📖 L — The English dictionary · page 23

lingua — Everyday, meaning 1: (Latin) «Lingua» is the Latin word for tongue and language.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In English it appears mainly in the phrase «lingua franca», a language used by people who speak different languages so they can understand each other.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (medicine) The lingua is a rare medical word for the tongue.↗ Example: «Lingua» is Latin for tongue.↗ · English is a lingua franca for many travellers.↗ · Swahili is a lingua franca in East Africa.↗ · Long ago, Latin was the lingua franca of Europe.↗ · «Bilingual» comes from «bi» (two) and «lingua» (tongue).↗ · A linguist studies languages, from «lingua».↗ · In the market, they spoke a lingua franca to trade.↗ · (Italian) «Lingua» also means tongue and language in Italian.↗

lingual — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: Having to do with the tongue.↗ Example: This is the modern classification of the letters into guttural, palatal, lingual, dental and labial sounds.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗ · Twenty-two letters are formed by the voice, impressed on the air, and audibly uttered in five situations, in the throat, guttural sounds; in the palate, palatals; by the tongue, linguals; through the teeth, dentals; and by the lips, labial sounds.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887)↗

linguist — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: A person who studies languages.↗

linguistic — Everyday, meaning 1: To do with language or languages.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To do with linguistics, the science that studies how languages work.↗ Example: She has great linguistic skills and speaks four languages.↗ · Our class has a lot of linguistic diversity.↗ · We listed the linguistic features of a persuasive letter.↗ · The olympiad had a linguistic puzzle about an unknown language.↗ · Babies learn language through linguistic games like rhymes.↗ · The museum shows the linguistic history of English.↗ · A linguistic expert studied how the children in the town spoke.↗ · Together these represent the mathematical-linguistic foundations of Creation; see notes on 1:2 below.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation)↗

linguistically — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: In a way that has to do with language.↗ Example: Some manuscripts have a different reading, בשלשה ספרים בספר וספר וספר ‘with three books: a book, and a book, and a book’—certainly easier linguistically but no more clear in its meaning.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation)↗

linguistics — Everyday, meaning 1: Linguistics is the scientific study of language: how sounds, words, grammar and meaning work, how languages change, and how people learn them.↗ Example: Linguistics is the study of language.↗ · She wants to study linguistics at university.↗ · Linguistics explains why «sheep» has no «-s» plural.↗ · Language puzzles in the olympiad use linguistics.↗ · Linguistics looks at sounds, words and grammar.↗ · My aunt teaches linguistics.↗

link — Everyday, meaning 1: A connection between two things, people or ideas: there is a link between sugar and tooth decay.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: One ring or loop of a chain.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: On a website or in a message, a link is a word or picture you click to go to another page.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: As a verb, to connect or join things: link arms, link the two ideas.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: A link is one length of sausage in a string, such as a link of black pudding.↗ Example: Click the link to watch the video.↗ · Don't open links from people you don't know.↗ · There's a link between eating vegetables and staying healthy.↗ · We linked arms and walked together.↗ · Each link in the chain is made of steel.↗ · Use linking words like "because" and "so".↗ · The bridge links the two towns.↗ · A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.↗ · "Ah!" groaned the woodman, "I wish I'd a good link of black pudding here before me."↗ · He is one above three, three are above seven, seven above twelve, and all are linked together.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗ · One above three, three above seven, and seven above twelve, and all are linked together, and one with another.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887)↗ · The roundings of thy thighs are like the links of a chain, the work of the hands of a skilled workman.↗ (Writings SNG.7.2, JPS 1917)↗

linnet — Everyday, meaning 1: A linnet is a small brown songbird of the finch family; the male has a pinkish-red chest and head in spring.↗ Example: A linnet sang on the gorse bush.↗ · The male linnet has a red chest in spring.↗ · Linnets eat small seeds.↗ · We spotted a flock of linnets on the farm.↗ · Old poems compare a happy singer to a linnet.↗ · The linnet is a kind of finch.↗

linseed — Everyday, meaning 1: Linseed is the seed of the flax plant, also called flaxseed.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Linseed oil is oil pressed from these seeds, used in paints and to protect wood, and (food-grade) in cooking.↗ Example: Linseed is the seed of the flax plant.↗ · We oiled the cricket bat with linseed oil.↗ · Artists thin oil paint with linseed oil.↗ · Mum sprinkles linseed on her porridge.↗ · Spread oily rags flat to dry, because linseed oil rags can catch fire.↗ · Linen cloth is made from the same flax plant.↗

lint — Everyday, meaning 1: Lint is tiny bits of fluff and fibre that come off clothes and cloth.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Lint is also soft cotton cloth once used to cover wounds.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Lint can also mean flax or hemp fibre that has been prepared for spinning into thread.↗ Example: Please clean the lint out of the dryer filter.↗ · My black jumper is covered in lint.↗ · I found lint and a coin in my pocket.↗ · Dad used a lint roller on his suit.↗ · Lint can catch fire if the dryer gets too hot.↗ · There was grey lint under the bed.↗ · At last, one spring morning, the gudewife gave her seven heads of lint, saying she would take no excuse; they must be returned in three days spun into yarn.↗

lintel — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: The beam across the top of a door or window, resting on the side posts.↗ Example: And they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts and on the lintel, upon the houses wherein they shall eat it.↗ (Torah EXO.12.7, JPS 1917)↗

lion — Everyday, meaning 1: A lion is a big wild cat with golden fur that lives mostly in Africa.↗ The male has a large mane of hair around its head.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A lion is also a symbol of courage and strength.↗ Example: The zoo has 4 lions.↗ · Each lion eats 7 kg of meat a day.↗ · There are 3 more tigers than lions.↗ · How many legs do 5 lions have?↗ · A lion's roar can be heard far away.↗ · Lions live in groups called prides.↗ · The lionesses hunt for food.↗ · In the fable, a little mouse helps a lion.↗ · He took the lion's share of the cake.↗ · Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, thou art gone up.↗ (Torah GEN.49.9, JPS 1917)↗ · And of Dan he said: Dan is a lion's whelp, that leapeth forth from Bashan.↗ (Torah DEU.33.22, JPS 1917)↗ · He stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?↗ (Torah GEN.49.9, JPS 1917)↗ · Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, (Writings JOB.38.39, JPS 1917)↗ · The lion hath roared, who will not fear?↗ (Prophets AMO.3.8, JPS 1917)↗ · Rescue my soul from their destructions, mine only one from the lions.↗ (Writings PSA.35.17, JPS 1917)↗

lioness — Everyday, meaning 1: A female lion.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (figurative) A brave, strong woman who protects her family or team.↗ Example: The lioness crept through the tall grass.↗ · Lionesses do most of the hunting for the pride.↗ · The lioness licked her cubs clean.↗ · A lioness has no mane, unlike a male lion.↗ · Mum fought for us like a lioness.↗ · The Lionesses won the football match.↗ · Three lionesses chased a zebra.↗ · At the zoo, the lioness was sleeping in the sun.↗ · Presently there met him a lioness with her cub.↗ · He stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?↗ (Torah GEN.49.9, JPS 1917)↗ · He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?↗ (Torah NUM.24.9, JPS 1917)↗ · And of Gad he said: Blessed be He that enlargeth Gad; he dwelleth as a lioness, and teareth the arm, yea, the crown of the head.↗ (Torah DEU.33.20, JPS 1917)↗ · Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lioness?↗ (Writings JOB.38.39, JPS 1917)↗ · The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.↗ (Writings JOB.4.11, JPS 1917)↗ · and say: How was thy mother a lioness; among lions she couched, in the midst of the young lions she reared her whelps!↗ (Prophets EZK.19.2, JPS 1917)↗

lionfish — Everyday, meaning 1: A lionfish is a striped red, brown and white sea fish with long fan-like fins and venomous spines.↗ Example: The lionfish has long, spiky fins.↗ · A lionfish sting is very painful.↗ · Lionfish are invasive in the Caribbean.↗ · Divers catch lionfish to protect the reef.↗ · The lionfish's stripes warn other animals to stay away.↗ · We saw a lionfish in the aquarium.↗

lip — Everyday, meaning 1: Your lips are the two soft edges around your mouth.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The lip of something, like a jug, cup or cliff, is its edge or rim.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Informally, «lip» means rude talk: don't give me any lip.↗ Example: My lips are dry in the cold wind.↗ · Put some lip balm on your lips.↗ · Her bottom lip trembled and she started to cry.↗ · My lips are sealed; I won't tell anyone about the surprise party.↗ · Some deaf people can read lips.↗ · The lip of the jug helps you pour without spilling.↗ · He bit his lip to stop himself from laughing.↗ · If your lips swell after eating, tell an adult straight away.↗ · The cup was placed to Sir Philip's lips.↗ · And Moses said before the LORD: 'Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?'↗ (Torah EXO.6.30, JPS 1917)↗ · And if she be married to a husband, while her vows are upon her, or the clear utterance of her lips, wherewith she hath bound her soul; (Torah NUM.30.6, JPS 1917)↗ · And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying: 'Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?'↗ (Torah EXO.6.12, JPS 1917)↗ · He kisseth the lips that giveth a right answer.↗ (Writings PRO.24.26, JPS 1917)↗ · Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.↗ (Writings PSA.34.14, JPS 1917)↗ · Let my lips utter praise: because Thou teachest me Thy statutes.↗ (Writings PSA.119.171, JPS 1917)↗

lipogram — Everyday, meaning 1: A piece of writing in which one letter of the alphabet is never used on purpose, for example a story with no letter "e".↗ Example: Our teacher asked us to write a lipogram without the letter "a".↗ · "I am big, I can run" is not a lipogram without "a", because "am" has an "a".↗ · A whole French novel was written as a lipogram with no letter "e".↗ · Writing a lipogram makes you think hard about words.↗ · Can you spot which letter this lipogram leaves out?↗ · My lipogram about a cat had no "t", so I called it a "kitty-cuddly animal"… oops, that has a "t"!↗

lipped — Everyday, meaning 1: In old tales, «long lipped» means sulky, with the lower lip pushed out to show you are cross.↗ Example: «Why are you so long lipped today?» asked Mum.↗ · The sulky girl was long lipped all day.↗ · Don't go long lipped just because you lost.↗

lipstick — Everyday, meaning 1: Colour for the lips, usually in a small stick that comes out of a tube.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A stick or tube of this colour.↗ Example: Mum put on red lipstick before the party.↗ · My little sister drew on the wall with a lipstick.↗ · There was a lipstick mark on the cup.↗ · Lipstick comes in many colours.↗ · The detective found a message written in lipstick.↗ · Granny never goes out without her lipstick.↗ · «That's just lipstick on a pig,» said Dad about the new paint on the old car.↗

liquefy — Everyday, meaning 1: (science) To liquefy is to turn into a liquid, or to make a solid or gas become a liquid, often by heating or cooling or squeezing.↗ Example: Ice liquefies when it warms up.↗ · Gases can be liquefied by cooling them.↗ · Butter liquefies in a hot pan.↗ · The blender liquefied the strawberries.↗ · In an earthquake, wet sand can liquefy.↗ · Liquefied gas is stored in metal tanks.↗

liquid — Everyday, meaning 1: A liquid is something that flows and can be poured, like water, milk or juice.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Liquid is one of the three main states of matter, with solid and gas.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: As an adjective, liquid means in the form of a liquid: liquid soap.↗ Example: The bottle has 2 litres of liquid.↗ · Pour the liquid into 4 equal cups.↗ · How much liquid is left?↗ · A tank holds 50 litres of liquid.↗ · Water is a liquid at room temperature.↗ · When ice melts, it turns into a liquid.↗ · A liquid takes the shape of its container.↗ · Never drink a liquid from a bottle with no label.↗ · She washed her hands with liquid soap.↗ · You will find beneath it a crystal vase filled with a bright green liquid.↗