Chapter 91

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 litigating; a suit at law; a judicial contest.

Lit"i*ga`tor (?), n. [L.] One who litigates.

Li*ti"gious (?), a. [L. litigiosus, fr. litigium dispute, quarrel, fr. litigare: cf. F. litigieux. See Litigation.] 1. Inclined to judicial contest; given to the practice of contending in law; quarrelsome; contentious; fond of litigation. " A pettifogging attorney or a litigious client." Macaulay.

Soldiers find wars, and lawyers find out still Litigious men, who quarrels move.

Donne.

2. Subject to contention; disputable; controvertible; debatable; doubtful; precarious. Shak.

No fences, parted fields, nor marks, nor bounds, Distinguished acres of litigious grounds.

Dryden.

3. Of or pertaining to legal disputes.

Nor brothers cite to the litigious bar.

Young.

Li*ti"gious*ly, adv. In a litigious manner.

Li*ti"gious*ness, n. The state of being litigious; disposition to engage in or carry on lawsuits.

Lit"mus (?), n. [D. lakmoes; lak lacker + moes a thick preparation of fruit, pap, prob. akin to E. meat: cf. G. lackmus. See Lac a resinous substance.] (Chem.) A dyestuff extracted from certain lichens (Roccella tinctoria, Lecanora tartarea, etc.), as a blue amorphous mass which consists of a compound of the alkaline carbonates with certain coloring matters related to orcin and orcein.

Litmus is used as a dye, and being turned red by acids and restored to its blue color by alkalies, is a common indicator or test for acidity and alkalinity.

Litmus paper (Chem.), unsized paper saturated with blue or red litmus, -- used in testing for acids or alkalies.

||Li"to*tes (l"t*tz), n. [NL., fr. Gr. lito`ths, from lito`s plain, ||simple.] (Rhet.) A diminution or softening of statement for the sake ||of avoiding censure or increasing the effect by contrast with the ||moderation shown in the form of expression; as, " a citizen of no ||mean city," that is, of an illustrious city. || Li*tran"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. li`tra + -meter. See Liter] An instrument for ascertaining the specific gravity of liquids.

Li"tre (l"tr; 277), n. [F.] Same as Liter.

Lit"ter (lt"tr), n. [F. litière, LL. lectaria, fr. L. lectus couch, bed. See Lie to be prostrated, and cf. Coverlet.] 1. A bed or stretcher so arranged that a person, esp. a sick or wounded person, may be easily carried in or upon it.

There is a litter ready; lay him in 't.

Shak.

2. Straw, hay, etc., scattered on a floor, as bedding for animals to rest on; also, a covering of straw for plants.

To crouch in litter of your stable planks.

Shak.

Take off the litter from your kernel beds.

Evelyn.

3. Things lying scattered about in a manner indicating slovenliness; scattered rubbish.

Strephon, who found the room was void. Stole in, and took a strict survey Of all the litter as it lay.

Swift.

4. Disorder or untidiness resulting from scattered rubbish, or from thongs lying about uncared for; as, a room in a state of litter.

5. The young brought forth at one time, by a sow or other multiparous animal, taken collectively. Also Fig.

A wolf came to a sow, and very kindly offered to take care of her litter.

D. Estrange.

Reflect upon that numerous litter of strange, senseless opinions that crawl about the world.

South.

Lit"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Littered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Littering.] 1. To supply with litter, as cattle; to cover with litter, as the floor of a stall.

Tell them how they litter their jades.

Bp. Hacke&?;.

For his ease, well littered was the floor.

Dryden.

2. To put into a confused or disordered condition; to strew with scattered articles; as, to litter a room.

The room with volumes littered round.

Swift.

3. To give birth to; to bear; -- said of brutes, esp. those which produce more than one at a birth, and also of human beings, in abhorrence or contempt.

We might conceive that dogs were created blind, because we observe they were littered so with us.

Sir T. Browne.

The son that she did litter here, A freckled whelp hagborn.

Shak.

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Lit"ter (lt"tr), v. i. 1. To be supplied with litter as bedding; to sleep or make one's bed in litter. [R.]

The inn Where he and his horse littered.

Habington.

2. To produce a litter.

A desert . . . where the she-wolf still littered.

Macaulay.

||Lit`te`ra`teur" (l`t`r`tr"), n. [F.] One who occupies himself with ||literature; a literary man; a literatus. " Befriended by one ||kind-hearted littérateur after another." C. Kingsley. || Lit"ter*y (?), a. Covered or encumbered with litter; consisting of or constituting litter.

Lit"tle (?), a. [The regular comparative of this word is wanting, its place being supplied by less, or, rarely, lesser. See Lesser. For the superlative least is used, the regular form, littlest, occurring very rarely, except in some of the English provinces, and occasionally in colloquial language. " Where love is great, the littlest doubts are fear." Shak.] [OE. litel, lutel, AS. l&?;tel, ltel, l&?;t; akin to OS. littil, D. luttel, LG. lütt, OHG. luzzil, MHG. lützel; and perh. to AS. lytig deceitful, lot deceit, Goth. liuts deceitful, lut&?;n to deceive; cf. also Icel. ltill little, Sw. liten, Dan. liden, lille, Goth. leitils, which appear to have a different root vowel.] 1. Small in size or extent; not big; diminutive; -- opposed to big or large; as, a little body; a little animal; a little piece of ground; a little hill; a little distance; a little child.

He sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

Luke xix. 3.

2. Short in duration; brief; as, a little sleep.

Best him enough: after a little time, I'll beat him too.

Shak.

3. Small in quantity or amount; not much; as, a little food; a little air or water.

Conceited of their little wisdoms, and doting upon their own fancies.

Barrow.

4. Small in dignity, power, or importance; not great; insignificant; contemptible.

When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes?

I Sam. xv. 17.

5. Small in force or efficiency; not strong; weak; slight; inconsiderable; as, little attention or exertion;little effort; little care or diligence.

By sad experiment I know How little weight my words with thee can find.

Milton.

6. Small in extent of views or sympathies; narrow; shallow; contracted; mean; illiberal; ungenerous.

The long-necked geese of the world that are ever hissing dispraise, Because their natures are little.

Tennyson.

Little chief. (Zoöl.) See Chief hare. -- Little finger, the fourth and smallest finger of the hand. -- Little go (Eng. Universities), a public examination about the middle of the course, which is less strict and important than the final one; -- called also smalls. Cf. Great go, under Great. Thackeray. -- Little hours (R. C. Ch.), the offices of prime, tierce, sext, and nones. Vespers and compline are sometimes included. -- Little ones, young children.

The men, and the women, and the little ones.

Deut. ii. 34.

Lit"tle, n. 1. That which is little; a small quantity, amount, space, or the like.

Much was in little writ.

Dryden.

There are many expressions, which carrying with them no clear ideas, are like to remove but little of my ignorance.

Locke.

2. A small degree or scale; miniature. " His picture in little." Shak.

A little, to or in a small degree; to a limited extent; somewhat; for a short time. " Stay a little."

Shak.

The painter flattered her a little.

Shak.

-- By little and little, or Little by little, by slow degrees; piecemeal; gradually.

Lit"tle, adv. In a small quantity or degree; not much; slightly; somewhat; -- often with a preceding it. " The poor sleep little." Otway.

Lit"tle-ease` (?), n. An old slang name for the pillory, stocks, etc., of a prison.[Eng.] Latimer.

Lit"tle*ness, n. The state or quality of being little; as, littleness of size, thought, duration, power, etc.

Syn. -- Smallness; slightness; inconsiderableness; narrowness; insignificance; meanness; penuriousness.

Lit"to*ral (?), a. [L. littoralis, litoralis, from littus, litus, the seashore: cf. F. littoral.] 1. Of or pertaining to a shore, as of the sea.

2. (Biol.) Inhabiting the seashore, esp. the zone between high-water and low-water mark.

||Lit"to*ri"na (?), n. [NL. See Littoral.] (Zoöl.) A genus of small ||pectinibranch mollusks, having thick spiral shells, abundant between ||tides on nearly all rocky seacoasts. They feed on seaweeds. The ||common periwinkle is a well-known example. See Periwinkle. || Lit"tress (lt"trs), n. A smooth kind of cartridge paper used for making cards. Knight.

Lit"u*ate (lt"u*t; 135), a. [See Lituus.] (Bot.) Forked, with the points slightly curved outward.

Lit"u*i*form (?), a. [Lituus + -form.] Having the form of a lituus; like a lituite.

Lit"u*ite (lt"u*t; 135), n. [See Lituus.] (Paleon.) Any species of ammonites of the genus Lituites. They are found in the Cretaceous formation.

Lit"u*rate (?), a. [L. lituratus, p. p. of liturare to erase, fr. litura a blur.] 1. (Zoöl.) Having indistinct spots, paler at their margins.

2. (Bot.) Spotted, as if from abrasions of the surface.

{ Li*tur"gic (?), Li*tur"gic*al (?), } [Gr. &?;: cf. F. liturgique.] Pertaining to, of or the nature of, a liturgy; of or pertaining to public prayer and worship. T. Warton.

Li*tur"gic*al*ly, adv. In the manner of a liturgy.

Li*tur"gics (?), n. The science of worship; history, doctrine, and interpretation of liturgies.

Li*tur`gi*ol"o*gist (?), n. One versed in liturgiology.

Li*tur`gi*ol"o*gy (?), n. [Liturgy + -logy.] The science treating of liturgical matters; a treatise on, or description of, liturgies. Shipley.

Lit"ur*gist (lt"r*jst), n. One who favors or adheres strictly to a liturgy. Milton.

Lit"ur*gy (lt"r*j), n.; pl. Liturgies (- jz). [F. liturgie, LL. liturgia, Gr. leitoyrgi`a a public service, the public service of God, public worship; (assumed) le`i:tos, lei^tos, belonging to the people, public (fr. lao`s, lew`s, the people) + the root of 'e`rgon work. See Lay, a., and Work.] An established formula for public worship, or the entire ritual for public worship in a church which uses prescribed forms; a formulary for public prayer or devotion. In the Roman Catholic Church it includes all forms and services in any language, in any part of the world, for the celebration of Mass.

||Lit"u*us (?), n.; pl. Litui (#). [L.] 1. (Rom. Antig.) (a) A curved ||staff used by the augurs in quartering the heavens. (b) An instrument ||of martial music; a kind of trumpet of a somewhat curved form and ||shrill note. || 2. (Math.) A spiral whose polar equation is r2&theta; = a; that is, a curve the square of whose radius vector varies inversely as the angle which the radius vector makes with a given line.

Liv"a*ble (?), a. 1. Such as can be lived.

2. Such as is pleasant to live in; fit or suitable to live in. [Colloq.]

A more delightful or livable region is not easily to be found.

T. Arnold.

Live (lv), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Lived (lvd); p. pr. & vb. n. Living.] [OE. liven, livien, AS. libban, lifian; akin to OS. libbian, D. leven, G. leben, OHG. lebn, Dan. leve, Sw. lefva, Icel. lifa to live, to be left, to remain, Goth. liban to live; akin to E. leave to forsake, and life, Gr. liparei^n to persist, liparo`s oily, shining, sleek, li`pos fat, lard, Skr. lip to anoint, smear; -- the first sense prob. was, to cleave to, stick to; hence, to remain, stay; and hence, to live.] 1. To be alive; to have life; to have, as an animal or a plant, the capacity of assimilating matter as food, and to be dependent on such assimilation for a continuance of existence; as, animals and plants that live to a great age are long in reaching maturity.

Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will . . . lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live.

Ezek. xxxvii. 5, 6.

2. To pass one's time; to pass life or time in a certain manner, as to habits, conduct, or circumstances; as, to live in ease or affluence; to live happily or usefully.

O death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liveth at rest in his possessions!

Ecclus. xli. 1.

3. To make one's abiding place or home; to abide; to dwell; to reside.

Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years.

Gen. xlvii. 28.

4. To be or continue in existence; to exist; to remain; to be permanent; to last; -- said of inanimate objects, ideas, etc.

Men's evil manners live in brass; their virtues We write in water.

Shak.

5. To enjoy or make the most of life; to be in a state of happiness.

What greater curse could envious fortune give Than just to die when I began to live?

Dryden.

6. To feed; to subsist; to be nourished or supported; -- with on; as, horses live on grass and grain.

7. To have a spiritual existence; to be quickened, nourished, and actuated by divine influence or faith.

The just shall live by faith.

Gal. iii. ll.

8. To be maintained in life; to acquire a livelihood; to subsist; -- with on or by; as, to live on spoils.

Those who live by labor.

Sir W. Temple.

9. To outlast danger; to float; -- said of a ship, boat, etc.; as, no ship could live in such a storm.

A strong mast that lived upon the sea.

Shak.

To live out, to be at service; to live away from home as a servant. [U. S.] -- To live with. (a) To dwell or to be a lodger with. (b) To cohabit with; to have intercourse with, as male with female.

Live (?), v. t. 1. To spend, as one's life; to pass; to maintain; to continue in, constantly or habitually; as, to live an idle or a useful life.

2. To act habitually in conformity with; to practice.

To live the Gospel.

Foxe.

To live down, to live so as to subdue or refute; as, to live down slander.

Live (?), a. [Abbreviated from alive. See Alive, Life.] 1. Having life; alive; living; not dead.

If one man's ox hurt another's, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it.

Ex. xxi. 35.

2. Being in a state of ignition; burning; having active properties; as, a live coal; live embers. " The live ether." Thomson.

3. Full of earnestness; active; wide awake; glowing; as, a live man, or orator.

4. Vivid; bright. " The live carnation." Thomson.

5. (Engin.) Imparting power; having motion; as, the live spindle of a lathe.

Live birth, the condition of being born in such a state that acts of life are manifested after the extrusion of the whole body. Dunglison. -- Live box, a cell for holding living objects under microscopical examination. P. H. Gosse. -- Live feathers, feathers which have been plucked from the living bird, and are therefore stronger and more elastic. -- Live gang. (Sawing) See under Gang. -- Live grass (Bot.), a grass of the genus Eragrostis. -- Live load (Engin.), a suddenly applied load; a varying load; a moving load; as a moving train of cars on a bridge, or wind pressure on a roof. Live oak (Bot.), a species of oak (Quercus virens), growing in the Southern States, of great durability, and highly esteemed for ship timber. In California the Q. chrysolepis and some other species are also called live oaks. -- Live ring (Engin.), a circular train of rollers upon which a swing bridge, or turntable, rests, and which travels around a circular track when the bridge or table turns. -- Live steam , steam direct from the boiler, used for any purpose, in distinction from exhaust steam. -- Live stock, horses, cattle, and other domestic animals kept on a farm.

Live (?), n. Life. [Obs.] Chaucer.

On live, in life; alive. [Obs.] See Alive. Chaucer.

Lived (?), a. Having life; -- used only in composition; as, long-lived; short- lived.

Live"-for*ev`er (?), n. (Bot.) A plant (Sedum Telephium) with fleshy leaves, which has extreme powers of resisting drought; garden ox-pine.

Live"li*hed (?), n. See Livelihood. [Obs.]

Live"li*hood (?), n. [OE. livelode, liflode, prop., course of life, life's support, maintenance, fr. AS. lf life + ld road, way, maintenance. Confused with livelihood liveliness. See Life, and Lode.] Subsistence or living, as dependent on some means of support; support of life; maintenance.

The opportunities of gaining an honest livelihood.

Addison.

It is their profession and livelihood to get their living by practices for which they deserve to forfeit their lives.

South.

Live"li*hood, n. [Lively + - hood.] Liveliness; appearance of life. [Obs.] Shak.

Live"li*ly, adv. In a lively manner. [Obs.] Lamb.

Live"li*ness, n. [From Lively.] 1. The quality or state of being lively or animated; sprightliness; vivacity; animation; spirit; as, the liveliness of youth, contrasted with the gravity of age. B. Jonson.

2. An appearance of life, animation, or spirit; as, the liveliness of the eye or the countenance in a portrait.

3. Briskness; activity; effervescence, as of liquors.

Syn. -- Sprightliness; gayety; animation; vivacity; smartness; briskness; activity. -- Liveliness, Gayety, Animation, Vivacity. Liveliness is an habitual feeling of life and interest; gayety refers more to a temporary excitement of the animal spirits; animation implies a warmth of emotion and a corresponding vividness of expressing it, awakened by the presence of something which strongly affects the mind; vivacity is a feeling between liveliness and animation, having the permanency of the one, and, to some extent, the warmth of the other. Liveliness of imagination; gayety of heart; animation of countenance; vivacity of gesture or conversation.

Live"lode` (?), n. [See 1st Livelihood.] Course of life; means of support; livelihood. [Obs.]

Live"long` (?), a. [For lifelong. Cf. Lifelong.] 1. Whole; entire; long in passing; -- used of time, as day or night, in adverbial phrases, and usually with a sense of tediousness.

The obscure bird Clamored the livelong night.

Shak.

How could she sit the livelong day, Yet never ask us once to play?

Swift.

2. Lasting; durable. [Obs.]

Thou hast built thyself a livelong monument.

Milton.

Live"ly (?), a. [Compar. Livelier (?); superl. Liveliest.] [For lifely. Cf. Lifelike.] 1. Endowed with or manifesting life; living.

Chaplets of gold and silver resembling lively flowers and leaves.

Holland.

2. Brisk; vivacious; active; as, a lively youth.

But wherefore comes old Manoa in such haste, With youthful steps ? Much livelier than erewhile He seems.

Milton.

3. Gay; airy; animated; spirited.

From grave to gay, from lively to severe.

Pope.

4. Representing life; lifelike. [Obs.]

I spied the lively picture of my father.

Massinger.

5. Bright; vivid; glowing; strong; vigorous.

The colors of the prism are manifestly more full, intense, and lively that those of natural bodies.

Sir I. Newton.

His faith must be not only living, but lively too.

South.

Lively stones (Script.), saints, as being quickened by the Spirit, and active in holiness.

Syn. -- Brisk; vigorous; quick; nimble; smart; active; alert; sprightly; animated; spirited; prompt; earnest; strong; energetic; vivid; vivacious; blithe; gleeful; airy; gay; jocund.

Live"ly, adv. 1. In a brisk, active, or animated manner; briskly; vigorously. Hayward.

2. With strong resemblance of life. [Obs.]

Thou counterfeitest most lively.

Shak.

Liv"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, lives.

And try if life be worth the liver's care.

Prior.

2. A resident; a dweller; as, a liver in Brooklyn.

3. One whose course of life has some marked characteristic (expressed by an adjective); as, a free liver.

Fast liver, one who lives in an extravagant and dissipated way. -- Free liver, Good liver, one given to the pleasures of the table. -- Loose liver, a person who lives a somewhat dissolute life.

Liv"er, n. [AS. lifer; akin to D. liver, G. leber, OHG. lebara, Icel. lifr, Sw. lefver, and perh. to Gr. &?; fat, E. live, v.] (Anat.) A very large glandular and vascular organ in the visceral cavity of all vertebrates.

Most of the venous blood from the alimentary canal passes through it on its way back to the heart; and it secretes the bile, produces glycogen, and in other ways changes the blood which passes through it. In man it is situated immediately beneath the diaphragm and mainly on the right side. See Bile, Digestive, and Glycogen. The liver of invertebrate animals is usually made up of cæcal tubes, and differs materially, in form and function, from that of vertebrates.

Floating liver. See Wandering liver, under Wandering. -- Liver of antimony, Liver of sulphur. (Old Chem.) See Hepar. -- Liver brown, Liver color, the color of liver, a dark, reddish brown. -- Liver shark (Zoöl.), a very large shark (Cetorhinus maximus), inhabiting the northern coasts both of Europe and North America. It sometimes becomes forty feet in length, being one of the largest sharks known; but it has small simple teeth, and is not dangerous. It is captured for the sake of its liver, which often yields several barrels of oil. It has gill rakers, resembling whalebone, by means of which it separates small animals from the sea water. Called also basking shark, bone shark, hoemother, homer, and sailfish. -- Liver spots, yellowish brown patches or spots of chloasma.

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Liv"er (lv"r), n. (Zoöl.) The glossy ibis (Ibis falcinellus); - - said to have given its name to the city of Liverpool.

Liv"er-col`ored (-kl`rd), a. Having a color like liver; dark reddish brown.

Liv"ered (lv"rd), a. Having (such) a liver; used in composition; as, white- livered.

Liv"er-grown` (?), a. Having an enlarged liver. Dunglison.

Liv"er*ied (?), a. Wearing a livery. See Livery, 3.

The liveried servants wait.

Parnell.

Liv"er*ing, n. A kind of pudding or sausage made of liver or pork. [Obs.] Chapman.

Liv"er*leaf` (?), n. (Bot.) Same as Liverwort.

Liv"er*wort` (?), n. (Bot.) 1. A ranunculaceous plant (Anemone Hepatica) with pretty white or bluish flowers and a three-lobed leaf; -- called also squirrel cups.

2. A flowerless plant (Marchantia polymorpha), having an irregularly lobed, spreading, and forking frond.

From this plant many others of the same order (Hepaticæ) have been vaguely called liverworts, esp. those of the tribe Marchantiaceæ. See Illust. of Hepatica.

Liv"er*y (?), n.; pl. Liveries (#). [OE. livere, F. livrée, formerly, a gift of clothes made by the master to his servants, prop., a thing delivered, fr. livrer to deliver, L. liberare to set free, in LL., to deliver up. See Liberate.] 1. (Eng. Law) (a) The act of delivering possession of lands or tenements. (b) The writ by which possession is obtained.

It is usual to say, livery of seizin, which is a feudal investiture, made by the delivery of a turf, of a rod, or twig, from the feoffor to the feoffee. In the United States, and now in Great Britain, no such ceremony is necessary, the delivery of a deed being sufficient.

2. Release from wardship; deliverance.

It concerned them first to sue out their livery from the unjust wardship of his encroaching prerogative.

Milton.

3. That which is delivered out statedly or formally, as clothing, food, etc.; especially: (a) The uniform clothing issued by feudal superiors to their retainers and serving as a badge when in military service. (b) The peculiar dress by which the servants of a nobleman or gentleman are distinguished; as, a claret-colored livery. (c) Hence, also, the peculiar dress or garb appropriated by any association or body of persons to their own use; as, the livery of the London tradesmen, of a priest, of a charity school, etc.; also, the whole body or company of persons wearing such a garb, and entitled to the privileges of the association; as, the whole livery of London.

A Haberdasher and a Carpenter, A Webbe, a Dyer, and a Tapicer, And they were clothed all in one livery Of a solempne and a gret fraternite.

Chaucer.