Chapter 65

Lab"o*ra*to*ry (?), n.; pl. Laboratories (#). [Shortened fr. elaboratory; cf. OF. elaboratoire, F. laboratoire. See Elaborate, Labor.] [Formerly written also elaboratory.] The workroom of a chemist; also, a place devoted to experiments in any branch of natural science; as, a chemical, physical, or biological laboratory. Hence, by extension, a place where something is prepared, or some operation is performed; as, the liver is the laboratory of the bile.

La"bored (?), a. Bearing marks of labor and effort; elaborately wrought; not easy or natural; as, labored poetry; a labored style.

La"bored*ly, adv. In a labored manner; with labor.

La"bor*er (?), n. [Written also labourer.] One who labors in a toilsome occupation; a person who does work that requires strength rather than skill, as distinguished from that of an artisan.

La"bor*ing, a. 1. That labors; performing labor; esp., performing coarse, heavy work, not requiring skill also, set apart for labor; as, laboring days.

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet.

Eccl. v. 12.

2. Suffering pain or grief. Pope.

Laboring oar, the oar which requires most strength and exertion; often used figuratively; as, to have, or pull, the laboring oar in some difficult undertaking.

La*bo"ri*ous (?), a. [L. laboriosus,fr. labor labor: cf. F. laborieux.] 1. Requiring labor, perseverance, or sacrifices; toilsome; tiresome.

Dost thou love watchings, abstinence, or toil, Laborious virtues all ? Learn these from Cato.

Addison.

2. Devoted to labor; diligent; industrious; as, a laborious mechanic.

-- La*bo"ri*ous*ly, adv. -- La*bo"ri*ous*ness, n.

La"bor*less (l"br*ls), a. Not involving labor; not laborious; easy.

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La"bor*ous (l"br*s), a. Laborious. [Obs.] Wyatt. -- La"bor*ous*ly, adv. [Obs.] Sir T. Elyot.

La"bor-sav`ing (?), a. Saving labor; adapted to supersede or diminish the labor of men; as, labor-saving machinery.

La"bor*some (?), a. 1. Made with, or requiring, great labor, pains, or diligence. [Obs.] Shak.

2. (Naut.) Likely or inclined to roll or pitch, as a ship in a heavy sea; having a tendency to labor.

Lab`ra*dor" (?), n. A region of British America on the Atlantic coast, north of Newfoundland.

Labrador duck (Zoöl.), a sea duck (Camtolaimus Labradorius) allied to the eider ducks. It was formerly common on the coast of New England, but is now supposed to be extinct, no specimens having been reported since 1878. -- Labrador feldspar. See Labradorite. -- Labrador tea (Bot.), a name of two low, evergreen shrubs of the genus Ledum (L. palustre and L. latifolium), found in Northern Europe and America. They are used as tea in British America, and in Scandinavia as a substitute for hops.

Lab"ra*dor`ite (&?;), n. (Min.) A kind of feldspar commonly showing a beautiful play of colors, and hence much used for ornamental purposes. The finest specimens come from Labrador. See Feldspar.

La"bras (?), n. pl. [L. labrum; cf. It. labbro, pl. labbra.] Lips. [Obs. & R.] Shak.

La"broid (?), a. [Labrus + - oid.] (Zoöl.) Like the genus Labrus; belonging to the family Labridæ, an extensive family of marine fishes, often brilliantly colored, which are very abundant in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The tautog and cunner are American examples.

La"brose` (l"brs`), a. [L. labrosus, fr. labrum lip.] Having thick lips.

||La"brum (?), n.; pl. L. Labra (#), E. Labrums (#). [L.] 1. A lip or ||edge, as of a basin. || 2. (Zoöl.) (a) An organ in insects and crustaceans covering the upper part of the mouth, and serving as an upper lip. See Illust. of Hymenoptera. (b) The external margin of the aperture of a shell. See Univalve.

||La"brus (?), n.; pl. Labri (-br). [L., a sort of fish.] (Zoöl.) A ||genus of marine fishes, including the wrasses of Europe. See Wrasse. || La*bur`nic (l*bûr"nk), a. Of, pertaining to, or derived from, the laburnum.

La*bur`nine (?), n. (Chem.) A poisonous alkaloid found in the unripe seeds of the laburnum.

La*bur"num (?), n. [L.] (Bot.) A small leguminous tree (Cytisus Laburnum), native of the Alps. The plant is reputed to be poisonous, esp. the bark and seeds. It has handsome racemes of yellow blossoms.

Scotch laburnum (Cytisus alpinus) is similar, but has smooth leaves; purple laburnum is C. purpureus.

Lab"y*rinth (?), n. [L. labyrinthus, Gr. laby`rinthos: cf. F. labyrinthe.] 1. An edifice or place full of intricate passageways which render it difficult to find the way from the interior to the entrance; as, the Egyptian and Cretan labyrinths.

2. Any intricate or involved inclosure; especially, an ornamental maze or inclosure in a park or garden.

3. Any object or arrangement of an intricate or involved form, or having a very complicated nature.

The serpent . . . fast sleeping soon he found, In labyrinth of many a round self-rolled.

Milton.

The labyrinth of the mind.

Tennyson.

4. An inextricable or bewildering difficulty.

I' the maze and winding labyrinths o' the world.

Denham.

5. (Anat.) The internal ear. See Note under Ear.

6. (Metal.) A series of canals through which a stream of water is directed for suspending, carrying off, and depositing at different distances, the ground ore of a metal. Ure.

7. (Arch.) A pattern or design representing a maze, -- often inlaid in the tiled floor of a church, etc.

Syn. -- Maze; confusion; intricacy; windings. -- Labyrinth, Maze. Labyrinth, originally; the name of an edifice or excavation, carries the idea of design, and construction in a permanent form, while maze is used of anything confused or confusing, whether fixed or shifting. Maze is less restricted in its figurative uses than labyrinth. We speak of the labyrinth of the ear, or of the mind, and of a labyrinth of difficulties; but of the mazes of the dance, the mazes of political intrigue, or of the mind being in a maze.

Lab`y*rin"thal (?), a. Pertaining to, or resembling, a labyrinth; intricate; labyrinthian.

Lab`y*rin"thi*an (&?;), a. Intricately winding; like a labyrinth; perplexed; labyrinthal.

Lab`y*rin"thi*branch (?), a. [See Labyrinth, and Branchia.] (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Labyrinthici. -- n. One of the Labyrinthici.

{ Lab`y*rin"thic (?), Lab`y*rin`thic*al (?), } a. [L. labyrinthicus: cf. F. labyrinthique.] Like or pertaining to a labyrinth.

||Lab`y*rin"thi*ci (?), n. pl. [NL. See Labyrinth.] (Zoöl.) An order of ||teleostean fishes, including the Anabas, or climbing perch, and other ||allied fishes. || They have, connected with the gill chamber, a special cavity in which a labyrinthiform membrane is arranged so as to retain water to supply the gills while the fish leaves the water and travels about on land, or even climbs trees.

Lab`y*rin"thi*form (?), a. [Labyrinth + -form: cf. F. labyrinthiforme.] Having the form of a labyrinth; intricate.

Lab`y*rin"thine (?), a. Pertaining to, or like, a labyrinth; labyrinthal.

Lab`y*rin"tho*don (?), n. [Gr. laby`rinqos labyrinth + 'odoy`s, 'odo`ntos, tooth.] (Paleon.) A genus of very large fossil amphibians, of the Triassic period, having bony plates on the under side of the body. It is the type of the order Labyrinthodonta. Called also Mastodonsaurus.

Lab`y*rin"tho*dont (?), a. (Paleon.) Of or pertaining to the Labyrinthodonta. -- n. One of the Labyrinthodonta.

||Lab`y*rin`tho*don"ta (?), n. pl. [NL. See Labyrinthodon.] (Paleon.) ||An extinct order of Amphibia, including the typical genus ||Labyrinthodon, and many other allied forms, from the Carboniferous, ||Permian, and Triassic formations. By recent writers they are divided ||into two or more orders. See Stegocephala. || { Lac (lk), ||Lakh (läk) }, n. [Hind. lak, lkh, lksh, Skr. laksha a mark, sign, lakh.] One hundred thousand; also, a vaguely great number; as, a lac of rupees. [Written also lack.] [East Indies]

Lac, n. [Per. lak; akin to Skr. lksh: cf. F. lague, It. & NL. lacca. Cf. Lake a color, Lacquer, Litmus.] A resinous substance produced mainly on the banyan tree, but to some extent on other trees, by the Coccus lacca, a scale-shaped insect, the female of which fixes herself on the bark, and exudes from the margin of her body this resinous substance.

Stick-lac is the substance in its natural state, incrusting small twigs. When broken off, and the coloring matter partly removed, the granular residuum is called seed-lac. When melted, and reduced to a thin crust, it is called shell-lac or shellac. Lac is an important ingredient in sealing wax, dyes, varnishes, and lacquers.

Ceylon lac, a resinous exudation of the tree Croton lacciferum, resembling lac. -- Lac dye, a scarlet dye obtained from stick-lac. -- Lac lake, the coloring matter of lac dye when precipitated from its solutions by alum. -- Mexican lac, an exudation of the tree Croton Draco.

Lac"cic (lk"sk), a. [Cf. F. laccique.] (Chem.) Pertaining to lac, or produced from it; as, laccic acid.

Lac"cin (?), n. [Cf. F. laccine.] (Chem.) A yellow amorphous substance obtained from lac.

{ Lac"co*lite (?), Lac"co*lith (?), } n. [Gr. &?; a cistern + -lite, - lith.] (Geol.) A mass of igneous rock intruded between sedimentary beds and resulting in a mammiform bulging of the overlying strata. -- Lac`co*lit"ic (#), a.

Lace (ls), n. [OE. las, OF. laz, F. lacs, dim. lacet, fr. L. laqueus noose, snare; prob. akin to lacere to entice. Cf. Delight, Elicit, Lasso, Latchet.] 1. That which binds or holds, especially by being interwoven; a string, cord, or band, usually one passing through eyelet or other holes, and used in drawing and holding together parts of a garment, of a shoe, of a machine belt, etc.

His hat hung at his back down by a lace.

Chaucer.

For striving more, the more in laces strong Himself he tied.

Spenser.

2. A snare or gin, especially one made of interwoven cords; a net. [Obs.] Fairfax.

Vulcanus had caught thee [Venus] in his lace.

Chaucer.

3. A fabric of fine threads of linen, silk, cotton, etc., often ornamented with figures; a delicate tissue of thread, much worn as an ornament of dress.

Our English dames are much given to the wearing of costly laces.

Bacon.

4. Spirits added to coffee or some other beverage. [Old Slang] Addison.

Alencon lace, a kind of point lace, entirely of needlework, first made at Alencon in France, in the 17th century. It is very durable and of great beauty and cost. -- Bone lace, Brussels lace, etc. See under Bone, Brussels, etc. -- Gold lace, or Silver lace, lace having warp threads of silk, or silk and cotton, and a weft of silk threads covered with gold (or silver), or with gilt. -- Lace leather, thin, oil-tanned leather suitable for cutting into lacings for machine belts. -- Lace lizard (Zoöl.), a large, aquatic, Australian lizard (Hydrosaurus giganteus), allied to the monitors. -- Lace paper, paper with an openwork design in imitation of lace. -- Lace piece (Shipbuilding), the main piece of timber which supports the beak or head projecting beyond the stem of a ship. -- Lace pillow, &and; Pillow lace. See under Pillow.

Lace, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Laced (st); p. pr. & vb. n. Lacing (?).] 1. To fasten with a lace; to draw together with a lace passed through eyelet holes; to unite with a lace or laces, or, figuratively. with anything resembling laces. Shak.

When Jenny's stays are newly laced.

Prior.

2. To adorn with narrow strips or braids of some decorative material; as, cloth laced with silver. Shak.

3. To beat; to lash; to make stripes on. [Colloq.]

I'll lace your coat for ye.

L'Estrange.

4. To add spirits to (a beverage). [Old Slang]

Lace, v. i. To be fastened with a lace, or laces; as, these boots lace.

Lace"-bark` (?), n. (Bot.) A shrub in the West Indies (Lagetta Iintearia); -- so called from the lacelike layers of its inner bark.

Laced (?), a. 1. Fastened with a lace or laces; decorated with narrow strips or braid. See Lace, v. t.

2. Decorated with the fabric lace.

A shirt with laced ruffles.

Fielding.

Laced mutton, a prostitute. [Old slang] -- Laced stocking, a strong stocking which can be tightly laced; -- used in cases of weak legs, varicose veins, etc. Dunglison.

Lac`e*dæ*mo"ni*an (?), a. [L. Lacedamonius, Gr. Lakedaimo`nios, fr. Lakedai`mwn Lacedæmon.] Of or pertaining to Lacedæmon or Sparta, the chief city of Laconia in the Peloponnesus. -- n. A Spartan. [Written also Lacedemonian.]

Lace"man (?), n.; pl. Lacemen (&?;). A man who deals in lace.

Lac"er*a*ble (?), a. [L. lacerabilis: cf. F. lacérable.] That can be lacerated or torn.

Lac"er*ate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Lacerated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Lacerating (&?;>).] [L. laceratus, p. p. of lacerare to lacerate, fr. lacer mangled, lacerated; cf. Gr. &?; a rent, rending, &?; to tear; perh. akin to E. slay.] To tear; to rend; to separate by tearing; to mangle; as, to lacerate the flesh. Hence: To afflict; to torture; as, to lacerate the heart.

{ Lac"er*ate (?), Lac"er*a`ted (?), } p. a. [L. laceratus, p. p.] 1. Rent; torn; mangled; as, a lacerated wound.

By each other's fury lacerate

Southey.

2. (Bot. & Zoöl.) Jagged, or slashed irregularly, at the end, or along the edge.

Lac`er*a"tion (?), n. [L. laceratio: cf. F. lacération.] 1. The act of lacerating.

2. A breach or wound made by lacerating. Arbuthnot.

Lac"er*a*tive (?), a. Lacerating, or having the power to lacerate; as, lacerative humors. Harvey.

La"cert (?), n. [OE. lacerte. See Lacertus.] A muscle of the human body. [Obs.] Chaucer.

La*cer"ta (?), n. [L. lacertus the arm.] A fathom. [Obs.] Domesday Book.

La*cer"ta, n. [L. a lizard. See Lizard.] 1. (Zoöl.) A genus of lizards. See Lizard.

Formerly it included nearly all the known lizards. It is now restricted to certain diurnal Old World species, like the green lizard (Lacerta viridis) and the sand lizard (L. agilis), of Europe.

2. (Astron.) The Lizard, a northern constellation.

La*cer"tian (?), a. [Cf. F. lacertien.] (Zoöl.) Like a lizard; of or pertaining to the Lacertilia. -- n. One of the Lacertilia.

||Lac`er*til"i*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L. lacertus a lizard.] (Zoöl.) ||An order of Reptilia, which includes the lizards. || They are closely related to the snakes, and like the latter, usually have the body covered with scales or granules. They usually have eyelids, and most of then have well-formed legs; but in some groups (amphisbæna, glass-snake, etc.) the legs are wanting and the body is serpentlike. None are venomous, unless Heloderma be an exception. The order includes the chameleons, the Cionocrania, or typical lizards, and the amphisbænas. See Amphisbæna, Gecko, Gila monster, and Lizard.

Lac`er*til"i*an (-an), a. & n. Same as Lacertian.

La*cer"ti*loid (?), a. [Lacertilia + -oid.] (Zoöl.) Like or belonging to the Lacertilia.

La*cer"tine (?), a. (Zoöl.) Lacertian.

||La*cer"tus (l*sr"ts), n.; pl. Lacerti (- t). [L., the upper arm.] ||(Anat.) A bundle or fascicle of muscular fibers. || Lace"wing` (ls"wng`), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of neuropterous insects of the genus Chrysopa and allied genera. They have delicate, lacelike wings and brilliant eyes. Their larvæ are useful in destroying aphids. Called also lace-winged fly, and goldeneyed fly.

Lace"-winged`, a. (Zoöl.) Having thin, transparent, reticulated wings; as, the lace- winged flies.

{ Lach"es (?), Lache (?), } n. [OF. lachesse, fr. lache lax, indolent, F. lâche, ultimately fr. L. laxus loose, lax. See Lax.] (Law) Neglect; negligence; remissness; neglect to do a thing at the proper time; delay to assert a claim.

It ill became him to take advantage of such a laches with the eagerness of a shrewd attorney.

Macaulay.

Lach"ry*ma*ble (?), a. [L. lacrimabilis, fr. lacrima a tear.] Lamentable. Martin Parker.

||Lach"ry*mæ Chris"ti (?). [L., lit., Christ's tears.] A rich, sweet, ||red Neapolitan wine. || Lach"ry*mal (&?;), a. [Cf. F. lacrymal. See Lachrymose.] 1. Of or pertaining to tears; as, lachrymal effusions.

2. (Anat.) (a) Pertaining to, or secreting, tears; as, the lachrymal gland. (b) Pertaining to the lachrymal organs; as, lachrymal bone; lachrymal duct.

{ Lach"ry*mal, Lac"ry*mal } (?), n. See Lachrymatory.

Lach"ry*ma*ry (?), a. Containing, or intended to contain, tears; lachrymal. Addison.

Lach"ry*mate (-mt), v. i. To weep. [R.] Blount.

Lach`ry*ma"tion (?), n. [L. lacrimatio, from lacrimare to shed tears, fr. lacrima tear.] The act of shedding tears; weeping.

Lach"ry*ma*to*ry (?), n.; pl. - ries (#). [Cf. F. lacrymatoire.] (Antiq.) A "tear-bottle;" a narrow-necked vessel found in sepulchers of the ancient Romans; -- so called from a former notion that the tears of the deceased person's friends were collected in it. Called also lachrymal or lacrymal.

Lach"ry*mi*form (?), a., [L. lacrima tear + -form; cf. F. lacrymiforme.] Having the form of a tear; tear-shaped.

Lach"ry*mose` (?), a. [L. lacrymosus, better lacrimosus, fr. lacrima, lacruma (also badly spelt lachryma) a tear, for older dacrima, akin to E. tear. See Tear the secretion.] Generating or shedding tears; given to shedding tears; suffused with tears; tearful.

You should have seen his lachrymose visnomy.

Lamb.

-- Lach"ry*mose`ly, adv.

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La"cing (?), n. 1. The act of securing, fastening, or tightening, with a lace or laces.

2. A lace; specifically (Mach.), a thong of thin leather for uniting the ends of belts.

3. A rope or line passing through eyelet holes in the edge of a sail or an awning to attach it to a yard, gaff, etc.

4. (Bridge Building) A system of bracing bars, not crossing each other in the middle, connecting the channel bars of a compound strut. Waddell.

La*cin"i*a (?), n.; pl. L. Laciniæ (#). [L., the lappet or flap of a garment.] 1. (Bot.) (a) One of the narrow, jagged, irregular pieces or divisions which form a sort of fringe on the borders of the petals of some flowers. (b) A narrow, slender portion of the edge of a monophyllous calyx, or of any irregularly incised leaf.

2. (Zoöl.) The posterior, inner process of the stipes on the maxillæ of insects.

{ La*cin"i*ate (?), La*cin"i*a"ted (?), } a. [See Lacinia.] 1. Fringed; having a fringed border.

2. (Bot. & Zoöl.) Cut into deep, narrow, irregular lobes; slashed.

La*cin"i*o*late (?), a. [See Lacinia.] (Bot.) Consisting of, or abounding in, very minute laciniæ.

||La*cin"u*la (?), n.; pl. Lacinulæ (#), E. Lacinulas (#). [NL.] (Bot.) ||A diminutive lacinia. || Lack (?), n. [OE. lak; cf. D. lak slander, laken to blame, OHG. lahan, AS. leán.] 1. Blame; cause of blame; fault; crime; offense. [Obs.] Chaucer.

2. Deficiency; want; need; destitution; failure; as, a lack of sufficient food.

She swooneth now and now for lakke of blood.

Chaucer.

Let his lack of years be no impediment.

Shak.

Lack, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Lacked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Lacking.] 1. To blame; to find fault with. [Obs.]

Love them and lakke them not.

Piers Plowman.

2. To be without or destitute of; to want; to need.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.

James i. 5.

Lack, v. i. 1. To be wanting; often, impersonally, with of, meaning, to be less than, short, not quite, etc.

What hour now ? I think it lacks of twelve.

Shak.

Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty.

Gen. xvii. 28.

2. To be in want.

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger.

Ps. xxxiv. 10.

Lack, interj. [Cf. Alack.] Exclamation of regret or surprise. [Prov. Eng.] Cowper.

Lack`a*dai"si*cal (lk`*d"z*kal), a. [From Lackadaisy, interj.] Affectedly pensive; languidly sentimental. -- Lack`a*dai"si*cal*ly, adv.

Lack"a*dai`sy (?), interj. [From Lackaday, interj.] An expression of languor.

Lack"a*dai`sy, a. Lackadaisical.

Lack"a*day` (?), interj. [Abbreviated from alackaday.] Alack the day; alas; -- an expression of sorrow, regret, dissatisfaction, or surprise.

Lack"brain` (?), n. One who is deficient in understanding; a witless person. Shak.

Lack"er (?), n. One who lacks or is in want.

Lack"er, n. & v. See Lacquer.

Lack"ey (?), n.; pl. Lackeys (#). [F. laquais; cf. Sp. & Pg. lacayo; of uncertain origin; perh. of German origin, and akin to E. lick, v.] An attending male servant; a footman; a servile follower.

Like a Christian footboy or a gentleman's lackey.

Shak.

Lackey caterpillar (Zoöl.), the caterpillar, or larva, of any bombycid moth of the genus Clisiocampa; -- so called from its party-colored markings. The common European species (C. neustria) is striped with blue, yellow, and red, with a white line on the back. The American species (C. Americana and C. sylvatica) are commonly called tent caterpillars. See Tent caterpillar, under Tent. -- Lackey moth (Zoöl.), the moth which produces the lackey caterpillar.

Lack"ey, v. t. To attend as a lackey; to wait upon.

A thousand liveried angels lackey her.

Milton.

Lack"ey, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Lackeyed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Lackeying.] To act or serve as lackey; to pay servile attendance.

{ Lack"lus`ter, Lack"lus`tre } (?), n. A want of luster. -- a. Wanting luster or brightness. "Lackluster eye." Shak.

Lac"mus (?), n. See Litmus.

La*co"ni*an (?), a. Of or pertaining to Laconia, a division of ancient Greece; Spartan. - - n. An inhabitant of Laconia; esp., a Spartan.

{ La*con"ic (?), La*con"ic*al (?), } a. [L. Laconicus Laconian, Gr. &?;&?;, fr. &?;&?; a Laconian, Lacedæmonian, or Spartan: cf. F. laconique.] 1. Expressing much in few words, after the manner of the Laconians or Spartans; brief and pithy; brusque; epigrammatic. In this sense laconic is the usual form.

I grow laconic even beyond laconicism; for sometimes I return only yes, or no, to questionary or petitionary epistles of half a yard long.

Pope.

His sense was strong and his style laconic.

Welwood.

2. Laconian; characteristic of, or like, the Spartans; hence, stern or severe; cruel; unflinching.

His head had now felt the razor, his back the rod; all that laconical discipline pleased him well.

Bp. Hall.

Syn. -- Short; brief; concise; succinct; sententious; pointed; pithy. -- Laconic, Concise. Concise means without irrelevant or superfluous matter; it is the opposite of diffuse. Laconic means concise with the additional quality of pithiness, sometimes of brusqueness.

La*con"ic, n. Laconism. [Obs.] Addison.

La*con"ic*al (?), a. See Laconic, a.

La*con"ic*al*ly, adv. In a laconic manner.

La*con"i*cism (?), n. Same as Laconism. Pope.

Lac"o*nism (?), n. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to imitate Lacedæmonian manners, to speak laconically: cf. F. laconisme.] 1. A vigorous, brief manner of expression; laconic style.

2. An instance of laconic style or expression.

Lac"o*nize (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Laconized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Laconizing (?).] [Gr. &?;. See Laconic.] To imitate the manner of the Laconians, especially in brief, pithy speech, or in frugality and austerity.

Lac"quer (?), n. [F. lacre a sort of sealing wax, Pg. lacte, fr. laca lac. See Lac the resin.] [Written also lacker.] A varnish, consisting of a solution of shell-lac in alcohol, often colored with gamboge, saffron, or the like; -- used for varnishing metals, papier- maché, and wood. The name is also given to varnishes made of other ingredients, esp. the tough, solid varnish of the Japanese, with which ornamental objects are made.

Lac"quer, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Lacquered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Lacquering.] To cover with lacquer. "Lacquer'd chair." Pope.

Lac"quer*er (?), n. One who lacquers, especially one who makes a business of lacquering.

Lac"quer*ing, n. The act or business of putting on lacquer; also, the coat of lacquer put on.

||La`cri*mo"so (?), a. [It. See Lachrymose.] (Mus.) Plaintive; -- a ||term applied to a mournful or pathetic movement or style. Moore. || La*crosse" (?), n. [F. la crosse, lit., the crosier, hooked stick. Cf. Crosier.] A game of ball, originating among the North American Indians, now the popular field sport of Canada, and played also in England and the United States. Each player carries a long-handled racket, called a "crosse". The ball is not handled but caught with the crosse and carried on it, or tossed from it, the object being to carry it or throw it through one of the goals placed at opposite ends of the field.