WORDCRAFT DICTIONARY, L-O
Note:
clickable items link to Wordcraft Archives, which may have further notes
labile liable to change;
easily altered. (chemistry: easily broken down or displaced)
labyrinth
something highly intricate or convoluted
lacerate to
irregularly tear or deeply cut flesh (also figurative, for mental pain)
lachrymose
weeping or weepy; tearful; also, causing tears
laconic saying
much in few words; pithy and brusque
lacustrine relating to lakes
Laffer curve a
graph of tax revenue as a function of tax rate, illustrating the theory that
beyond a certain point, higher rates will reduce the tax revenue received (by
discouraging economic growth).
lagniappe a gratuity given to a customer; a
small gift
lahar an mud-flow "avalanche" of
volcanic ash and water, down the slopes of a volcano
lallation a
speech disorder involving faulty pronunciation or excessive use of the l-sound.
Lamarckism eponym: theory that
one passes his acquired physical traits to his descendants
lambdacism faulty
pronunciation or excessive use of the l-sound (underuse of it is paralambdacism;
see entry at rhotacism)
lanai a veranda or roofed patio
langsuir
mythical creature: a female vampire that preys on newborns (
lapidary 1. noun a gem-cutter, or the art of
gem-cutting; adj. relating to gem-cutting 2. (of language) elegant
and concise
lapsus linguae slip of the tongue
laputan absurdly impractical or
visionary, esp. to the neglect of more useful activity (from Gulliver's
Travels)
lapwing (etymology) a bird of the plover family
lascivious 1. wanton;
lewd 2. Tending to produce lewd emotions
lasering group insurance: the
practice of excluding, from coverage, a member of the insured group with a
serious pre-existing condition
latibulize to retire into a den, or hole, and
lie dormant in winter; to retreat and lie hid
latitation lying in
concealment; hiding; lurking; latibulum a concealed hiding place; a
burrow; a lair; a hole
latitudinarian adj:
broadminded; permissive; undogmatic noun: such a person
lavaliere eponym: a pendant worn
on a chain around the neck
layabout a person who habitually does little or no work
lazaretto
[eponym] a hospital to treating contagious disease, esp. leprosy (or,
a quarantine station)
Lazy Lawrence an idler
le mot juste (French) the precisely right word
leal
(chiefly Scottish) faithful; loyal; true
lectica a kind of litter or portable couch
used by the ancient Romans
left and right, in politics [from a reader]
after the French Revolution, the nobles in the French National Assembly were
seated on the president's right and the Third Estate was seated on the
president's left.The sides were referred to as left and right (in French);
Great Britain borrowed this terminology, and the US then took it from Great
Britain though neither of those countries ever used the French seating
arrangement.
legerdemain 1. sleight of hand 2. trickery, deception, hocus-pocus (also here)
legman 1.
a reporter assigned to gather information 2. an assistant who performs
subordinate tasks, as gathering information or running errands
lei a Polynesian garland of flowers, esp. one worn around
the neck
lek an animals'
"singles bar"; a place where animals gather to compete for mates (also:
the gathering there; the competition there; and to lek: to
so compete)
lekvar a sweet spread or pastry
filling made of prunes or apricots
leman (archaic) a
lover or sweetheart
lemmatize (dictionaries) to determine the
headings under which words are listed (e.g., had is under have)
lemniscate the ∞
or "infinity" symbol
lenity
leniency; mercifulness due to being lenient or tolerant.
lenocinant
lewd, lascivious
leonine like a lion
leporine hare-like
lethologica forgetfulness of words;
inability to recall right word
lettre de cachet a warrant issued
for the imprisonment of a person without trial, at the pleasure of the monarch
leucism
insufficient pigment, resulting in paleness (contrast albinism)
Levis named from manufacturer Levi Strauss
lewisite eponym: a poison gas
developed for war use
Lexiphanes user of bombastic phraseology
(from title of one of Luciens dialogs)
liaise to work closely with more
than one group. from liaison; casually accepted, as a verb, in brit-speak
libation the pouring of a drink as offering to a deity;
the drink so poured. Humorous: an alcoholic drink
liffy to
seduce a woman with promises of fidelity, and then desert her
ligature a character, such as ζ,
combining two or more letters; something that ties or binds
light year 1. astronomical (first two
quotes): a certain huge measure of distance, used in measuring interstellar
space. It is the distance light travels in a year. 2. metaphoric
(last two quotes): a very large distance or figurative distance
lilliputian trivial, petty; very small,
or a very small person (from Gulliver's Travels)
limerance the
initial exhilarating rush of falling in love; the state of "being in
love". coined 1979 by Dorothy Tennov; it will be interesting to see if
this word enters the vernacular.
limnology the study of bodies of fresh water, including their biology
and geology; contrast oceanography
limousine a large luxurious
car; esp. one with separate compartments for driver and for passengers
limpid clear,
transparent; as, a limpid stream; also, easily intelligible; clear: writes
in a limpid style; also, calm, serene
lincture another name for electuary, which see
lingam a phallic
object as a symbol of the Hindu god of reproduction
lingua a language or 'lingo'
lingua
franca a common language
used by speakers of different languages
lingual of or produced by the tongue
linguaphile a lover of languages and
words.
linguicide
the extinction of a language (either by deliberate annihilation or
unintentional death). Considered a threat to one's
heritage, culture and nationality.
linguicide the extinction of a language;
considered a threat to heritage, culture and nationality
lintel a horizontal support across the
top of a door or window
lipogram a composition excluding words containing some selected
certain letter or letters
liquor (not the name for a drink)
the water used for form the wort
lissom
limber; supple; easily bent; able to move with ease
lister a dyer (obsolete)
listerine eponym: an antiseptic solution
literati the literary intelligentsia
lithography printing with a
plate whose areas are chemically treated to retain or repel ink
litmus
test a test that relies on a single indicator ("Her
litmus test for good breeding is whether you split infinitives.")
litotes rhetoric: a deliberate, modest
understatement (typically meant to imply the opposite): I have this tiny
little tumor on the brain. (compare meiosis). One form is to negate the contrary: He is no
fool
littoral relating to the shore of non-flowing waters such as lakes,
oceans, etc. Also used as a noun.
livid 1. discolored, as a
bruise; black-and-blue 2. ashen or pallid; dull
grayish blue 3. extremely angry; furious
llano an open grassy plain, treeless or nearly so
lobster Newburg
Delmonico's Restaurant in
locum;
locum tenens (pl. locum tenentes) a doctor or cleric standing
in for another who is temporarily away
lodestar one
that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide
loganamnosis the obsession with recalling a certain word
logastellus a person whose love of words is greater than their knowledge
of words
logocracy rulership by words
logodaedalus artificer in words (logodaedaly = verbal
legerdemain)
logodaedaly verbal trickery or legerdemain
logogogue one practicing logology
(the science of words)
logographer one who writes speeches, or
writes history in a condensed manner with short simple sentences.
logolept a word maniac
logomachy 1.
a dispute about words 2. a dispute carried on
in words only; a battle of words
logomachy 1.
a dispute about words 2. an argument marked by
reckless or incorrect use of words; meaningless battle of words (logomachist, logomachize)
logomancy divination by words or by speech
logomania pathologically excessive (and often incoherent) talking
logomaniac one insanely interested in
words
logophile a lover of words
logophobia the fear of words
logorrhea excessive talkativeness or wordiness; "verbal diarrhea"; (also:
logomania)
logroll 1. to
engage in political logrolling 2. to birl (which see)
lollygag to
fool around; to spend time aimlessly; to dawdle or dally
lollygagger one who dawdles or putters around (verb: to lollygag)
longeron a
major structural part of aircraft fuselage, running front to rear
longneck a glass beer bottle with an
elongated neck
loofah a scratchy
bath-sponge, made from the fibrous insides of the fruit of the loofah
plant (seems to be rather popular nowadays)
loonie slang Canadian one-dollar coin
Lord
Haw Haw eponym: a traitor, particularly
one who makes propaganda for the enemy
lorel a good
for nothing fellow; a vagabond
losel a
worthless person
lothario;
Lothario eponym: a seducer of women; a libertine; a
lady-killer
lotus eater a lazy
person devoted to pleasure and luxury. lotus land a
place or state of languid contentment. (Wordcrafter's note: in my
judgement they connote a sense of drugged unreality, which the dictionaries
have missed.)
louche disreputable or dubious; shady but in a rakishly appealing
way
loudhailer a megaphone
lousy original definition: infected
and/or covered with lice
loxodrome the path
of a ship or plane that maintains an unchanging compass direction. Also called a rhumb or rhumb line.
luau a Hawaiian feast [lit. "young taro tops," which
were served at outdoor feasts]
lubber a big, clumsy, stupid
fellow; esp. a lazy one; a lout
lubricious 1. slippery,
evasive 2. lewd (noun lubricity)
Lucifer the Devil
lucullan eponym: lavish,
luxurious, opulent (e.g., a banquet)
Lucy Stoner eponym: a
married woman who keeps her maiden name
Luddite eponym: one who
opposes technological change
ludic relating to undirected, spontaneous playfulness (pronounced
as in 'ludicrous')
luferlang
mythical creature that can run in either direction; easily identified by the
tail in the middle of its back. It bite is almost certain death; the biting
season usually occurs on July 12. Avoid green clothing, which tends to arouse
the creature further; conversely, a conspicuous orange-colored handkerchief
will invariably afford full protection. Or, since the luferlang is terribly
frightened of seeing itself, carry a big mirror so that in the event of
luferlang attack you can hold that mirror in front of you.
luftmensch an impractical dreamer, without
business or income
Luger eponym: semiautomatic pistol widely used by Germans in
WWII (though introduced earlier). Some consider it to be the finest pistol ever
produced.
lumpen 1.
adj. or noun: of the lumpenproletariat 2. degraded,
stupid, boorish, and uninterested in improving (also, vulgar or common) 3.
of persons (not necessarily low-class) cut off from their normal economic/social
class 4.
(perhaps influenced by 'lumpy'?) lumpy, heavy and misshapen
lumpenproletariat 1.
the lowest stratum of the proletariat (that is, of wage-slaves) 2. the
most degraded underclass, on the margins of society: vagrants,
street-criminals, prostitutes, the homeless [But see notes below.]
lunacy (from
L. lunaticus "moon-struck," from luna "moon") insanity, esp.
when intermittently relieved by periods of clear-mindedness. by
extension: great or wild foolishness; a wildly foolish act. Lunatic
fringe was apparently coined by Theodore Roosevelt (1913).
lunula (plural lunulae)
the white crescent-shaped part of the fingernail at the base of the nail
lupine like a wolf
lustrum a
period of five years
lutz eponym: a kind of jump
in figure skating
luxuria (the
formal name of one of the seven deadly sins) lust, in a sense not limited to
sex: a driving force to do things that are harmful to you
lycanthrope a
werewolf; a human being fabled to have been changed into a wolf. The
first syllable is pronounced with a long-i sound.
lycιe (vowels
and accent as in 'repay") a French public secondary school that
prepares students for the university
lyceum 1.
a public hall for lectures and concerts; an association for
debate and literary improvement. [From Greek Lukeion, the school
outside
lyncean pertaining to or like a lynx; keen-sighted.
macabre eponym: gruesome;
having death as a subject; causing horror in the viewer
macadam eponym: a common type
of paving of roads
macarism pleasure in another's joy
macerate 1. to
soften by soaking 2. to weaken, esp. by starvation
Mach number eponym: speed, stated
as ratio to speed of sound
machiavellian eponym: cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous
machination a crafty
scheme to an evil end
mackintosh eponym: raincoat
macron the
horizontal mark indicating the long pronunciation of a vowel, as in ā
(see diacritical mark)
macrosmatic having a supersensitive nose
(The Word Lover's Dictionary)
madefy to make wet or moist
mae west eponym:
an inflatable life jacket, in the form of a collar extending down the chest
magdalen; magdalene [also here] a reformed prostitute; also, a refuge for such women or a
reformatory for prostitutes
magenta toponym: a deep purplish-red dye (chemical name:
fuchsine); its color
maggotorium a place where maggots are bred for use as bait by anglers
maggotry foolishness, absurdity. Obsolete
Maginot line (also here) eponym: an expensive defense that seems impregnable, creates a false
sense of security, but proves utterly ineffective (typically because it is
static and thus cannot respond to other means of attack).
magma hot fluid or semi-fluid rock within the earths crust
magpie (etymology)
Mahernia a certain genus, named as a near-anagram of the related genus
Hermannia.
maidenhead (etymology)
mail
slot a slot or slit in a door (occasionally in
a wall), through which mail can be delivered
Main Street
typical, average Americans (or, typical small-town Americans), taken as
a group. [Note: a derogatory sense of "parochial, conservative" is
common in the dictionaries but much less common in usage.]
maintenance law: an outsider
unjustifiably stepping in to assist a litigant
maisonette Brit: a two-floor
apartment in a larger building, often with its own entrance
majorette or drum majorette a girl or woman who leads a marching
band or accompanies it as a baton twirler
malaprop;
malapropism eponym: ludicrous misuse of a word, by confusing
it with one of similar sound
malediction a curse; calling a curse down upon
malleable easily controlled
or influenced; tractable (also, able to adjust to changing
circumstances; adaptable). In science, a malleable metal is one that can
be hammered or pounded into thin sheets; contrast ductile
malt grain, usually barley, that has been allowed to sprout (used in brewing)
malversation corruption by one in public office or a position of trust.
malware malicious software, designed to damage or disrupt
a system [see virus; Trojan; worm]
mamelon a rounded hillock;
a rounded elevation or protuberance
mamihlapinatapei (foreign) a shared glance of longing between
two people, each knowing the meaning and each wishing the other will initiate
something where neither is quite willing to make the move. [from the Fuegian
language of
mammothrept a spoiled child [from Greek
meaning "raised by one's grandmother"]
man Friday eponym: a valued
right-hand man
mandala an intricate design signifying the
universe (Hinduism, Buddhism)
mandelbug eponym:
computer programming (software): bug that behaves in chaotic, seemingly random
manner
mandrel a core or rod around which material
is shaped or formed
manhandling (noun) rough handling
man-hating hatred of the male sex; misandry
Manichaean relating to the doctrine of dualism: a Manichaean conflict
between good and evil
mano-a-mano (noun, adj., adv.) face to face confrontation; direct
competition
manuduction
careful guidance (adj. manuductory). manuductor an officer in
the ancient church, who gave the signal for the choir to sing, who beat time
and regulated the music
manustupration masturbation [from
Latin manus "hand" + stuprare "defile"]
manyplies one of four parts of a cow's stomach; see abomasum
marcel eponym: a deep soft
wave made in the hair by the use of a heated curling iron
marge
border; margin; edge; verge
marginalia notes made in the margins of a book
marmoreal;
marmorean of or suggesting of marble (can emphasize smoothness,
whiteness, hardness or coldness.) also here
maroon an exploding firework that produces a loud bang
marplot eponym:
an officious meddler whose interference compromises the success of an
undertaking
martial eponym: of war or a
warrior; also, warlike
martinet eponym: a strict
disciplinarian; also, a demander of absolute adherence to forms and
rules
marver glassblowing: a smooth, hard, flat surface on which softened
glass is rolled [Fr. marbre = marble]
masjid a mosque (also musjid)
mason jar eponym: a wide-mouthed
glass jar with a screw top, used for canning food
mass market the
market for goods produced in large quantities for the broad population
mass of
maneuver something held in reserve, to be used when and where
the appropriate becomes clear (chiefly military, but available for metaphorical
use)
mass producer a
manufacture producing in large quantities, typically by automated process
matronymic adj. and noun: of a name
derived from one's mother or maternal ancestor
matutinal
relating to the early morning, esp. the period just after waking
maudlin with
shallow, mawkish sentimentality; also, in the drunken state of tearful
sentimentality and effusive affection
maulstick;
mahlstick a light stick on which a painter supports and steadies his
brush hand, for detail work, without resting the hand on wet paint
mau-mau informal: to attack or denounce vociferously,
especially so as to intimidate
maunder
to move, talk, or act in a
rambling or aimless manner
mausoleum eponym: a monumental
tomb
mawkish sickly
or excessively sentimental as to be nauseous; disgusting
mazarine eponym: a deep blue
color, named in his hono(u)r
McJob a low-paying job that requires
litle skill and provides little opportunity
mea culpa an acknowledgement
that one is at fault
meadΉ a
meadow
mead² an alcoholic drink
of fermented honey and water
measly original definition: infected with
measles; also (of beef or pork) infected with larval parasites
mecca toponym: a
place which attracts many people of a particular group or with a particular
interest
medicaster a
medical charlatan; a quack
medusa eponym: the tentacled
stage in the life cycle of a jellyfish. [a nice image, that!]
megalomania mania for grandiose or
extravagant actions; also, a mental disorder characterized by delusions
of grandeur
meiosis rhetoric: a litotes in
which the understatement is by the name used, rather than by an adjective such
as "tiny"; e.g., saying an amputated leg is "just a flesh
wound." (compare litotes)
melancholy adj.: sad or depressed. noun:
deep, persistent sadness
melanism excess
dark pigment
meliorism the belief
that improvement of society depends on human effort. (meliorist; melioristic)
mellifluous smooth
and sweetly flowing (typically used of a voice or other sounds). from L for
'honey-flowing'
meme a unit of cultural transmission, or a unit of imitation
[coined by Richard Dawkins, biologist; cross between an idea and a gene]
mememto
mori a reminder of mortality
mendicant a
beggar adj: begging for a living
meninges (singular meninx) see dura mater
mensh a
person admirable for fundamental decency
mentor eponym:
a wise and trusted counselor or teacher; also, v.tr. and v.intr. to serve as such a
counselor or tearcher, esp. in a job-setting. (1750, from
menudo a spicy Mexican soup
mephitic foul smelling
mercer a cloth merchant
mercerize eponym: to treat cotton thread with lye,
so as to increase its strength, luster and affinity for dye
mercurial with
shrewdness, eloquence, or thievishness; also, changeable in temperament
or mood; volatile
merdivorous dung-eating [same as coprophagous]
meretricious 1. concerning
prostitutes or prostitution 2.a. vulgarly attracting attention; gaudy b.
specious; plausible but false or insincere
mesmerize eponym: 1. to spellbind; enthrall
2. to hypnotize
mestizo either a person of mixed
ancestry (say some dictionaries) or specifically european/american-indian mix
(say other dictionaries)
mestizo see mulatto
metallised (or metalled) road a road
that has been tarmacked
metamorphosis a complete change in
physical nature, as if by magic; also, striking change in appearance or
character (the metamorphosis of the old house); also, the change in
certain animals (e.g., butterfly) from larva to adult. metamorphic
relating to metamorphosis, particularly of rocks
metanalysis creation of a new word by
reinterpreting the form of an old one
meteor the
streak of light as a meteor passes through the earth's atmosphere; also,
the stone itself during that passage
meteoric of very sudden brilliance, swiftly rising and seemingly
coming from nowhere.
meteorite the stone, formerly a meteor, after having come to rest on or
in the earth
meteoroid a stone in interplanetary space, too small to be an asteroid
metheglin a spiced variety of mead (honey
wine)
Methuselah eponym:a very old man. (by extension) 1. any plant or animal alive but extremely old for its kind or
circumstances 2. pertaining to extremely long
life-span. Also: a certain large wine-bottle
metonymy substituting one
word or phrase for another with which it is closely associated, as
miasma a noxious atmosphere (as from
a swamp) or influence
Micawber eponym:
a kindhearted, but ineffective, incurable optimist
mickey finn eponym: slang:
knockout drops slipped into a drink
Mickey Mouse eponym:
1. unimportant, trivial: a Mickey Mouse operation; a Mickey Mouse course; 2. irritatingly petty: Mickey Mouse
regulations
microburst sudden, short-lived downdraft that creates strong wind shear
micropachycephalosaurus a certain kind of dinosaur
micturate to urinate
Midas touch eponym: ability to
make & keep huge sums money
midlist a
publisher's new or current books expected to have less popular appeal than the
frontlist
