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Lifestring

A nerve, or string, that is imagined to be essential to life.

Lift

Act of lifting; also, that which is lifted.

lifted

turned upward; as, she left the room with her face lifted.

Lifter

One who, or that which, lifts.

Lifting

Used in, or for, or by, lifting.

liftoff

the initial ascent of a rocket from its launching pad.

Lig

To recline; to lie still.

Ligament

Anything that ties or unites one thing or part to another; a bandage; a bond.

Ligamentous Ligamental

Composing a ligament; of the nature of a ligament; binding; as, a strong ligamentous membrane.

Ligan

Goods sunk in the sea, with a buoy attached in order that they may be found again. See Jetsam and Flotsam.

ligase

An enzyme which catalyzes creation of a covalent bond between two substrates, resulting in a larger product which is a combination of the two starting materials; especially, DNA ligase, an enzyme which creates a phosphate bond between 5/ and 3/ ends of a DNA chain, resulting in a longer chain of DNA. DNA ligase is important in normal biosynthesis of DNA in the replication cycle of cells.

Ligate

To tie with a ligature; to bind around; to bandage.

Ligation

The act of binding, or the state of being bound.

Ligator

An instrument for ligating, or for placing and fastening a ligature.

Lige

To lie; to tell lies.

Ligeance

The connection between sovereign and subject by which they were mutually bound, the former to protection and the securing of justice, the latter to faithful service; allegiance.

Ligger

A baited line attached to a float, for night fishing. See Leger, a.

Light

To dismount; to descend, as from a horse or carriage; to alight; -- with from, off, on, upon, at, in.

light bulb lightbulb

A glass bulb with metallic contacts on the outside connected to a wire filament (usually tungsten) inside that emits light when heated by passage of electricity through the filament; -- used as the replaceable light-emitting component of an electric lamp, flashlight, lighting fixture, etc.

light-duty

not designed for heavy or demanding work; as, a light-duty detergent. Opposite of heavy-duty.

Light-fingered

Dexterous in taking and conveying away; thievish; pilfering; addicted to petty thefts.

Light-footed Light-foot

Having a light, springy step; moving lightly and nimbly; nimble in running or dancing; active; as, light-foot Iris. Opposite of heavy-footed.

light-green

Having a light green color, similar to the color of fresh grass.

light-haired

being or having light colored skin and hair; as, a certain light-haired girl. Contrasted to brunet.

Light-handed

Not having a full complement of men; as, a vessel light-handed.

Light-headed

Disordered in the head; dizzy; feeling faint; delirious.

Light-heeled

Lively in walking or running; brisk; light-footed.

Light-horseman

A soldier who serves in the light horse. See under 5th Light.

Light-o'-love

An old tune of a dance, the name of which made it a proverbial expression of levity, especially in love matters.

light-sensitive

Affected by light; as, the light-sensitive pigments in the retina.

Light-ship lightship

A vessel equipped like a lighthouse, carrying at the masthead a brilliant light, and moored off a shoal or place of dangerous navigation where a permanent lighthouse would be impracticable, to serve as a guide for mariners; as, the Ambrose lightship off New York was rammed and damaged in 1950 by the Santa Monica.

Light-struck

Damaged by accidental exposure to light; light-fogged; -- said of plates or films.

Light-winged

Having light and active wings; volatile; fleeting.

Lighte

imp. of Light, to alight.

Lighten

To make lighter, or less heavy; to reduce in weight; to relieve of part of a load or burden; as, to lighten a ship by unloading; to lighten a load or burden.

lightening

The process of changing to a lighter color.

Lighter

To convey by a lighter, as to or from the shore; as, to lighter the cargo of a ship.

Lighterage

The price paid for conveyance of goods on a lighter.

Lighterman

A person employed on, or who manages, a lighter.

Lighthouse

A tower or other building with a powerful light at top, erected at the entrance of a port, or at some important point on a coast, to serve as a guide to mariners at night; a pharos.

Lighting

A name sometimes applied to the process of annealing metals.

Lightly

With little weight; with little force; as, to tread lightly; to press lightly.

Lightman

A man who carries or takes care of a light.

Lightness

Illumination, or degree of illumination; as, the lightness of a room.

Lightroom

A small room from which the magazine of a naval vessel is lighted, being separated from the magazine by heavy glass windows.

lights

The lungs of an animal or bird; -- sometimes coarsely applied to the lungs of a human being.

Lightsome

Having light; lighted; not dark or gloomy; bright.

Lightweight

Light in weight, as a coin; specif., applied to a man or animal who is a lightweight.

Lightwood

Pine wood abounding in pitch, used for torches in the Southern United States; pine knots, dry sticks, and the like, for kindling a fire quickly or making a blaze.

Lign-aloes

Aloes wood, or agallochum. See Agallochum.

Ligneous

Made of wood; consisting of wood; of the nature of, or resembling, wood; woody.

Lignification

A change in the character of a cell wall, by which it becomes harder. It is supposed to be due to an incrustation of lignin.

Lignin

A substance characterizing wood cells and differing from cellulose in its conduct with certain chemical reagents.

Lignite

Mineral coal retaining the texture of the wood from which it was formed, and burning with an empyreumatic odor. It is of more recent origin than the anthracite and bituminous coal of the proper coal series. Called also brown coal, wood coal.

Lignitic

Containing lignite; resembling, or of the nature of, lignite; as, lignitic clay.

Lignoceric

Pertaining to, or designating, an acid of the formic acid series, found in the tar, wax, or paraffine obtained by distilling certain kinds of wood, as the beech.

lignotuber

A woody swelling on a tree or shrub, usually contained entirely below or just above the surface of the ground, and having buds which enable the plant to survive cutting or a fire that destroys the portion of the plant above ground. After such damage to the plant, sprouting commences from the lignotuber.

Lignum-vitae

A tree (Guaiacum officinale) found in the warm latitudes of America, from which the guaiacum of medicine is procured. Its wood is very hard and heavy, and is used for various mechanical purposes, as for the wheels of ships' blocks, cogs, bearings, and the like. See Guaiacum.

Ligroin

A trade name applied somewhat indefinitely to some of the volatile products obtained in refining crude petroleum. It is a complex and variable mixture of several hydrocarbons, generally boils below 170/ Fahr., and is more inflammable than safe kerosene. It is used as a solvent, as a carburetant for air gas, and for illumination in special lamps.

Ligule

The thin and scarious projection from the upper end of the sheath of a leaf of grass. A strap-shaped corolla of flowers of Composit/.

Liguliflorous

Bearing only ligulate flowers; -- said of a large suborder of composite plants, such as the dandelion, lettuce, hawkweed, etc.

Ligure

A kind of precious stone.

Ligustrin

A bitter principle found in the bark of the privet (Ligustrum vulgare), and extracted as a white crystalline substance with a warm, bitter taste; -- called also ligustron.

Likable

Such as can be liked; such as to attract liking; easy to like; evoking sympathy; as, a likable person.

Like

To be pleased; to choose.

Like-minded

Having a like disposition or purpose; of the same mind.

Likely

In all probability; probably.

Liken

To allege, or think, to be like; to represent as like; to compare; as, to liken life to a pilgrimage.

Likeness

The state or quality of being like; similitude; resemblance; similarity; as, the likeness of the one to the other is remarkable.

Likewise

In like manner; also; moreover; too. See Also.

Likin

A Chinese provincial tax levied at many inland stations upon imports or articles in transit.

Liking

The state of being pleasing; a suiting. See On liking, below.

Lilac

A shrub of the genus Syringa. There are six species, natives of Europe and Asia. Syringa vulgaris, the common lilac, and Syringa Persica, the Persian lilac, are frequently cultivated for the fragrance and beauty of their purplish or white flowers. In the British colonies various other shrubs have this name.

Liliaceous

Of or pertaining to a natural order of which the lily, tulip, and hyacinth are well-known examples. Like the blossom of a lily in general form.

Lilial

Having a general resemblance to lilies or to liliaceous plants.

Lilied

Covered with, or having many, lilies.

Liliidae

one of four subclasses or superorders of Monocotyledones; it comprises 17 families including: Liliaceae; Alliaceae; Amaryllidaceae; Iridaceae; Orchidaceae; Trilliaceae.

Liliopsida

A class comprising seed plants that produce an embryo with a single cotyledon and parallel-veined leaves. It includes the grasses; lilies; palms; and orchids. It is divided into four subclasses or superorders: Alismatidae; Arecidae; Commelinidae; and Liliidae.

Lilith

a female demon who attacks children.

Lilium

The type genus of the Liliaceae.

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