Legitimize - Lenity

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Legitimize (l�jĭtĭmīz), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Legitimized (-mīzd); p. pr. & vb. n. Legitimizing.] To legitimate.
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Legless (lĕglĕs), a. Not having a leg.
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Leg-of-mutton (?), a. Having the general shape or outline of a leg of mutton; as, a leg-of-mutton, or shoulder-of-mutton, sail.
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Lego-literary (lēg�-lĭtẽr�r�), a. [See , and .] Pertaining to the literature of law.
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leg-pull n. An attempt to make somebody believe something that is not true, done as a joke.
Syn. -- leg-pulling.
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leg-pulling n. The act of attempting to make somebody believe something that is not true, done as a joke.
Syn. -- leg-pull.
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Leguleian (lēg�lēy�n), a. [L. leguleius pettifogger, fr. lex, legis, law.] Lawyerlike; legal. [R.] “Leguleian barbarism.” De Quincey. -- n. A lawyer.
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Legume (lĕg�m or l�gūm), n. [F. légume, L. legumen, fr. legere to gather. So called because they may be gathered without cutting. See .] 1. (Bot.) A pod dehiscent into two pieces or valves, and having the seed attached at one suture, as that of the pea.
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☞ In the latter circumstance, it differs from a siliqua, in which the seeds are attached to both sutures. In popular use, a legume is called a pod, or cod; as, pea pod, or peas cod.
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2. pl. The fruit of leguminous plants, as peas, beans, lupines; pulse.
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Legumen (l�gūmĕn), n.; pl. L. Legumina (-mĭnȧ), E. Legumens (-mĕnz). [L.] Same as .
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Legumin (-mĭn), n. [Cf. F. légumine.] (Physiol. Chem.) An albuminous substance resembling casein, found as a characteristic ingredient of the seeds of leguminous and grain-bearing plants.
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Leguminous (-mĭnŭs), a. [Cf. F. légumineux.] 1. Pertaining to pulse; consisting of pulse.
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2. (Bot.) Belonging to, or resembling, a very large natural order of plants (Leguminosæ), which bear legumes, including peas, beans, clover, locust trees, acacias, and mimosas.
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Leiger (lējẽr), n. [See , and .] See , n., 2. [Obs.] Shak.
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Leiopelma n. The type and sole genus of the family Leiopelmatidae. [Also spelled Liopelma.]
Syn. -- genus Leiopelma, Liopelma, genus Liopelma.
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Leiopelmatidae n. A natural family of primitive New Zealand frogs. [Also spelled Liopelmidae.]
Syn. -- family Leiopelmatidae, Liopelmidae, family Liopelmidae.
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Leiophyllum n. A genus having only one species, the sand myrtle.
Syn. -- genus Leiophyllum.
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Leiotrichan (l�ŏtrĭk�n), a. Of or pertaining to the Leiotrichi. -- n. One of the Leiotrichi.
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Leiotrichi (-kī), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. lei^os smooth + qrix, trichos, hair.] (Anthropol.) The division of mankind which embraces the smooth-haired races.
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Leiotrichous (-kŭs), a. [See .] (Anthropol.) Having smooth, or nearly smooth, hair.
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Leipoa (l�pōȧ), n. [NL.] (Zoöl.) A genus of Australian gallinaceous birds including but a single species (Leipoa ocellata), about the size of a turkey. Its color is variegated, brown, black, white, and gray. Called also native pheasant.
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☞ It makes large mounds of sand and vegetable material, in which its eggs are laid to be hatched by the heat of the decomposing mass.
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Leipothymic (līp�thĭmĭk), a. See .
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{ Leister, Lister } (lĭstẽr), n. A spear armed with three or more prongs, for striking fish. [Scotland]
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Leisurable (lēzh�rȧb'l; 135), a. [See .]
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1. Leisurely. [Obs.] Hooker.
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2. Vacant of employment; not occupied; idle; leisure; as leisurable hours. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
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Leisurably, adv. At leisure. [Obs.]
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Leisure (lēzh�r; 135), n. [OE. leisere, leiser, OF. leisir, F. loisir, orig., permission, fr. L. licere to be permitted. See .] 1. Freedom from occupation or business; vacant time; time free from employment.
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The desire of leisure is much more natural than of business and care. Sir W. Temple.
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2. Time at one's command, free from engagement; convenient opportunity; hence, convenience; ease.
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He sighed, and had no leisure more to say. Dryden.
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Coloq. At leisure . (a) Free from occupation; not busy. (b) In a leisurely manner; at a convenient time.
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Leisure, a. Unemployed; as, leisure hours.
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Leisured (lēzh�rd), a. Having leisure. “The leisured classes.” Gladstone.
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Leisurely (lēzh�rl�), a. Characterized by leisure; taking abundant time; not hurried; as, a leisurely manner; a leisurely walk.
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Leisurely, adv. In a leisurely manner. Addison.
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Leitmotif, Leitmotiv (lītm�t�f), n. [G., leading motive.] 1. (Mus.) a guiding theme; in Wagnerian opera, a marked melodic phrase or short musical passage which always accompanies the reappearance of a certain person, situation, abstract idea, or allusion in the course of the play; a sort of musical label. Also called Leading motive.
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2. a recurring theme in the activities of a person or group.
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Leitneria prop. n. A genus of trees or shrubs coextensive with the family Leitneriaceae, and including the corkwood (Leitneria floridana).
Syn. -- family Leitneriaceae, corkwood family.
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Leitneriaceae prop. n. A natural family of trees coextensive with the genus Leitneria; commonly isolated in a distinct order.
Syn. -- family Leitneriaceae, corkwood family.
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LEM, L.E.M. n. [acronym from Lunar Excursion Module.] (Astronautics) A lunar excursion module, a spacecraft designed to transport people from a command module in orbit around the moon to the surface of the moon and back again.
Syn. -- lunar excursion module, lunar module.
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Lemaireocereus n. A genus of tropical American cacti, usually tall and branching with stout spines and funnel-shaped flowers and globular or ovoid often edible fruit.
Syn. -- genus Lemaireocereus.
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Leman (lēm�n or lĕm�n; 277), n. [OE. lemman, lefman; AS. leóf dear + mann man. See , and .] A sweetheart, of either sex; a gallant, or a mistress; -- usually in a bad sense. [Archaic] Chaucer. Spenser. Shak.
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lemanderin n. A fruit tree (Citrus limonia) which is a hybrid between the mandarin orange and the lemon, having a very acid fruit with an orange peel; also, the fruit of this tree, the rangpur.
Syn. -- rangpur, rangpur lime, Citrus limonia.
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Leme (lēm), n. [OE. leem, leme, leam, AS. leóma light, brightness; akin to E. light, n. √122.] A ray or glimmer of light; a gleam. [Obs.] Chaucer.
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Leme, v. i. To shine. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.
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Lemma (lĕmmȧ), n.; pl. L. Lemmata (-mȧtȧ), E. Lemmas (-mȧz). [L. lemma, Gr. lh^mma anything received, an assumption or premise taken for granted, fr. lambanein to take, assume. Cf. .] 1. (Math., Logic) A preliminary or auxiliary proposition demonstrated or accepted for immediate use in the demonstration of some other proposition, as in mathematics or logic.
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2. A word that is included in a glossary or list of headwords; a headword.
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lemmatization (lĕmmȧtĭzāshŭn), v. t. The act or process of lemmatizing; conversion into a lemma{2}.
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☞ Lemmatization of search words in a computerized Information Retrieval System may allow more effective retrieval of documents of interest to the searcher.
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lemmatize (lĕmmȧtīz), v. t. To convert into a lemma{2}; to normalize the form of (a word) to that form used as the headword in a dictionary, glossary, or index; as, “ride” is the lemmatized form for “riding” and “ridden”.
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Lemman (lĕmm�n), n. A leman. [Obs.] Chaucer.
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Lemming (lĕmmĭng), n. [Nor. lemming, lemende; cf. Sw. lemel, Lapp. lummik.] (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of small arctic rodents of the genera Myodes and Cuniculus, resembling the meadow mice in form. They are found in both hemispheres.
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☞ The common Northern European lemming (Myodes lemmus) is remarkable for making occasional devastating migrations in enormous numbers from the mountains into the lowlands.
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Lemna n. A genus of minute acquatic herbs floating on or below the water surface of still water consisting of a leaflike frond or plant body and single root.
Syn. -- genus Lemna.
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Lemnaceae n. A natural family of small free-floating thalloid plants.
Syn. -- family Lemnaceae, duckweed family.
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Lemnian (lĕmnĭ�n), a. [L. Lemnius, fr. Lemnus, Gr. Lh^mnos.] Of or pertaining to the isle of Lemnos.
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Coloq. Lemnian bole , Coloq. Lemnian earth , an aluminous earth of a grayish yellow color; sphragide; -- formerly sold as medicine, having astringent properties. -- Coloq. Lemnian reddle , a reddle of firm consistence and deep red color; -- used by artificers in coloring.
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{ Lemniscata (lĕmnĭskātȧ), Lemniscate (lĕmnĭsk�t), } n. [L. lemniscatus adorned with ribbons, fr. lemniscus a ribbon hanging down, Gr. lhmniskos.] (Geom.) A curve in the form of the figure 8, with both parts symmetrical, generated by the point in which a tangent to an equilateral hyperbola meets the perpendicular on it drawn from the center.
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Lemniscus (lĕmnĭskŭs), n.; pl. Lemnisci (-sī) n.[L. See .] (Zoöl.) One of two oval bodies hanging from the interior walls of the body in the Acanthocephala.
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Lemon (lĕmŭn), n. [F. limon, Per. līmūn; cf. Ar. laimūn, Sp. limon, It. limone. Cf. a fruit.]
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1. (Bot.) An oval or roundish fruit resembling the orange, and containing a pulp usually intensely acid. It is produced by a tropical tree of the genus Citrus, the common fruit known in commerce being that of the species Citrus Limonum or Citrus Medica (var. Limonum). There are many varieties of the fruit, some of which are sweet.
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2. The tree which bears lemons; the lemon tree.
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Coloq. Lemon grass (Bot.), a fragrant East Indian grass (Andropogon Shœnanthus, and perhaps other allied species), which yields the grass oil used in perfumery. -- Coloq. Lemon sole (Zoöl.), a yellow European sole (Solea aurantiaca). -- Coloq. Salts of lemon (Chem.), a white crystalline substance, inappropriately named, as it consists of an acid potassium oxalate and contains no citric acid, which is the characteristic acid of lemon; -- called also salts of sorrel. It is used in removing ink stains. See Oxalic acid, under . [Colloq.]

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Lemonade (lĕmŭnād), n. [F. limonade; cf. Sp. limonada, It. limonata. See .] A beverage consisting of lemon juice mixed with water and sweetened. “If you have lemons, make lemonade”
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lemonwood n. 1. hard tough elastic wood of the lemonwood tree; used for making bows and fishing rods.
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2. A South African evergreen having hard tough wood.
Syn. -- lemonwood tree, Psychotria capensis .
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lemony adj. 1. tasting like lemons.
Syn. -- sourish, tangy, tart.
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Lemur (lēmŭr), n. [L., a ghost, specter. So called on account of its habit of going abroad by night.] (Zoöl.) One of a family (Lemuridæ) of nocturnal mammals allied to the monkeys, but of small size, and having a sharp and foxlike muzzle, and large eyes. They feed upon birds, insects, and fruit, and are mostly natives of Madagascar and the neighboring islands, one genus (Galago) occurring in Africa. The slow lemur or kukang of the East Indies is Nycticebus tardigradus. See , , and .
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Lemures (lĕm�rēz; E. lēmūrz), n. pl. [L. See .] Spirits or ghosts of the departed; specters.
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The Lars and Lemures moan with midnight plaint. Milton.
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Lemuria (l�mūrĭȧ), n. [So named from the supposition that it was the original home of the lemurs.] A hypothetical land, or continent, supposed by some to have existed formerly in the Indian Ocean, of which Madagascar is a remnant. Herschel.
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Lemurid (lĕm�rĭd), a. & n. (Zoöl.) Same as .
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{ Lemuridous (l�mūrĭdŭs), Lemurine (lĕm�rĭn or rīn), } a. (Zoöl.) Lemuroid.
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Lemuroid (lĕm�roid), a. [Lemur + -oid.] (Zoöl.) Like or pertaining to the lemurs or the Lemuroidea. -- n. One of the Lemuroidea.
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Lemuroidea (lĕm�roid�ȧ), n. pl. [NL. See , and .] (Zoöl.) A suborder of primates, including the lemurs, the aye-aye, and allied species. [Written also Lemuroida.]
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Lena (lēnȧ), n. [L.] A procuress. J. Webster.
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Lenard rays (?) n. (Physics.) Rays emanating from the outer surface of a plate composed of any material permeable by cathode rays, as aluminium, which forms a portion of a wall of a vacuum tube, or which is mounted within the tube and exposed to radiation from the cathode. Lenard rays are similar in all their known properties to cathode rays. So called from the German physicist Philipp Lenard (b. 1862), who first described them.
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Lenard tube. (Elec.) A tube for producing Lenard rays.
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Lend (lĕnd), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Lent (lĕnt); p. pr. & vb. n. Lending.] [OE. lenen, AS. lǣnan, fr. lǣn loan; akin to G. lehnen to lend. See .] 1. To allow the custody and use of, on condition of the return of the same; to grant the temporary use of; as, to lend a book; -- opposed to borrow.
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Give me that ring.
I'll lend it thee, my dear, but have no power
To give it from me. Shak.
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2. To allow the possession and use of, on condition of the return of an equivalent in kind; as, to lend money or some article of food.
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Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase. Levit. xxv. 37.
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3. To afford; to grant or furnish in general; as, to lend assistance; to lend one's name or influence.
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Cato, lend me for a while thy patience. Addison.
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Mountain lines and distant horizons lend space and largeness to his compositions. J. A. Symonds.
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4. To let for hire or compensation; as, to lend a horse or gig.
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☞ This use of the word is rare in the United States, except with reference to money.
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Coloq. To lend a hand , to give assistance; to help. [Colloq.] -- Coloq. To lend one's ears or Coloq. To lend an ear , to give attention.
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Lendable (-ȧb'l), a. Such as can be lent. Sherwood.
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Lender (-ẽr), n. One who lends.
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The borrower is servant to the lender. Prov. xxii. 7.
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Lendes (lĕndĕz), n. pl. See . [Obs.] Chaucer.
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Lending, n. 1. The act of one who lends.
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2. That which is lent or furnished.
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lend-lease n. the temporary transfer of goods and services to an ally to aid in a common cause; as, lend-lease during World War II was extremely generous.
Syn. -- lease-lend.
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Lends (lĕndz), n. pl. [AS. lend, lenden; akin to D. & G. lende, OHG. lenti, Icel. lend, and perh to E. loin.] Loins. [Obs.] Wyclif.
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Lene (lēn), v. t. [See .] To lend; to grant; to permit. [Obs.] Chaucer.
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Lene (lēn�), a. [L. lenis smooth.] (Phonetics) (a) Smooth; as, the lene breathing. (b) Applied to certain mute consonants, as p, k, and t (or Gr. π, κ, τ). W. E. Jelf.
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Lene, n. (Phonetics) (a) The smooth breathing (spiritus lenis). (b) Any one of the lene consonants, as p, k, or t (or Gr. π, κ, τ). W. E. Jelf.
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{ Lenger (lĕngẽr), Lengest }, a. Longer; longest; -- obsolete compar. and superl. of long. Chaucer.
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Length (lĕngth), n. [OE. lengthe, AS. lengð, fr. lang, long, long; akin to D. lengte, Dan. længde, Sw. längd, Icel. lengd. See , a. ] 1. The longest, or longer, dimension of any object, in distinction from breadth or width; extent of anything from end to end; the longest line which can be drawn through a body, parallel to its sides; as, the length of a church, or of a ship; the length of a rope or line.
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2. A portion of space or of time considered as measured by its length; -- often in the plural.
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Large lengths of seas and shores. Shak.
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The future but a length behind the past. Dryden.
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3. The quality or state of being long, in space or time; extent; duration; as, some sea birds are remarkable for the length of their wings; he was tired by the length of the sermon, and the length of his walk.
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4. A single piece or subdivision of a series, or of a number of long pieces which may be connected together; as, a length of pipe; a length of fence.
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5. Detail or amplification; unfolding; continuance as, to pursue a subject to a great length.
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May Heaven, great monarch, still augment your bliss
With length of days, and every day like this. Dryden.
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6. Distance. [Obs.]
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He had marched to the length of Exeter. Clarendon.
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Coloq. At length . (a) At or in the full extent; without abbreviation; as, let the name be inserted at length. (b) At the end or conclusion; after a long period. See Syn. of At last, under . -- Coloq. At arm's length . See under .
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Length, v. t. To lengthen. [Obs.] Shak.
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Lengthen (-'n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Lengthened (-'nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Lengthening (-'nĭng).] To extent in length; to make longer in extent or duration; as, to lengthen a line or a road; to lengthen life; -- sometimes followed by out.
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What if I please to lengthen out his date. Dryden.
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Lengthen, v. i. To become longer. Locke.
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Lengthful (-fụl), a. Long. [Obs.] Pope.
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Lengthily (-ĭl�), adv. In a lengthy manner; at great length or extent.
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Lengthiness, n. The state or quality of being lengthy; prolixity.
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{ Lengthways (-wāz), Lengthwise (-wīz), } adv. In the direction of the length; running or extending in the direction of the length of a thing; in a longitudinal direction. Contrasted with crosswise.
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Lengthy (-�), a. [Compar. Lengthier (-ĭẽr); superl. Lengthiest.] Having length; rather long or too long; prolix; not brief; -- said chiefly of discourses, writings, and the like. “Lengthy periods.” Washington. “Some lengthy additions.” Byron. “These would be details too lengthy.” Jefferson. “To cut short lengthy explanations.” Trench.
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{ Lenience (lēnĭ�ns or lēny�ns; 106), Leniency (lēnĭ�ns� or lēny�ns�), } n. The quality or state of being lenient; lenity; clemency.
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Lenient (lēnĭ�nt or lēny�nt), a. [L. leniens, -entis, p. pr. of lenire to soften, fr. lenis soft, mild. Cf. .]
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1. Relaxing; emollient; softening; assuasive; -- sometimes followed by of. “Lenient of grief.” Milton.
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O�� relax the fibers, are lenient, balsamic. Arbuthnot.
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Time, that on all things lays his lenient hand. Pope.
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2. Mild; clement; merciful; not rigorous or severe; as, a lenient disposition; a lenient judge or sentence.
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Lenient, n. (Med.) A lenitive; an emollient.
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Leniently, adv. In a lenient manner.
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Lenify (lĕnĭfī), v. t. [L. lenis soft, mild + -fy: cf. F. lénifier.] To assuage; to soften; to mitigate; to alleviate. Bacon. Dryden.
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Leniment (-m�nt), n. [L. lenimentum: cf. OF. leniment. See .] An assuasive. [Obs.]
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Leningrad prop. n. A city in the European part of Soviet Russia; the former capital of Russia. The name was formerly St. Petersburg and Petrograd, and was changed back to Saint Petersburg (Sankt Peterburg in Russian) in 1992.
Syn. -- St. Petersburg, Peterburg, Petrograd, Saint Petersburg.
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Leninism prop. n. a form of communism based on the writings of Marx and Lenin; called also Marxism-Leninism.
Syn. -- bolshevism, collectivism, Marxism-Leninism, Marxism, Sovietism, sovietism.
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Lenitive (-tĭv), a. [Cf. F. lénitif. See .] Having the quality of softening or mitigating, as pain or acrimony; assuasive; emollient.
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Lenitive, n. [Cf. F. lénitif.] 1. (Med.) (a) A medicine or application that has the quality of easing pain or protecting from the action of irritants. (b) A mild purgative; a laxative.
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2. That which softens or mitigates; that which tends to allay passion, excitement, or pain; a palliative.
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There is one sweet lenitive at least for evils, which Nature holds out; so I took it kindly at her hands, and fell asleep. Sterne.
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Lenitiveness, n. The quality of being lenitive.
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Lenitude (-tūd), n. [L. lenitudo.] The quality or habit of being lenient; lenity. [Obs.] Blount.
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Lenity (-t�), n. [L. lenitas, fr. lenis soft, mild: cf. OF. lenité. See .] The state or quality of being lenient; mildness of temper or disposition; gentleness of treatment; softness; tenderness; clemency; -- opposed to severity and rigor.
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His exceeding lenity disposes us to be somewhat too severe. Macaulay.

Syn. -- Gentleness; kindness; tenderness; softness; humanity; clemency; mercy.
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Lenni-Lenape (lĕnnĭ-lĕnäp�), n. pl. (Ethnol.) A general name for a group of Algonquin tribes which formerly occupied the coast region of North America from Connecticut to Virginia. They included the Mohicans, Delawares, Shawnees, and several other tribes.
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