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Leaver

One who leaves, or withdraws.

Lebban Leban

Coagulated sour milk diluted with water; -- a common beverage among the Arabs. Also, a fermented liquor made of the same.

Lecanomancy

Divination practiced with water in a basin, by throwing three stones into it, and invoking the demon whose aid was sought.

Lecanoric

Pertaining to, or designating, an organic acid which is obtained from several varieties of lichen (Lecanora, Roccella, etc.), as a white, crystalline substance, and is called also orsellic acid, diorsellinic acid, lecanorin, etc.

Lechanorales

A category used in some classification systems for all lichens that produce apothecia.

lechatelierite

A naturally occurring colorless glass made of almost pure silica, and found in fulgurites, which are produced by lightning striking sand.

Leche

See water buck, under 3d Buck.

Lecherous

Like a lecher; addicted to lewdness; excessively lustful; -- used mostly of men; lust-provoking.

lecherousness

an inclination to excessive indulgence in sexual activity; habitually developing a strong sexual arousal.

Lechery

Free indulgence of lust; excessive indulgence in sexual relations; -- used mostly of men.

Lecithin

A complex, nitrogenous phosphorized substance widely distributed through the animal body, and especially conspicuous in the brain and nerve tissue, in yolk of eggs, and in the white blood corpuscles.

Lectern

A choir desk, or reading desk, in some churches, from which the lections, or Scripture lessons, are chanted or read.

Lectica

A kind of litter or portable couch.

Lection

A lesson or selection, especially of Scripture, read in divine service.

Lectionary

A book, or a list, of lections, for reading in divine service.

Lector

A reader of lections; formerly, a person designated to read lessons to the illiterate.

Lectual

Confining to the bed; as, a lectual disease.

Lecture

To deliver a lecture or lectures.

Lecturer

One who lectures; an assistant preacher.

Lecythis

A genus of gigantic trees, chiefly Brazilian, of the order Myrtace/, having woody capsules opening by an apical lid. Lecythis Zabucajo yields the delicious sapucaia nuts. Lecythis Ollaria produces the monkey-pots, its capsules. Its bark separates into thin sheets, like paper, used by the natives for cigarette wrappers.

Ledge

A shelf on which articles may be laid; also, that which resembles such a shelf in form or use, as a projecting ridge or part, or a molding or edge in joinery.

Ledger

A book in which a summary of accounts is laid up or preserved; the final book of record in business transactions, in which all debits and credits from the journal, etc., are placed under appropriate heads.

Ledgment

A string-course or horizontal suit of moldings, such as the base moldings of a building. The development of the surface of a body on a plane, so that the dimensions of the different sides may be easily ascertained.

Ledgy

Abounding in ledges; consisting of a ledge or reef; as, a ledgy island.

Ledum

A genus of evergreen shrubs of the north temperate regions.

Lee

Of or pertaining to the part or side opposite to that against which the wind blows; -- opposed to weather; as, the lee side or lee rail of a vessel.

Leeboard

A board, or frame of planks, lowered over the side of a vessel to lessen her leeway when closehauled, by giving her greater draught.

Leech

To treat as a surgeon; to doctor; as, to leech wounds.

Leechcraft

The art of healing; skill of a physician.

Leek

A plant of the genus Allium (Allium Porrum), having broadly linear succulent leaves rising from a loose oblong cylindrical bulb. The flavor is stronger than that of the common onion.

Leer

To entice with a leer, or leers; as, to leer a man to ruin.

Leere

Tape or braid; an ornament.

Leet

The European pollock.

Leetman

One subject to the jurisdiction of a court-leet.

Leeward

Pertaining to, or in the direction of, the part or side toward which the wind blows; -- opposed to windward; as, a leeward berth; a leeward ship. The lee side; the lee. Toward the lee.

Leeway

The lateral movement of a ship to the leeward of her course; drift.

Left

That part of surrounding space toward which the left side of one's body is turned; as, the house is on the left when you face North.

left brain

The left cerebral hemisphere of the brain; in humans, it controls motor activity on the right side of the body, and in most people is the primary location for control of language, logic, and mathematical thought.

left wing

Those trying to reform the established order, particularly in political matters, to enhance the condition of the common people; -- sometimes applied to those advocating overthrow of an existing government by radical means.

left-brain

Of or pertaining to the left cerebral hemisphere of the brain.

left-brained

Exhibiting intellectual or personality characteristics suggesting dominance of linguistic or logical modes of thought, which are usually controlled by the left cerebral hemisphere; as, left-brained pedants unable to appreciate music; also referred to as linear. See linear{3}. Contrasted with right-brained.

Left-hand

Situated on the left; nearer the left hand than the right; as, the left-hand side; the left-hand road.

Left-handed

Having the left hand or arm stronger and more dexterous than the right; using the left hand and arm with more dexterity than the right.

left-hander lefthander

a person who uses the left hand with greater skill than the right; a left-handed{1} person.

left-wing

Of or pertaining to the political left or its ideology.

leftish

Inclined toward the political left.

leftist

a person who belongs to the political left.

leftover

An unused part or portion; -- used especially of food remaining uneaten from a previous meal; as, to have leftovers for dinner.

lefty

a person who uses the left hand with greater skill than the right; a left-handed person.

Leg

To use as a leg, with it as object To bow. To run.

Leg-of-mutton

Having the general shape or outline of a leg of mutton; as, a leg-of-mutton, or shoulder-of-mutton, sail.

leg-pull

An attempt to make somebody believe something that is not true, done as a joke.

leg-pulling

The act of attempting to make somebody believe something that is not true, done as a joke.

Legacy

A gift of property by will, esp. of money or personal property; a bequest. Also Fig.; as, a legacy of dishonor or disease.

Legal

Created by, permitted by, in conformity with, or relating to, law; as, a legal obligation; a legal standard or test; a legal procedure; a legal claim; a legal trade; anything is legal which the laws do not forbid.

legalese

A style of writing or speaking heavily emphasizing the abstruse technical vocabulary of the law, to the point where a speech or document may be incomprehensible to non-specialists.

Legalism

Strictness, or the doctrine of strictness, in conforming to law.

Legalist

One who practices or advocates strict conformity to law; in theology, one who holds to the law of works. See Legal, 2 (a).

Legality

The state or quality of being legal; conformity to law.

Legatee

One to whom a legacy is bequeathed.

Legatine

Of or pertaining to a legate; as, legatine power.

Legation

The sending forth or commissioning one person to act for another.

Legato

Connected; tied; -- a term used when successive tones are to be produced in a closely connected, smoothly gliding manner. It is often indicated by a tie, thus /, /, or /, /, written over or under the notes to be so performed; -- opposed to staccato.

Legator

A testator; one who bequeaths a legacy.

Lege

To allege; to assert.

Legend

To tell or narrate, as a legend.

Legendary

A book of legends; a tale or narrative.

Leger

Light; slender; slim; trivial.

Legerdemain

Sleight of hand; a trick of sleight of hand; hence, any artful deception or trick.

Legge

To lighten; to allay.

Legged

Having (such or so many) legs; -- used in composition; as, a long-legged man; a two-legged animal.

Leggy

having tall spindly stems; -- of plants.

Leghorn

A straw plaiting used for bonnets and hats, made from the straw of a particular kind of wheat, grown for the purpose in Tuscany, Italy; -- so called from Leghorn, the place of exportation.

Legibility

The quality of being legible; legibleness.

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