📖 L — The English dictionary · page 2

lacquer — Everyday, meaning 1: Lacquer is a clear or coloured liquid that dries to a hard, shiny coat on wood or metal.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To lacquer something is to cover it with lacquer.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (UK, old) Hair lacquer is hairspray.↗ Example: The box was covered in red lacquer.↗ · Japanese lacquer bowls are very beautiful.↗ · Dad lacquered the wooden table.↗ · Lacquer makes wood shiny and protects it.↗ · The lacquer took a day to dry.↗ · Open a window when using lacquer, because it smells strong.↗ · Beautiful vases and lacquer boxes adorned the tokonoma[1] of every room.↗

lactase — Everyday, meaning 1: (science) Lactase is an enzyme, a natural chemical in the body, that breaks down lactose, the sugar in milk, so it can be digested.↗ Example: Lactase breaks down the sugar in milk.↗ · People who make little lactase may get tummy aches from milk.↗ · Babies make lots of lactase to digest their milk.↗ · You can buy milk with lactase already added.↗ · Many adults around the world make less lactase as they grow up.↗ · Lactase is an enzyme in the small intestine.↗

lactic — Everyday, meaning 1: Lactic means to do with milk.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Lactic acid is a substance made when milk goes sour and also made in your muscles during hard exercise.↗ Example: Lactic acid makes yogurt taste sour.↗ · My legs burned from lactic acid after the race.↗ · Bacteria make lactic acid in milk.↗ · The coach said a cool-down helps your muscles recover.↗ · Lactic means «from milk».↗ · Sauerkraut is made sour by lactic bacteria.↗

lactose — Everyday, meaning 1: Lactose is the natural sugar found in milk and in foods made from milk, such as cheese, yoghurt and ice cream.↗ Example: Lactose is the sugar in milk.↗ · My friend is lactose intolerant, so she drinks lactose-free milk.↗ · Hard cheeses contain very little lactose.↗ · Lactose intolerance can cause tummy pains.↗ · The yoghurt label says «contains lactose».↗ · Babies get lactose from breast milk.↗ · Many people around the world cannot digest lactose well as adults.↗

lacy — Everyday, meaning 1: Made of lace, or decorated with lace (a fine fabric with patterns of holes).↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Looking like lace: with a delicate pattern of holes or thin lines.↗ Example: She wore a white dress with a lacy collar.↗ · Frost made lacy patterns on the window.↗ · The caterpillars left the cabbage leaves lacy and full of holes.↗ · Grandma's lacy curtains let in the sunlight.↗ · The fern had lacy green leaves.↗ · Snowflakes look lacy under a magnifying glass.↗

lad — Everyday, meaning 1: (informal, UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ) A lad is a boy or young man.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) "The lads" are a group of male friends.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (informal) "Lad" is a friendly way of talking to a boy.↗ e.g. "Well done, lad!"↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (slang, UK) A "lad" or "laddish" person is a loud young man who acts tough or rough.↗ Example: He's a good lad who helps his gran.↗ · Come on, lads, let's play footy!↗ · When I was a lad, we walked to school.↗ · "Well played, lad," said the coach.↗ · A young lad found the lost puppy.↗ · The lads went fishing on Saturday.↗ · Our lad is starting high school next week.↗ · Three lads and two lasses joined the club.↗ · "Father," answered the lad, "hear me!↗ · And they laded their asses with their corn, and departed thence.↗ (Torah GEN.42.26, JPS 1917)↗ · And they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.↗ (Torah GEN.44.13, JPS 1917)↗ · And God was with the lad, and he grew; and he dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.↗ (Torah GEN.21.20, JPS 1917)↗ · And, behold, I will send the lad: Go, find the arrows.↗ (Prophets 1SA.20.21, JPS 1917)↗ · But the lad knew not any thing; only Jonathan and David knew the matter.↗ (Prophets 1SA.20.39, JPS 1917)↗ · And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said unto him: 'Go, carry them to the city.'↗ (Prophets 1SA.20.40, JPS 1917)↗

ladanum — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: A sticky, sweet-smelling resin from a plant, used for perfume and medicine.↗ Example: And they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites came from Gilead, with their camels bearing spicery and balm and ladanum, going to carry it down to Egypt.↗ (Torah GEN.37.25, JPS 1917)↗

ladder — Everyday, meaning 1: A ladder is a piece of equipment for climbing up and down, with two long side pieces joined by steps called rungs.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A ladder is a series of levels you can move up, like a career ladder.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In British English, a ladder is a line of broken threads in tights (in the USA, a «run»).↗ Example: Dad climbed the ladder to clean the gutters.↗ · Hold the ladder steady for me.↗ · The firefighter carried the child down the ladder.↗ · I landed on a ladder in Snakes and Ladders.↗ · The treehouse has a rope ladder.↗ · Don't walk under a ladder; something might fall on you.↗ · My tights have a ladder in them.↗ · She worked her way up the ladder to become head teacher.↗ · Are you standing on a ladder?"↗ · And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.↗ (Torah GEN.28.12, JPS 1917)↗ · Eliphas Lévi, the famous French Occultist, thus wrote of the "Sepher Yetzirah," in his "Histoire de la Magie," P. 54: "The Zoharis a Genesis of illumination, the Sepher Jezirah is a ladder formed of truths.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗

laddie — Everyday, meaning 1: A laddie is a boy or young lad; it is a Scottish word for a little boy.↗ Example: The little laddie ran to the well.↗ · Come here, laddie.↗ · The laddie caught a fish for breakfast.↗

lade — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: An old word meaning to load a beast or a ship with goods.↗ Early Modern English, meaning 1: To put a load on or in something.↗ Example: And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'Say unto thy brethren: This do ye: lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; (Torah GEN.45.17, JPS 1917)↗ · And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.'↗ (Writings 2CH.10.11, JPS 1917)↗ · And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'Say unto thy brethren: This do ye: lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;↗ (Torah GEN.45.17, JPS 1917) · When at last he gave up the quest his knees trembled beneath him for very weariness, and glad was he to see a tree growing close by lade with fruits of different sorts, of which he ate greedily.↗ (The Orange Fairy Book)

laden — Everyday, meaning 1: Carrying a heavy load; full of something.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Weighed down with a lot of something, often a worry or feeling.↗ Early Modern English, meaning 1: Carrying a heavy load; full of something.↗ Example: The ship was laden with gold and spices.↗ · The apple tree was laden with fruit.↗ · We came home laden with shopping bags.↗ · Snow-laden branches bent towards the ground.↗ · Sugar-laden drinks are bad for your teeth.↗ · The camels walked slowly, heavily laden.↗ · He came back laden with guilt after the lie.↗ · TWO MULES well-laden with packs were trudging along.↗ · And to his father he sent in like manner ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses laden with corn and bread and victual for his father by the way.↗ (Torah GEN.45.23, JPS 1917)↗ · Whose oxen are well laden; with no breach, and no going forth, and no outcry in our broad places; (Writings PSA.144.14, JPS 1917)↗ · A man that is laden with the blood of any person shall hasten his steps unto the pit; none will support him.↗ (Writings PRO.28.17, JPS 1917)↗ · Wail, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are undone; all they that were laden with silver are cut off.↗ (Prophets ZEP.1.11, JPS 1917)↗ · And to his father he sent in like manner ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses laden with corn and bread and victual for his father by the way.↗ (Torah GEN.45.23, JPS 1917) · TWO MULES well-laden with packs were trudging along.↗ (Three hundred Aesop’s fables / Translated by George Fyler Townsend) · And the villagers watched her return laden, and said to each other:↗ (The Orange Fairy Book)

ladle — Everyday, meaning 1: A big deep spoon with a long handle, used to serve soup or sauce.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (verb) To serve or move liquid with a ladle.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (verb, informal) To give out a lot of something (ladle out praise).↗ Example: Dad used a ladle to serve the soup.↗ · One ladle of soup is about 250 millilitres.↗ · She ladled hot sauce over the pasta.↗ · The dinner lady gave each child one ladle of stew.↗ · Be careful: the ladle is hot!↗ · The coach ladled out praise after the win (informal).↗ · If a pot holds 2 litres and each ladle is 200 ml, there are 10 ladles in the pot.↗ · When the bear heard that he ran back for the kitchen ladle, to give the traitor the beating he deserved.↗

lady — Everyday, meaning 1: A lady is a polite word for a woman.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A lady is a woman with good manners, or (in the past) a woman of high rank.↗ e.g. Lady Jane.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Ladies (or the ladies) is a toilet for women in a public place.↗ Example: A lady bought 3 hats.↗ · There are 12 ladies and 8 men in the room.↗ · The lady paid 20 dollars.↗ · How many people in all?↗ · Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our school play!↗ · The lollipop lady helps us cross the road.↗ · A kind old lady gave us directions.↗ · The dinner lady served us pasta.↗ · Did you see the young lady?"↗

ladybird — Everyday, meaning 1: A ladybird is a small round beetle, usually red or orange with black spots, that eats tiny insects like greenfly.↗ Example: A ladybird landed on my hand.↗ · Ladybirds eat greenfly, so gardeners like them.↗ · This ladybird has seven black spots.↗ · Ladybird larvae look like tiny spiky crocodiles.↗ · In the US, a ladybird is called a ladybug.↗ · The ladybird's red colour warns birds to stay away.↗ · Ladybirds sleep through winter in groups.↗ · We watched a ladybird climb up a leaf.↗

ladybug — Everyday, meaning 1: A ladybug is a small round beetle, usually red or orange with black spots, that eats tiny insects called aphids.↗ Example: A ladybug landed on my hand.↗ · Ladybugs eat aphids that harm plants in the garden.↗ · The ladybug had seven black spots.↗ · We watched a ladybug larva turn into a pupa.↗ · Its red colour warns birds not to eat it.↗ · Count the spots on each ladybug and add them up.↗

ladylike — Everyday, meaning 1: Ladylike describes behaviour that people used to think was polite, quiet and proper for a woman or girl, such as sitting neatly and speaking softly.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (often old-fashioned or critical) Saying something is "not ladylike" was used to stop girls running, shouting or getting dirty.↗ Example: Great-Aunt Edith said climbing trees wasn't ladylike.↗ · She gave a very unladylike burp and laughed.↗ · The girls in the old book were taught to be ladylike.↗ · Maddie didn't care about being ladylike; she wanted to win.↗ · Her grandmother had ladylike manners and a soft voice.↗ · "That's not ladylike!" "↗ Neither is it gentlemanly – it's just rude!"↗

ladyship — Everyday, meaning 1: Ladyship is the title used to speak politely to a lady of high rank: «your ladyship» means a polite way of saying you to her.↗ Example: Yes, your ladyship.↗ · The servant bowed to her ladyship.↗ · Her ladyship will have the carriage now.↗

lag — Everyday, meaning 1: To lag, or lag behind, means to move or develop more slowly than others, so you fall behind.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A lag, or time lag, is a delay between one thing happening and another.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (gaming, computers, informal) Lag is a delay in a game or video call, when the screen freezes or jumps because the internet is slow.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Jet lag is feeling tired and muddled after flying across many time zones.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: To lag pipes or a hot-water tank means to wrap them in material to keep the heat in.↗ Everyday, meaning 6: (UK, slang) An old lag is a person who has been in prison many times.↗ Example: Hurry up, don't lag behind!↗ · The game kept lagging, so I lost the level.↗ · We had terrible jet lag after flying to Australia.↗ · There is a lag between the lightning flash and the thunder.↗ · Dad lagged the pipes in the loft so they wouldn't freeze.↗ · Our class is lagging behind with the project, so we need to work faster.↗ · The video call had a two-second lag.↗ · "Yes, Fred," said she, and soon made herself ready; but, her husband being a good walker, she lagged behind.↗