The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section I, J, K, and L

where each distance (line third) is the sum of 4 and a multiple of 3 by the series 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, etc., the true distances being given in the lower line. -- Boyle's law (Physics...

||Li"bra (l"br), n.; pl. Libræ (l"br). [L., a balance.] (Astron.) (a) ||The Balance; the seventh sign in the zodiac, which the sun enters at ||the autumnal equinox in September,...

To line bees, to track wild bees to their nest by following their line of flight. -- To line up (Mach.), to put in alignment; to put in correct adjustment for smooth running. Se...

Li"on*ize (-z), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Lionized (-zd), p. pr. & vb. n. Lionizing (- `zng).] 1. To treat or regard as a lion or object of great interest. J. D. Forbes.

Liege (lj), a. [OE. lige, lege, F. lige, LL. ligius, legius, liege, unlimited, complete, prob. of German origin; cf. G. ledig free from bonds and obstacles, MHG. ledec, ledic, l...

Leu*cop"y*rite (l*kp"*rt), n. [Leuco- + pyrites.] (Min.) A mineral of a color between white and steel-gray, with a metallic luster, and consisting chiefly of arsenic and iron.

In this sense it is often used with prepositions and adverbs, as to keep away, to keep down, to keep from, to keep in, out, or off, etc. "To keep off impertinence and solicitati...

Jib boom (Naut.), a spar or boom which serves as an extension of the bowsprit. It is sometimes extended by another spar called the flying jib boom. [Written also gib boom.] -- J...

||Le*ga"to (l*gä"t), a. [It., tied, joined, fr. legare to tie, bind, L. ||ligare.] (Mus.) Connected; tied; -- a term used when successive tones ||are to be produced in a closely...

Less"en (ls"'n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Lessened (-'nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Lessening.] [From Less, a.] To make less; to reduce; to make smaller, or fewer; to diminish; to lower; to d...

The Holy League, an alliance of Roman Catholics formed in 1576 by influence of the Duke of Guise for the exclusion of Protestants from the throne of France. -- Solemn League and...

||Lar*va"li*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See Larval.] (Zoöl.) An order of ||Tunicata, including Appendicularia, and allied genera; -- so called ||because certain larval features are retai...

||Li*mic"o*læ (l*mk"*l), n. pl. [L. limicola a dweller in the mud; ||limus mud + colere to dwell.] (Zoöl.) A group of shore birds, ||embracing the plovers, sandpipers, snipe, cu...

Le*can"o*man`cy (?), n. [Gr. leka`nh bowl or basin + -mancy.] Divination practiced with water in a basin, by throwing three stones into it, and invoking the demon whose aid was...

Lobster caterpillar (Zoöl.), the caterpillar of a European bombycid moth (Stauropus fagi); -- so called from its form. Lobster louse (Zoöl.), a copepod crustacean (Nicothoë asta...

||Lig"u*la (lg"*l), n.; pl. L. Ligulæ (- l), E. Ligulas (-lz). [L., a ||little tongue. See Ligule.] 1. (Bot.) See Ligule. || 2. (Zoöl.) (a) The central process, or front edge, o...

Laz"u*li (?), n. [F. & NL. lapis lazuli, LL. lazulus, lazurius, lazur from the same Oriental source as E. azure. See Azure.] (Min.) A mineral of a fine azure-blue color, usually...

To knock about, to go about, taking knocks or rough usage; to wander about; to saunter. [Colloq.] "Knocking about town." W. Irving. -- To knock up, to fail of strength; to becom...

Ker"nel (?), n. [OE. kernel, kirnel, curnel, AS. cyrnel, fr. corn grain. See Corn, and cf. Kern to harden.] 1. The essential part of a seed; all that is within the seed walls; t...

Length"y (-), a. [Compar. Lengthier (-*r); superl. Lengthiest.] Having length; rather long or too long; prolix; not brief; -- said chiefly of discourses, writings, and the like....

1. A frame or machine of wood or other material, in which a weaver forms cloth out of thread; a machine for interweaving yarn or threads into a fabric, as in knitting or lace ma...

A labor of love, a labor undertaken on account of regard for some person, or through pleasure in the work itself, without expectation of reward. -- Free love, the doctrine or pr...

Lod"i*cule (?), n. [L. lodicula. dim, of lodix, lodicis, a coverlet: cf. F. lodicule.] (Bot.) One of the two or three delicate membranous scales which are next to the stamens in...

The emperor's officers every night went through the town from house to house whereat any English gentleman did repast or lodge, and served their liveries for all night: first, t...

Lor"i*keet (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any one numerous species of small brush-tongued parrots or lories, found mostly in Australia, New Guinea and the adjacent islands, with some forms in...

I (). 1. I, the ninth letter of the English alphabet, takes its form from the Phœnician, through the Latin and the Greek. The Phœnician letter was probably of Egyptian origin. I...

Ju"gu*lar (?), a. [L. jugulum the collar bone, which joins together the shoulders and the breast, the throat, akin to jungere to yoke, to join: cf. F. jugulaire. See Join.]

To levy a fine, to commence and carry on a suit for assuring the title to lands or tenements. Blackstone. -- To levy war, to make or begin war; to take arms for attack; to attack.

Knack (nk), v. i. [Prob. of imitative origin; cf. G. knacken to break, Dan. knage to crack, and E. knock.] 1. To crack; to make a sharp, abrupt noise to chink. [Obs. or Prov. En...

Lump (?), n. [Cf. OD. lompe piece, mass. Cf. Lunch.] 1. A small mass of matter of irregular shape; an irregular or shapeless mass; as, a lump of coal; a lump of iron ore. " A lu...

Ko"ran (k"ran or k*rän"; 277), n. [Ar. qorn. See Alcoran.] The Scriptures of the Mohammedans, containing the professed revelations to Mohammed; -- called also Alcoran. [Written...

I"so*therm (?), n. [Iso- + Gr. &?; heat, fr. &?; hot.] (Phys. Geog.) A line connecting or marking points on the earth's surface having the same temperature. This may be the temp...

2. A joining of two things or parts so as to admit of motion; an articulation, whether movable or not; a hinge; as, the knee joint; a node or joint of a stem; a ball and socket...

{ Lam"mer*geir (lm"mr*gr), Lam"mer*gei`er (-g`r), } n. [G. lämmergeier; lamm, pl. lämmer, lamb + geier vulture.] (Zoöl.) A very large vulture (Gypaëtus barbatus), which inhabits...

Jelly bag, a bag through which the material for jelly is strained. -- Jelly mold, a mold for forming jelly in ornamental shapes. -- Jelly plant (Bot.), Australian name of an edi...

Ordinarily, black ink is made from nutgalls and a solution of some salt of iron, and consists essentially of a tannate or gallate of iron; sometimes indigo sulphate, or other co...

||La"tex (?), n. [L.] (Bot.) A milky or colored juice in certain plants ||in cavities (called latex cells or latex tubes). It contains the ||peculiar principles of the plants, w...

Lap (?), v. i. [OE. lappen, lapen, AS. lapian; akin to LG. lappen, OHG. laffan, Icel. lepja, Dan. lade, Sw. läppja, L. lambere; cf. Gr. &?;, W. llepio. Cf. Lambent.] 1. To take...

Ja*pon"i*ca (?), n. [NL., Japanese, fr. Japonia Japan.] (Bot.) A species of Camellia (Camellia Japonica), a native of Japan, bearing beautiful red or white flowers. Many other g...

Lac*tam"ide (?), n. [Lactic + amide.] (Chem.) An acid amide derived from lactic acid, and obtained as a white crystalline substance having a neutral reaction. It is metameric wi...

Jacob's ladder. (a) (Bot.) A perennial herb of the genus Polemonium (P. cœruleum), having corymbs of drooping flowers, usually blue. Gray. (b) (Naut.) A rope ladder, with wooden...

Kai"ser (?), n. [Gr., fr. L. Caesar. Cf. Kesar, and Czar.] The ancient title of emperors of Germany assumed by King William of Prussia when crowned sovereign of the new German e...

Lu"bri*cate (?), v. t. [L. lubricatus, p. p. of lubricare to lubricate. See Lubric.] 1. To make smooth or slippery; as, mucilaginous and saponaceous remedies lubricate the parts...

Long (?), a. [Compar. Longer (?); superl. Longest (?).] [AS. long, lang; akin to OS, OFries., D., & G. lang, Icel. langr, Sw. lång, Dan. lang, Goth. laggs, L. longus. √125...

Land"mark` (?), n. [AS. landmearc. See Land, and Mark a sign.] 1. A mark to designate the boundary of land; any mark or fixed object (as a marked tree, a stone, a ditch, or a he...

Lit`i*ga"tion (?), n. [L. litigatio, fr. litigare to dispute, litigate; lis, litis, dispute, lawsuit (OL. stlis) + agere to carry on. See Agent.] The act or process of litigatin...

11. (Paint.) The manner in which the light strikes upon a picture; that part of a picture which represents those objects upon which the light is supposed to fall; the more illum...

Lag of the tide, the interval by which the time of high water falls behind the mean time, in the first and third quarters of the moon; -- opposed to priming of the tide, or the...

Ivory black. See under Black, n. -- Ivory gull (Zoöl.), a white Arctic gull (Larus eburneus). -- Ivory nut (Bot.), the nut of a species of palm, the Phytephas macroarpa, often a...

Ju"rel (?), n. (Zoöl.) A yellow carangoid fish of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts (Caranx chrysos), most abundant southward, where it is valued as a food fish; -- called also hardt...

In*her"it (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Inherited; p. pr. & vb. n. Inheriting.] [OE. enheriten to inherit, to give a heritage to, OF. enheriter to appoint as an heir, L. inhereditare...

King"bird (-brd), n. (Zoöl.) 1. A small American bird (Tyrannus tyrannus, or T. Carolinensis), noted for its courage in attacking larger birds, even hawks and eagles, especially...

1. The act of finding out or inventing; contrivance or construction of that which has not before existed; as, the invention of logarithms; the invention of the art of printing.

Joy (?), n. [OE. joye, OF. joye, joie, goie, F. joie, L. gaudia, pl. of gaudium joy, fr. gaudere to rejoice, to be glad; cf. Gr. &?; to rejoice, &?; proud. Cf. Gaud, Jewel.]

Lis"ter*ism (ls"tr*z'm), n. (Med.) The systematic use of antiseptics in the performance of operations and the treatment of wounds; -- so called from Joseph Lister, an English su...

In"voice`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Invoiced (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Invoicing (?).] To make a written list or account of, as goods to be sent to a consignee; to insert in a priced list...

{ Ir`i*dos"mine (?), Ir`i*dos"mi*um (?), } n. [Iridium + osmium.] (Min.) The native compound of iridium and osmium. It is found in flattened metallic grains of extreme hardness,...

Lab"o*ra*to*ry (?), n.; pl. Laboratories (#). [Shortened fr. elaboratory; cf. OF. elaboratoire, F. laboratoire. See Elaborate, Labor.] [Formerly written also elaboratory.] The w...

I`co*nog"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?; a sketch or description; e'ikw`n an image + &?; to describe: cf. F. iconographie.] 1. The art or representation by pictures or images; the descr...

In`tro*spect" (?), v. t. [L. introspectus, p. p. introspicere to look into; intro within + specere to look. See Spy.] To look into or within; to view the inside of. Bailey.

5. Indicating the passing of a thing from one form, condition, or state to another; as, compound substances may be resolved into others which are more simple; ice is convertible...

Il*lu"sion (?), n. [F. illusion, L. illusio, fr. illudere, illusum, to illude. See Illude.] 1. An unreal image presented to the bodily or mental vision; a deceptive appearance;...

Im*mit" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Immitted; p. pr. & vb. n. Immiting.] [L. immittere, immissum; pref. im- in + mittere to send.] To send in; to inject; to infuse; -- the correlat...

Im`bri*ca"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. imbrication.] An overlapping of the edges, like that of tiles or shingles; hence, intricacy of structure; also, a pattern or decoration representi...

{ ||Is"chi*on (?), ||Is"chi*um (?), } n. [L., Gr. 'ischi`on.] 1. (Anat.) The ventral and posterior of the three principal bones composing either half of the pelvis; seat bone; t...

Ir*rel"a*vant (?), a. Not relevant; not applicable or pertinent; not bearing upon or serving to support; foreign; extraneous; as, testimony or arguments irrelevant to a case. --...

Syn. -- Dictatorial; haughty; domineering; overbearing; lordly; tyrannical; despotic; arrogant; imperative; authoritative; commanding; pressing. -- Imperious, Lordly, Domineerin...

{ Lus"ter, Lus"tre, } n. [F. lustre; cf. It. lustro; both fr. L. lustrare to purify, go about (like the priests at the lustral sacrifice), traverse, survey, illuminate, fr. lust...

In*an"i*mate (?), a. [L. inanimatus; pref. in- not + animatus animate.] Not animate; destitute of life or spirit; lifeless; dead; inactive; dull; as, stones and earth are inanim...

Im*pru"dent (?), a. [L. imprudens; pref. im- not + prudens prudent: cf. F. imprudent. See Prudent, and cf. Improvident.] Not prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscre...

In*dent" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Indented; p. pr. & vb. n. Indenting.] [OE. endenten to notch, fit in, OF. endenter, LL. indentare, fr. L. in + dens, dentis, tooth. See Tooth,...

||Id`i*o*plas"ma (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. 'i`dios proper, peculiar + &?; a ||form, mold.] (Biol.) That portion of the cell protoplasm which is the ||seat of all active changes, and...

Im`pas*ta"tion (?), n. [F. See Impaste.] The act of making into paste; that which is formed into a paste or mixture; specifically, a combination of different substances by means...

2. (Bot.) (a) The mode of flowering, or the general arrangement and disposition of the flowers with reference to the axis, and to each other. (b) An axis on which all the buds a...

4. (Geom.) The angle made by two lines or planes; as, the inclination of the plane of the earth's equator to the plane of the ecliptic is about 23° 28′; the inclination of...

Infusorial earth (Geol.), a deposit of fine, usually white, siliceous material, composed mainly of the shells of the microscopic plants called diatoms. It is used in polishing p...

5. (Physics) To produce, or cause, by proximity without contact or transmission, as a particular electric or magnetic condition in a body, by the approach of another body in an...

In"fi*del (?), a. [L. infidelis; pref. in- not + fidelis faithful, fr. fides faith: cf. F. infidèle. See Fidelity.] Not holding the faith; -- applied esp. to one who does not be...

Syn. -- To murder; assassinate; slay; butcher; destroy. -- To Kill, Murder, Assassinate. To kill does not necessarily mean any more than to deprive of life. A man may kill anoth...

In`ter*hy"al (?), a. [Inter- + the Greek letter &?;.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to a segment sometimes present at the proximal end of the hyoidean arch. -- n. An interhyal ligame...

||Il"e*um (?), n. [L. ile, ileum, ilium, pl. ilia, groin, flank.] 1. ||(Anat.) The last, and usually the longest, division of the small ||intestine; the part between the jejunum...

{ In`si*pid"i*ty (?), In*sip"id*ness (?), } n. [Cf. F. insipidité.] The quality or state of being insipid; vapidity. "Dryden's lines shine strongly through the insipidity of Tat...

Incense tree, the name of several balsamic trees of the genus Bursera (or Icica) mostly tropical American. The gum resin is used for incense. In Jamaica the Chrysobalanus Icaco,...

In`ex*su"per*a*ble (?), a. [L. inexsuperabilis; pref. in- not + exsuperabilis that may be surmounted. See In- not, Ex-, and Superable.] Not capable of being passed over; insuper...

In`suf*fla"tion (?), n. [L. insuffatio: cf. F. insuffation. See In- in, and Sufflation.] The act of breathing on or into anything; especially: (a) (R. C. Ch.) The breathing upon...

In*scribe" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Inscribed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Inscribing.] [L. inscribere. See 1st In-, and Scribe.] 1. To write or engrave; to mark down as something to be...

||Im`pre*sa"ri*o (?), n.; pl. Impresarios (#). [It., from impresa ||enterprise.] The projector, manager, or conductor, of an opera or ||concert company. || Im`pre*scrip`ti*bil"i...

In*oc"u*late (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Inoculated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Inoculating (?).] [L. inoculatus, p. p. of inoculare to ingraft; pref. in- in, on + oculare to furnish with...

In*tern", v. t. [F. interne. See Intern, a.] To put for safe keeping in the interior of a place or country; to confine to one locality; as, to intern troops which have fled for...

In*cum"bent (?), a. [L. incumbens, -entis, p. pr. of incumbere to lie down upon, press upon; pref. in- in, on + cumbere (in comp.); akin to cubare to lie down. See Incubate.]

2. (Mach.) A pressure gauge; a water gauge, as for a steam boiler; an apparatus or instrument for showing the working of a machine or moving part; as: (a) (Steam Engine) An inst...

In*cor"po*rate, a. [L. incorporatus, p. p. of incorporare to incorporate; pref. in- in + corporare to make into a body. See Corporate.] Corporate; incorporated; made one body, o...

Im`po*lite" (?), a. [L. impolitus unpolishied, pref. im- not + politus, p. p. of polire to polish, refine. See Polite.] Not polite; not of polished manners; wanting in good mann...

2. To act between parties with a view to reconcile differences; to make intercession; to beg or plead in behalf of another; to mediate; -- usually followed by with and for; as,...

3. Obstruction caused by breaking in upon course, current, progress, or motion; stop; hindrance; as, the author has met with many interruptions in the execution of his work; the...

3. To disincline; to render averse or unfavorable; as, a love of pleasure indisposes the mind to severe study; the pride and selfishness of men indispose them to religious duties.

In*ef`fi*ca"cious (?), a. [Pref. in- not + efficacious: cf. F. inefficace, L. inefficax.] Not efficacious; not having power to produce the effect desired; inadequate; incompeten...

2. A day of the present or current month; as, the sixth instant; -- an elliptical expression equivalent to the sixth of the month instant, i. e., the current month. See Instant,...

In*tend" (n*tnd"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Intended; p. pr. & vb. n. Intending.] [OE. entenden to be attentive, F. entendre, fr. L. intendre, intentum, and intensum, to intend, atte...

2. (Law) Wanting the legal or constitutional qualifications; inadmissible; as, a person professedly wanting in religious belief is an incompetent witness in a court of law or eq...

The act of laughter, which is a sweet contraction of the muscles of the face, and a pleasant agitation of the vocal organs, is not merely, or totally within the jurisdiction of...

Ly`on`naise" (?), a. [F. lyonnaise, fem. of lyonnais of Lyons.] (Cookery) Applied to boiled potatoes cut into small pieces and heated in oil or butter. They are usually flavored...