Chapter 76

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 Covenant. See Covenant,2. -- The land league, an association, organized in Dublin in 1879, to promote the interests of the Irish tenantry, its avowed objects being to secure fixity of tenure, fair rent, and free sale of the tenants' interest. It was declared illegal by Parliament, but vigorous prosecutions have failed to suppress it.

Syn. -- Alliance; confederacy; confederation; coalition; combination; compact; coöperation.

League (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Leagued (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Leaguing (?).] [Cf. F. se liguer. See 2d League.] To unite in a league or confederacy; to combine for mutual support; to confederate. South.

League, v. t. To join in a league; to cause to combine for a joint purpose; to combine; to unite; as, common interests will league heterogeneous elements.

Lea"guer, n. [D. leger camp, bed, couch, lair. See Lair, and cf.Beleaguer.] 1. The camp of a besieging army; a camp in general. b. Jonson.

2. A siege or beleaguering. [R.] Sir W. Scott.

Lea"guer, v. t. To besiege; to beleaguer. [Obs.]

Lea"guer*er (?), n. A besieger. [R.] J. Webster.

Leak (?), n. [Akin to D. lek leaky, a leak, G. leck, Icel. lekr leaky, Dan. læk leaky, a leak, Sw. läck; cf. AS. hlec full of cracks or leaky. Cf. Leak, v.] 1. A crack, crevice, fissure, or hole which admits water or other fluid, or lets it escape; as, a leak in a roof; a leak in a boat; a leak in a gas pipe. "One leak will sink a ship." Bunyan.

2. The entrance or escape of a fluid through a crack, fissure, or other aperture; as, the leak gained on the ship's pumps.

To spring a leak, to open or crack so as to let in water; to begin to let in water; as, the ship sprung a leak.

Leak, a. Leaky. [Obs.] Spenser.

Leak, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Leaked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Leaking.] [Akin to D. lekken, G. lecken, lechen, Icel. leka, Dan. lække, Sw. läcka, AS. leccan to wet, moisten. See Leak, n.] 1. To let water or other fluid in or out through a hole, crevice, etc.; as, the cask leaks; the roof leaks; the boat leaks.

2. To enter or escape, as a fluid, through a hole, crevice, etc.; to pass gradually into, or out of, something; -- usually with in or out.

To leak out, to be divulged gradually or clandestinely; to become public; as, the facts leaked out.

Leak"age (&?;), n. [Cf. D. lekkage, for sense 1.] 1. A leaking; also, the quantity that enters or issues by leaking.

2. (Com.) An allowance of a certain rate per cent for the leaking of casks, or waste of liquors by leaking.

Leak"i*ness (?), n. The quality of being leaky.

Leak"y (?), a. [Compar. Leakier (?); superl. Leakiest.] 1. Permitting water or other fluid to leak in or out; as, a leaky roof or cask.

2. Apt to disclose secrets; tattling; not close. [Colloq.]

Leal (?), a. [OE. leial, another form of loial, F. loyal. See Loyal.] Faithful; loyal; true.

All men true and leal, all women pure.

Tennyson.

Land of the leal, the place of the faithful; heaven.

Leam (?), n. & v. i. See Leme. [Obs.] Holland.

Leam, n. [See Leamer, Lien.] A cord or strap for leading a dog. Sir W. Scott.

Leam"er (?), n. [F. limier, OF. liemier, fr. L. ligamen band, bandage. See Lien.] A dog held by a leam.

Lean (ln), v. t. [Icel. leyna; akin to G. läugnen to deny, AS. lgnian, also E. lie to speak falsely.] To conceal. [Obs.] Ray.

Lean (ln), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Leaned (lnd), sometimes Leant (lnt); p. pr. & vb. n. Leaning.] [OE. lenen, AS. hlinian, hleonian, v. i.; akin to OS. hlinn, D. leunen, OHG. hlinn, linn, G. lehnen, L. inclinare, Gr. kli`nein , L. clivus hill, slope. √40. Cf. Declivity, Climax, Incline, Ladder.] 1. To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating; as, she leaned out at the window; a leaning column. "He leant forward." Dickens.

2. To incline in opinion or desire; to conform in conduct; -- with to, toward, etc.

They delight rather to lean to their old customs.

Spenser.

3. To rest or rely, for support, comfort, and the like; -- with on, upon, or against.

He leaned not on his fathers but himself.

Tennyson.

Lean, v. t. [From Lean, v. i.; AS. hlnan, v. t., fr. hleonian, hlinian, v. i.] To cause to lean; to incline; to support or rest. Mrs. Browning.

His fainting limbs against an oak he leant.

Dryden.

Lean (ln), a. [Compar. Leaner (ln"r); superl. Leanest.] [OE. lene, AS. hlne; prob. akin to E. lean to incline. See Lean, v. i. ] 1. Wanting flesh; destitute of or deficient in fat; not plump; meager; thin; lank; as, a lean body; a lean cattle.

2. Wanting fullness, richness, sufficiency, or productiveness; deficient in quality or contents; slender; scant; barren; bare; mean; -- used literally and figuratively; as, the lean harvest; a lean purse; a lean discourse; lean wages. "No lean wardrobe." Shak.

Their lean and flashy songs.

Milton.

What the land is, whether it be fat or lean.

Num. xiii. 20.

Out of my lean and low ability I'll lend you something.

Shak.

3. (Typog.) Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; -- opposed to fat; as, lean copy, matter, or type.

Syn. -- slender; spare; thin; meager; lank; skinny; gaunt.

Lean (?), n. 1. That part of flesh which consists principally of muscle without the fat.

The fat was so white and the lean was so ruddy.

Goldsmith.

2. (Typog.) Unremunerative copy or work.

Lean"-faced` (?), a. 1. Having a thin face.

2. (Typog.) slender or narrow; -- said of type the letters of which have thin lines, or are unusually narrow in proportion to their height. W. Savage.

Lean"ing, n. The act, or state, of inclining; inclination; tendency; as, a leaning towards Calvinism.

Lean"ly, adv. Meagerly; without fat or plumpness.

Lean"ness, n. [AS. hlnnes.] The condition or quality of being lean.

Lean"-to` (?), a. (Arch.) Having only one slope or pitch; -- said of a roof. -- n. A shed or slight building placed against the wall of a larger structure and having a single-pitched roof; -- called also penthouse, and to-fall.

The outer circuit was covered as a lean-to, all round this inner apartment.

De Foe.

Lean"-wit`ted (?), a. Having but little sense or shrewdness.

Lean"y (?), a. Lean. [Obs.] Spenser.

Leap (?), n. [AS. leáp.] 1. A basket. [Obs.] Wyclif.

2. A weel or wicker trap for fish. [Prov. Eng.]

Leap (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Leaped (?), rarely Leapt; p. pr. & vb. n. Leaping.] [OE. lepen, leapen, AS. hleápan to leap, jump, run; akin to OS. hl&?;pan, OFries. hlapa, D. loopen, G. laufen, OHG. louffan, hlauffan, Icel. hlaupa, Sw. löpa, Dan. löbe, Goth. ushlaupan. Cf. Elope, Lope, Lapwing, Loaf to loiter.] 1. To spring clear of the ground, with the feet; to jump; to vault; as, a man leaps over a fence, or leaps upon a horse. Bacon.

Leap in with me into this angry flood.

Shak.

2. To spring or move suddenly, as by a jump or by jumps; to bound; to move swiftly. Also Fig.

My heart leaps up when I behold A rainbow in the sky.

Wordsworth.

Leap, v. t. 1. To pass over by a leap or jump; as, to leap a wall, or a ditch.

2. To copulate with (a female beast); to cover.

3. To cause to leap; as, to leap a horse across a ditch.

Leap, n. 1. The act of leaping, or the space passed by leaping; a jump; a spring; a bound.

Wickedness comes on by degrees, . . . and sudden leaps from one extreme to another are unnatural.

L'Estrange.

Changes of tone may proceed either by leaps or glides.

H. Sweet.

2. Copulation with, or coverture of, a female beast.

3. (Mining) A fault.

4. (Mus.) A passing from one note to another by an interval, especially by a long one, or by one including several other and intermediate intervals.

Leap"er (?), n. [AS. hleápere.] One who, or that which, leaps.

Leap"er, n. [See 1st Leap.] A kind of hooked instrument for untwisting old cordage.

Leap"frog` (?), n. A play among boys, in which one stoops down and another leaps over him by placing his hands on the shoulders of the former.

Leap"ful (?), n. [See 1st Leap.] A basketful. [Obs.]

Leap"ing, a. & n. from Leap, to jump.

Leaping house, a brothel. [Obs.] Shak. -- Leaping pole, a pole used in some games of leaping. -- Leaping spider (Zoöl.), a jumping spider; one of the Saltigradæ.

Leap"ing*ly, adv. By leaps.

Leap" year` (?). Bissextile; a year containing 366 days; every fourth year which leaps over a day more than a common year, giving to February twenty-nine days. See Bissextile.

Every year whose number is divisible by four without a remainder is a leap year, excepting the full centuries, which, to be leap years, must be divisible by 400 without a remainder. If not so divisible they are common years. 1900, therefore, is not a leap year.

Lear (?), v. t. To learn. See Lere, to learn. [Obs.]

Lear, n. Lore; lesson. [Obs.] Spenser.

Lear, a. See Leer, a. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Lear, n. An annealing oven. See Leer, n.

Learn (lrn), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Learned (lrnd), or Learnt (lrnt); p. pr. & vb. n. Learning.] [OE. lernen, leornen, AS. leornian; akin to OS. linn, for lirnn, OHG. lirnn, lernn, G. lernen, fr. the root of AS. l&?;ran to teach, OS. lrian, OHG. lran, G. lehren, Goth. laisjan, also Goth lais I know, leis acquainted (in comp.); all prob. from a root meaning, to go, go over, and hence, to learn; cf. AS. leoran to go . Cf. Last a mold of the foot, lore.] 1. To gain knowledge or information of; to ascertain by inquiry, study, or investigation; to receive instruction concerning; to fix in the mind; to acquire understanding of, or skill; as, to learn the way; to learn a lesson; to learn dancing; to learn to skate; to learn the violin; to learn the truth about something. "Learn to do well." Is. i. 17.

Now learn a parable of the fig tree.

Matt. xxiv. 32.

2. To communicate knowledge to; to teach. [Obs.]

Hast thou not learned me how To make perfumes ?

Shak.

Learn formerly had also the sense of teach, in accordance with the analogy of the French and other languages, and hence we find it with this sense in Shakespeare, Spenser, and other old writers. This usage has now passed away. To learn is to receive instruction, and to teach is to give instruction. He who is taught learns, not he who teaches.

Learn, v. i. To acquire knowledge or skill; to make progress in acquiring knowledge or skill; to receive information or instruction; as, this child learns quickly.

Take my yoke upon you and learn of me.

Matt. xi. 29.

To learn by heart. See By heart, under Heart. -- To learn by rote, to memorize by repetition without exercise of the understanding.

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Learn"a*ble (lrn"*b'l), a. Such as can be learned.

Learn"ed (lrn"d), a. Of or pertaining to learning; possessing, or characterized by, learning, esp. scholastic learning; erudite; well-informed; as, a learned scholar, writer, or lawyer; a learned book; a learned theory.

The learnedlover lost no time.

Spenser.

Men of much reading are greatly learned, but may be little knowing.

Locke.

Words of learned length and thundering sound.

Goldsmith.

The learned, learned men; men of erudition; scholars.

-- Learn"ed*ly, adv. Learn"ed*ness, n.

Every coxcomb swears as learnedly as they.

Swift.

Learn"er (?), n. One who learns; a scholar.

Learn"ing, n. [AS. leornung.] 1. The acquisition of knowledge or skill; as, the learning of languages; the learning of telegraphy.

2. The knowledge or skill received by instruction or study; acquired knowledge or ideas in any branch of science or literature; erudition; literature; science; as, he is a man of great learning.

Book learning. See under Book.

Syn. -- Literature; erudition; lore; scholarship; science; letters. See Literature.

Leas"a*ble (?), a. [From 2d Lease.] Such as can be leased.

Lease (?), v. i. [AS. lesan to gather; akin to D. lezen to gather, read, G. lesen, Goth. lisan to gather; cf. Lith lesti to peck.] To gather what harvesters have left behind; to glean. [Obs.] Dryden.

Lease (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Leased (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Leasing.] [F. laisser, OF. laissier, lessier, to leave, transmit, L. laxare to loose, slacken, from laxus loose, wide. See Lax, and cf. Lesser.] 1. To grant to another by lease the possession of, as of lands, tenements, and hereditaments; to let; to demise; as, a landowner leases a farm to a tenant; -- sometimes with out.

There were some [houses] that were leased out for three lives.

Addison.

2. To hold under a lease; to take lease of; as, a tenant leases his land from the owner.

Lease (?), n. [Cf. OF. lais. See Lease, v. t.] 1. A demise or letting of lands, tenements, or hereditaments to another for life, for a term of years, or at will, or for any less interest than that which the lessor has in the property, usually for a specified rent or compensation.

2. The contract for such letting.

3. Any tenure by grant or permission; the time for which such a tenure holds good; allotted time.

Our high-placed Macbeth Shall live the lease of nature.

Shak.

Lease and release a mode of conveyance of freehold estates, formerly common in England and in New York. its place is now supplied by a simple deed of grant. Burrill. Warren's Blackstone.

Lease"hold` (?), a. Held by lease.

Lease"hold`, n. A tenure by lease; specifically, land held as personalty under a lease for years.

Lease"hold`er (?), n. A tenant under a lease. -- Lease"hold`ing, a. & n.

Leas"er (?), n. [From 1st Lease.] One who leases or gleans. [Obs.] Swift.

Leas"er, n. A liar. [Obs.] See Leasing.

Leash (?), n. [OE. lese, lees, leece, OF. lesse, F. laisse, LL. laxa, fr. L. laxus loose. See Lax.] 1. A thong of leather, or a long cord, by which a falconer holds his hawk, or a courser his dog.

Even like a fawning greyhound in the leash.

Shak.

2. (Sporting) A brace and a half; a tierce; three; three creatures of any kind, especially greyhounds, foxes, bucks, and hares; hence, the number three in general.

[I] kept my chamber a leash of days.

B. Jonson.

Then were I wealthier than a leash of kings.

Tennyson.

3. (Weaving) A string with a loop at the end for lifting warp threads, in a loom.

Leash, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Leashed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Leashing.] To tie together, or hold, with a leash.

Leas"ing (?), n. [AS. leásung, fr. leás loose, false, deceitful. See -less, Loose, a.] The act of lying; falsehood; a lie or lies. [Archaic] Spenser.

Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing.

Ps. v. 6.

Blessed be the lips that such a leasing told.

Fairfax.

Leasing making (Scots Law), the uttering of lies or libels upon the personal character of the sovereign, his court, or his family. Bp. Burnet.

Lea"sow (?), n. [AS. lesu, læsu.] A pasture. [Obs.]

Least (lst), a. [OE. last, lest, AS. lsast, lsest, superl. of lssa less. See Less, a.] [Used as the superlative of little.] Smallest, either in size or degree; shortest; lowest; most unimportant; as, the least insect; the least mercy; the least space.

Least is often used with the, as if a noun.

I am the least of the apostles.

1 Cor. xv. 9.

At least, or At the least, at the least estimate, consideration, chance, etc.; hence, at any rate; at all events; even. See However.

He who tempts, though in vain, at least asperses The tempted with dishonor.

Milton.

Upon the mast they saw a young man, at least if he were a man, who sat as on horseback.

Sir P. Sidney.

-- In least, or In the least, in the least degree, manner, etc. "He that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." Luke xvi. 10. -- Least squares (Math.), a method of deducing from a number of carefully made yet slightly discordant observations of a phenomenon the most probable values of the unknown quantities. It takes as its fundamental principle that the most probable values are those which make the sum of the squares of the residual errors of the observation a minimum.

Least, adv. In the smallest or lowest degree; in a degree below all others; as, to reward those who least deserve it.

Least, conj. See Lest, conj. [Obs.] Spenser.

{ Least"ways` (?), Least"wise` (?), } adv. At least; at all events. [Colloq.]

At leastways, or At leastwise, at least. [Obs.] Fuller.

Lea"sy (?), a. [AS. leás void, loose, false. Cf. Leasing.] Flimsy; vague; deceptive. [Obs.] Ascham.

Leat (?), n. [Cf. Lead to conduct.] An artificial water trench, esp. one to or from a mill. C. Kingsley.

Leath"er (l"r), n. [OE. lether, AS. leðer; akin to D. leder, leêr, G. leder, OHG. ledar, Icel. leðr, Sw. läder, Dan. læder.] 1. The skin of an animal, or some part of such skin, tanned, tawed, or otherwise dressed for use; also, dressed hides, collectively.

2. The skin. [Ironical or Sportive]

Leather is much used adjectively in the sense of made of, relating to, or like, leather.

Leather board, an imitation of sole leather, made of leather scraps, rags, paper, etc. -- Leather carp (Zoöl.) , a variety of carp in which the scales are all, or nearly all, absent. See Illust. under Carp. -- Leather jacket. (Zoöl.) (a) A California carangoid fish (Oligoplites saurus). (b) A trigger fish (Balistes Carolinensis). -- Leather flower (Bot.), a climbing plant (Clematis Viorna) of the Middle and Southern States having thick, leathery sepals of a purplish color. -- Leather leaf (Bot.), a low shrub (Cassandra calyculata), growing in Northern swamps, and having evergreen, coriaceous, scurfy leaves. -- Leather plant (Bot.), one or more New Zealand plants of the composite genus Celmisia, which have white or buff tomentose leaves. -- Leather turtle. (Zoöl.) See Leatherback. -- Vegetable leather. (a) An imitation of leather made of cotton waste. (b) Linen cloth coated with India rubber. Ure.

Leath"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Leathered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Leathering.] To beat, as with a thong of leather. [Obs. or Colloq.] G. Eliot.

Leath"er*back` (?), n. (Zoöl.) A large sea turtle (Sphargis coriacea), having no bony shell on its back. It is common in the warm and temperate parts of the Atlantic, and sometimes weighs over a thousand pounds; -- called also leather turtle, leathery turtle, leather-backed tortoise, etc.

{ Leath"er*et (?), Leath`er*ette" (?) }, n. [Leather + et, F. -ette.] An imitation of leather, made of paper and cloth.

Leath"er*head` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The friar bird.

Leath"ern (?), a. Made of leather; consisting of. leather; as, a leathern purse. "A leathern girdle about his loins." Matt. iii. 4.

Leath"er*neck` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The sordid friar bird of Australia (Tropidorhynchus sordidus).

Leath"er*wood`, n. (Bot.) A small branching shrub (Dirca palustris), with a white, soft wood, and a tough, leathery bark, common in damp woods in the Northern United States; -- called also moosewood, and wicopy. Gray.

Leath"er*y (?), a. Resembling leather in appearance or consistence; tough. "A leathery skin." Grew.

Leave (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Leaved (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Leaving] To send out leaves; to leaf; -- often with out. G. Fletcher.

Leave, v. t. [See Levy.] To raise; to levy. [Obs.]

An army strong she leaved.

Spenser.

Leave, n. [OE. leve, leave, AS. leáf; akin to leóf pleasing, dear, E. lief, D. oorlof leave, G. arlaub, and erlauben to permit, Icel. leyfi. &radic;124. See Lief.] 1. Liberty granted by which restraint or illegality is removed; permission; allowance; license.

David earnestly asked leave of me.

1 Sam. xx. 6.

No friend has leave to bear away the dead.

Dryden.

2. The act of leaving or departing; a formal parting; a leaving; farewell; adieu; -- used chiefly in the phrase, to take leave, i. e., literally, to take permission to go.

A double blessing is a'double grace; Occasion smiles upon a second leave.

Shak.

And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren.

Acts xviii. 18.

French leave. See under French.

Syn. -- See Liberty.

Leave, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Left (lft); p. pr. & vb. n. Leaving.] [OE. leven, AS. l&?;fan, fr. lf remnant, heritage; akin to lifian, libban, to live, orig., to remain; cf. belfan to remain, G. bleiben, Goth. bileiban. &radic;119. See Live, v.] 1. To withdraw one's self from; to go away from; to depart from; as, to leave the house.

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife.

Gen. ii. 24.

2. To let remain unremoved or undone; to let stay or continue, in distinction from what is removed or changed.

If grape gatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes ?

Jer. xlix. 9.

These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Matt. xxiii. 23.

Besides it leaveth a suspicion, as if more might be said than is expressed.

Bacon.

3. To cease from; to desist from; to abstain from.

Now leave complaining and begin your tea.

Pope.

4. To desert; to abandon; to forsake; hence, to give up; to relinquish.

Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.

Mark x. 28.

The heresies that men do leave.

Shak.

5. To let be or do without interference; as, I left him to his reflections; I leave my hearers to judge.

I will leave you now to your gossiplike humor.

Shak.

6. To put; to place; to deposit; to deliver; to commit; to submit -- with a sense of withdrawing one's self from; as, leave your hat in the hall; we left our cards; to leave the matter to arbitrators.

Leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way.

Matt. v. 24.

The foot That leaves the print of blood where'er it walks.

Shak.

7. To have remaining at death; hence, to bequeath; as, he left a large estate; he left a good name; he left a legacy to his niece.

To leave alone. (a) To leave in solitude. (b) To desist or refrain from having to do with; as, to leave dangerous chemicals alone. -- To leave off. (a) To desist from; to forbear; to stop; as, to leave off work at six o'clock. (b) To cease wearing or using; to omit to put in the usual position; as, to leave off a garment; to leave off the tablecloth. (c) To forsake; as, to leave off a bad habit. -- To leave out, to omit; as, to leave out a word or name in writing. -- To leave to one's self, to let (one) be alone; to cease caring for (one).

Syn>- To quit; depart from; forsake; abandon; relinquish; deliver; bequeath; give up; forego; resign; surrender; forbear. See Quit.

Leave (?), v. i. 1. To depart; to set out. [Colloq.]

By the time I left for Scotland.

Carlyle.

2. To cease; to desist; to leave off. "He . . . began at the eldest, and left at the youngest." Gen. xliv. 12.

To leave off, to cease; to desist; to stop.

Leave off, and for another summons wait.

Roscommon.

Leaved (?), a. [From Leaf.] Bearing, or having, a leaf or leaves; having folds; -- used in combination; as, a four-leaved clover; a two-leaved gate; long-leaved.

Leave"less (?), a. Leafless. [Obs.] Carew.

Leav"en (?), n. [OE. levain, levein, F. levain, L. levamen alleviation, mitigation; but taken in the sense of, a raising, that which raises, fr. levare to raise. See Lever, n.] 1. Any substance that produces, or is designed to produce, fermentation, as in dough or liquids; esp., a portion of fermenting dough, which, mixed with a larger quantity of dough, produces a general change in the mass, and renders it light; yeast; barm.

2. Anything which makes a general assimilating (especially a corrupting) change in the mass.

Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Luke xii. 1.

Leav"en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Leavened (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Leavening (?).] 1. To make light by the action of leaven; to cause to ferment.

A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

1 Cor. v. 6.

2. To imbue; to infect; to vitiate.

With these and the like deceivable doctrines, he leavens also his prayer.

Milton.

Leav"en*ing (?), n. 1. The act of making light, or causing to ferment, by means of leaven.

2. That which leavens or makes light. Bacon.

Leav"en*ous (?), a. Containing leaven. Milton.

Leav"er (lv"r), n. One who leaves, or withdraws.

Leaves (lvz), n., pl. of Leaf.