The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
Chapter 904
Matrimony . . . is not by any to be enterprised, nor taken in hand, unadvisedly, lightly , or wantonly. Book of Common Prayer [Eng. Ed.].
10. Not chastely; wantonly.
Swift.
Lightman <Xpage=852>
Light"man (?) , n. ; pl. -men (<?/) A man who carries or takes care of a light.
T. Brown.
Light-minded <Xpage=852>
Light"-mind`ed (?) , a. Unsettled; unsteady; volatile; not considerate. -- Light"-mind`ed*ness , n.
Lightness <Xpage=852>
Light"ness , n. [From Light not heavy.] The state, condition, or quality, of being light or not heavy; buoyancy; levity; fickleness; delicacy; grace.
Syn. -- Levity; volatility; instability; inconstancy; unsteadiness; giddiness; flightiness; airiness; gayety; liveliness; agility; nimbleness; sprightliness; briskness; swiftness; ease; facility.
Lightness <Xpage=852>
Light"ness , n. [From Light bright.] 1. Illumination, or degree of illumination; as, the lightness of a room .
Chaucer.
2. Absence of depth or of duskiness in color; as, the lightness of a tint; lightness of complexion.
Lightning <Xpage=852>
Light"ning (?) , n. [For lightening , fr. lighten to flash.] 1. A discharge of atmospheric electricity, accompanied by a vivid flash of light, commonly from one cloud to another, sometimes from a cloud to the earth. The sound produced by the electricity in passing rapidly through the atmosphere constitutes thunder.
2. The act of making bright, or the state of being made bright; enlightenment; brightening, as of the mental powers. [R.]
Ball lightning , a rare form of lightning sometimes seen as a globe of fire moving from the clouds to the earth. -- Chain lightning , lightning in angular, zigzag, or forked flashes. -- Heat lightning , more or less vivid and extensive flashes of electric light, without thunder, seen near the horizon, esp. at the close of a hot day. -- Lightning arrester (Telegraphy) , a device, at the place where a wire enters a building, for preventing injury by lightning to an operator or instrument. It consists of a short circuit to the ground interrupted by a thin nonconductor over which lightning jumps. Called also lightning discharger . -- Lightning bug (Zo\'94l.) , a luminous beetle. See Firefly . -- Lightning conductor , a lightning rod. -- Lightning glance , a quick, penetrating glance of a brilliant eye. -- Lightning rod , a metallic rod set up on a building, or on the mast of a vessel, and connected with the earth or water below, for the purpose of protecting the building or vessel from lightning. -- Sheet lightning , a diffused glow of electric light flashing out from the clouds, and illumining their outlines. The appearance is sometimes due to the reflection of light from distant flashes of lightning by the nearer clouds.
Lightning <Xpage=852>
Light"ning (?) , vb. n. Lightening. [R.]
Light-o'-love <Xpage=852>
Light"-o'-love` (?) , n. 1. An old tune of a dance, the name of which made it a proverbial expression of levity, especially in love matters. Nares . "Best sing it to the tune of light-o'-love ."
Shak.
2. Hence: A light or wanton woman.
Beau. & Fl.
Lightroom <Xpage=852>
Light"room` (?) , n. A small room from which the magazine of a naval vessel is lighted, being separated from the magazine by heavy glass windows.
lights <Xpage=852>
lights (?) , n. pl. [So called from their lightness .] The lungs of an animal or bird; -- sometimes coarsely applied to the lungs of a human being.
Light-ship <Xpage=852>
Light"-ship` (?) , n. (Naut.) A vessel carrying at the masthead a brilliant light, and moored off a shoal or place of dangerous navigation as a guide for mariners.
Lightsome <Xpage=852>
Light"some (?) , a. 1. Having light; lighted; not dark or gloomy; bright.
White walls make rooms more lightsome than black. Bacon.
2. Gay; airy; cheering; exhilarating.
That lightsome affection of joy. Hooker.
-- Light"some*ly , adv. -- Light"some*ness , n.
Happiness may walk soberly in dark attire, as well as dance lightsomely in a gala dress. Hawthorne.
Light-winged <Xpage=852>
Light"-winged` (?) , a. Having light and active wings; volatile; fleeting.
Shak.
Lightwood <Xpage=852>
Light"wood` (?) , n. Pine wood abounding in pitch, used for torches in the Southern United States; pine knots, dry sticks, and the like, for kindling a fire quickly or making a blaze.
Lighty <Xpage=852>
Light"y (?) , a. Illuminated. [Obs.]
Wyclif.
Lign-aloes <Xpage=852>
Lign`-al"oes (?) , n. [OE. ligne aloes , fr. L. lignum wood + aloe aloe.] 1. Aloes wood, or agallochum. See Agallochum .
2. A fragrant tree mentioned in the Bible.
Num. xxiv. 6.
Ligneous <Xpage=852>
Lig"ne*ous (?) , a. [L. ligneus , fr. lignum wood. Cf. Lignous .] Made of wood; consisting of wood; of the nature of, or resembling, wood; woody.
It should be tried with shoots of vines and roots of red roses; for it may be they, being of a more ligneous nature, will incorporate with the tree itself. Bacon.
Ligneous marble , wood coated or prepared so as to resemble marble.
Ligniferous <Xpage=852>
Lig*nif`er*ous (?) , a. [L. lignifer ; lignum wood + ferre to bear: cf. F. lignif\'8are .] Yielding or producing wood.
Lignification <Xpage=852>
Lig`ni*fi*ca"tion (?) , n. [Cf. F. lignification . See Lignify .] (Bot.) A change in the character of a cell wall, by which it becomes harder. It is supposed to be due to an incrustation of lignin.
Ligniform <Xpage=852>
Lig"ni*form (?) , a. [L. lignum wood + -form : cf. F. ligniforme .] Like wood.
Lignify <Xpage=852>
Lig"ni*fy (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Lignified (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Lignifying (?) .] [L. lignum wood + -fy : cf. F. lignifier .] (Bot.) To convert into wood or into a ligneous substance.
Lignify <Xpage=852>
Lig"ni*fy , v. i. (Bot.) To become wood.
Lignin <Xpage=852>
Lig"nin (?) , n. [L. lignum wood: cf. F. lignine .] (Bot.) A substance characterizing wood cells and differing from cellulose in its conduct with certain chemical reagents.
&hand; Recent authors have distinguished four forms of this substance, naming them lignose , lignin , lignone , and lignireose .
Ligniperdous <Xpage=852>
Lig`ni*per"dous (?) , a. [L. lignum wood + perdere to destroy: cf. F. ligniperde .] (Zo\'94l.) Wood-destroying; -- said of certain insects.
Lignireose <Xpage=852>
Lig*nir"e*ose` (?) , n. (Bot.) See Lignin .
Lignite <Xpage=852>
Lig"nite (?) , n. [L. lignum wood: cf. F. lignite .] (Min.) Mineral coal retaining the texture of the wood from which it was formed, and burning with an empyreumatic odor. It is of more recent origin than the anthracite and bituminous coal of the proper coal series. Called also brown coal , wood coal .
Lignitic <Xpage=852>
Lig*nit"ic (?) , a. Containing lignite; resembling, or of the nature of, lignite; as, lignitic clay .
Lignitic group . See Laramie group .
Lignitiferous <Xpage=852>
Lig`ni*tif"er*ous (?) , a. [ Lignite + -ferous .] Producing or containing lignite; lignitic.
Lignoceric <Xpage=852>
Lig`no*cer"ic (?) , a. [L. lignum wood + cera wax.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid of the formic acid series, found in the tar, wax, or paraffine obtained by distilling certain kinds of wood, as the beech.
Lignone <Xpage=852>
Lig"none` (?) , n. (Bot.) See Lignin .
Lignose, Lignous <Xpage=852>
Lig*nose` (?) , Lig"nous (?) , a. [L. lignosus , fr. lignum wood: cf. F. ligneux . Cf. Ligneous .] Ligneous. [R.]
Evelyn.
Lignose <Xpage=852>
Lig"nose` (?) , n. 1. (Bot.) See Lignin .
2. (Chem.) An explosive compound of wood fiber and nitroglycerin. See Nitroglycerin .
Lignum rhodium <Xpage=852>
Lig"num rho"di*um (?) . [NL., fr. L. lignum wood + Gr. <?/ a rose.] (Bot.) The fragrant wood of several shrubs and trees, especially of species of Rhodorhiza from the Canary Islands, and of the West Indian Amyris balsamifera .
Lignum-vitae <Xpage=852>
Lig"num-vi"tae (?) , n. [L., wood of life; lignum wood + vita , genitive vit\'91 , life.] (Bot.) A tree ( Guaiacum officinale ) found in the warm latitudes of America, from which the guaiacum of medicine is procured. Its wood is very hard and heavy, and is used for various mechanical purposes, as for the wheels of ships' blocks, cogs, bearings, and the like. See Guaiacum .
&hand; In New Zealand the Metrosideros buxifolia is called lignum-vit\'91, and in Australia a species of Acacia . The bastard lignum-vit\'91 is a West Indian tree ( Sarcomphalus laurinus ).
Ligroin <Xpage=852>
Lig"ro*in (?) , n. A trade name applied somewhat indefinitely to some of the volatile products obtained in refining crude petroleum. It is a complex and variable mixture of several hydrocarbons, generally boils below 170° Fahr., and is more inflammable than safe kerosene. It is used as a solvent, as a carburetant for air gas, and for illumination in special lamps.
<page="853"> Page 853
Ligsam <Xpage=853>
Lig"sam (?) , n. [Cf. D. liggen to lie, E. lie to be prostrate, and E. flotsam , jetsam , or ligan .] Same as Ligan .
Brande & C.
Ligula <Xpage=853>
Lig"u*la (?) , n. ; pl. L. Ligul\'91 (#) , E. Ligulas (#) . [L., a little tongue. See Ligule .] 1. (Bot.) See Ligule .
2. (Zo\'94l.) (a) The central process, or front edge, of the labium of insects. It sometimes serves as a tongue or proboscis, as in bees. [See Illust . under Labium , and Hymenoptera .] (b) A tongue-shaped lobe of the parapodia of annelids. See Parapodium .
Ligulate, Ligulated <Xpage=853>
Lig"u*late (?) , Lig"u*la`ted (?) , a. [Cf. F. ligul\'82 . See Ligule , and cf. Lingulate .] 1. (Bot.) Like a bandage, or strap; strap-shaped.
2. Composed of ligules.
Ligulate flower , a species of compound flower, the florets of which have their corollets flat, spreading out toward the end, with the base only tubular.
Ligule <Xpage=853>
Lig"ule (?) , n. [L. ligula , little tongue, dim of lingua tongue : cf. F. ligule .] 1. (Bot.) (a) The thin and scarious projection from the upper end of the sheath of leaf of grass. (b) A strap-shaped corolla of flowers of Composit\'91.
2. (Anat.) A band of white matter in the wall of fourth ventricle of the brain.
Liguliflorous <Xpage=853>
Lig`u*li*flo"rous (?) , a. [ Ligule + L. flos , floris , a flower.] (Bot.) Bearing only ligulate flowers; -- said of a large suborder of composite plants, such as the dandelion, hawkweed, etc.
Ligure <Xpage=853>
Lig"ure (?) , n. [L. ligurius , Gr. <?/ , <?/, <?/, <?/, equiv. to Heb. leshem .] A kind of precious stone.
The third row a ligure , an agate, and an amethyst. Ex. xxviii. 19.
Ligustrin <Xpage=853>
Li*gus"trin (?) , n. (Chem.) A bitter principle found in the bark of the privet (Ligustrum vulgare) , and extracted as a white crystalline substance with a warm, bitter taste; -- called also ligustron .
Likable <Xpage=853>
Lik"a*ble (?) , a. Such as can be liked; such as to attract liking; as, a likable person .
Thackeray.
Like <Xpage=853>
Like (?) , a. [ Compar. Liker (?) ; superl. Likest .] [OE. lik , ilik , gelic , AS. gel\'c6c , fr. pref. ge- + l\'c6c body, and orig. meaning, having the same body, shape, or appearance, and hence, like; akin to OS. gil\'c6k , D. gelijk , G. gleich , OHG. gil\'c6h , Icel. l\'c6kr , gl\'c6kr , Dan. lig , Sw. lik , Goth. galeiks , OS. lik body, D. lijk , G. leiche , Icel. l\'c6k , Sw. lik , Goth. leik . The English adverbial ending -ly is from the same adjective. Cf. Each , Such , Which .] 1. Having the same, or nearly the same, appearance, qualities, or characteristics; resembling; similar to; similar; alike; -- often with in and the particulars of the resemblance; as, they are like each other in features, complexion, and many traits of character .
'The as like you As cherry is to cherry. Shak.
Like master, like man. Old Prov.
He giveth snow like wool; he scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. Ps. cxlvii. 16.
&hand; To , which formerly often followed like , is now usually omitted.
2. Equal, or nearly equal; as, fields of like extent .
More clergymen were impoverished by the late war than ever in the like space before. Sprat.
3. Having probability; affording probability; probable; likely. [ Likely is more used now.]
Shak.
But it is like the jolly world about us will scoff at the paradox of these practices. South.
Many were not easy to be governed, nor like to conform themselves to strict rules. Clarendon.
4. Inclined toward; disposed to; as, to feel like taking a walk .
Had like (followed by the infinitive), had nearly; came little short of.
Had like to have been my utter overthrow. Sir W. Raleigh
Ramona had like to have said the literal truth, . . . but recollected herself in time. Mrs. H. H. Jackson.
Like figures (Geom.) , similar figures.
&hand; Like is used as a suffix, converting nouns into adjectives expressing resemblance to the noun; as, man like , like a man; child like , like a child; god like , like a god, etc. Such compounds are readily formed whenever convenient, and several, as crescentlike , serpentlike , hairlike , etc., are used in this book, although, in some cases, not entered in the vocabulary. Such combinations as bell-like , ball-like , etc., are hyphened.
Like <Xpage=853>
Like , n. 1. That which is equal or similar to another; the counterpart; an exact resemblance; a copy.
He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again. Shak.
2. A liking; a preference; inclination; -- usually in pl. ; as, we all have likes and dislikes .
Like <Xpage=853>
Like , adv. [AS. gel\'c6ce . See Like , a. ] 1. In a manner like that of; in a manner similar to; as, do not act like him .
He maketh them to stagger like a drunken man. Job xii. 25.
&hand; Like , as here used, is regarded by some grammarians as a preposition.
2. In a like or similar manner .
Shak.
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. Ps. ciii. 13.
3. Likely; probably. " Like enough it will."
Shak.
Like <Xpage=853>
Like , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Liked (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Liking .] [OE. liken to please, AS. l\'c6cian , gel\'c6cian , fr. gel\'c6c . See Like , a. ] 1. To suit; to please; to be agreeable to. [Obs.]
Cornwall him liked best, therefore he chose there. R. of Gloucester.
I willingly confess that it likes me much better when I find virtue in a fair lodging than when I am bound to seek it in an ill-favored creature. Sir P. Sidney.
2. To be pleased with in a moderate degree; to approve; to take satisfaction in; to enjoy.
He proceeded from looking to liking , and from liking to loving. Sir P. Sidney.
3. To liken; to compare. [Obs.]
Like me to the peasant boys of France. Shak.
Like <Xpage=853>
Like (?) , v. i. 1. To be pleased; to choose.
He may either go or stay, as he best likes . Locke.
2. To have an appearance or expression; to look; to seem to be (in a specified condition). [Obs.]
You like well, and bear your years very well. Shak.
3. To come near; to avoid with difficulty; to escape narrowly; as, he liked to have been too late . Cf. Had like , under Like , a. [Colloq.]
He probably got his death, as he liked to have done two years ago, by viewing the troops for the expedition from the wall of Kensington Garden. Walpole.
To like of , to be pleased with. [Obs.]
Massinger.
Likehood <Xpage=853>
Like"hood (?) , n. Likelihood. [Obs.]
South.
Likelihood <Xpage=853>
Like"li*hood (?) , n. [ Likely + -hood .] 1. Appearance; show; sign; expression. [Obs.]
What of his heart perceive you in his face By any likelihood he showed to-day ? Shak.
2. Likeness; resemblance. [Obs.]
There is no likelihood between pure light and black darkness, or between righteousness and reprobation. Sir W. Raleigh.
3. Appearance of truth or reality; probability; verisimilitude.
Tennyson.
Likeliness <Xpage=853>
Like"li*ness , n. 1. Likelihood; probability.
2. Suitableness; agreeableness. [Obs.]
Likely <Xpage=853>
Like"ly , a. [ Compar. Likelier (?) ; superl. Likeliest .] [That is, like-like . See Like , a. ] 1. Worthy of belief; probable; credible; as, a likely story .
It seems likely that he was in hope of being busy and conspicuous. Johnson.
2. Having probability; having or giving reason to expect; -- followed by the infinitive; as, it is likely to rain .
3. Similar; like; alike. [Obs.]
Spenser.
4. Such as suits; good-looking; pleasing; agreeable; handsome.
Shak. Milton.
5. Having such qualities as make success probable; well adapted to the place; promising; as, a likely young man; a likely servant.
Likely <Xpage=853>