗

lengthening — Everyday, meaning 1: Lengthening is making something longer, or becoming longer.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Lengthening shadows or days are slowly getting longer.↗ Example: The days are lengthening as spring comes.↗ · Mum is lengthening my school skirt.↗ · The shadows were lengthening as the sun went down.↗ · The council is lengthening the cycle path.↗ · Lengthening each side of a square makes its area bigger.↗ · The queue kept lengthening.↗ · My days are like a lengthening shadow; and I am withered like grass.↗ (Writings PSA.102.12, JPS 1917)↗ · Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by almsgiving, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if there may be a lengthening of thy prosperity.'↗ (Writings DAN.4.24, JPS 1917)↗

lengthways — Everyday, meaning 1: Lengthways means in the direction of the longest side of something, from end to end, not across.↗ Example: Fold the paper in half lengthways.↗ · Cut the cucumber lengthways into strips.↗ · The table fits lengthways along the wall.↗ · The bus was parked lengthways across the road.↗ · If you fold an A4 sheet lengthways, the halves are long and thin.↗ · Slice the banana lengthways for the banana split.↗ · The log lay lengthways in the river.↗

lengthwise — Everyday, meaning 1: Along the longest side of something: from one end to the other.↗ Example: Lay the stick lengthwise on the table.↗ · He lay lengthwise on the bed.↗ · Cut the paper lengthwise.↗

lengthy — Everyday, meaning 1: Lengthy means very long, often too long, in time or in words.↗ Example: We had a lengthy wait at the doctor's.↗ · The speech was lengthy and dull.↗ · She wrote a lengthy letter to her pen pal.↗ · The lengthy instructions confused everyone.↗ · After a lengthy search, we found the keys.↗ · The court case was lengthy.↗ · After a somewhat lengthy journey the Prince and the wolf came to the kingdom ruled over by the Emperor who possessed the golden horse.↗

lenient — Everyday, meaning 1: Not strict; gentle in punishing people or in making them follow rules.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (law) Giving a lighter punishment than expected.↗ Example: Our supply teacher was very lenient and let us talk.↗ · Mum is lenient with my little brother.↗ · The judge gave a lenient sentence because it was his first crime.↗ · The referee was too lenient and didn't give a yellow card.↗ · Some people think the new rules are too lenient.↗ · Grandma is more lenient about bedtime than Dad.↗