1 N‑UNCOUNT Litter is rubbish that is left lying around outside. □ If you see litter in the corridor, pick it up. □ On Wednesday we cleared a beach and woodland of litter.
2 N‑UNCOUNT A litter of things is a quantity of them that are lying around in a disorganized way. □ [+ of ] He pushed aside the litter of books and papers and laid two places at the table.
3 VERB If a number of things litter a place, they are scattered untidily around it or over it. □ [V n] Glass from broken bottles litters the pavement. ● lit|tered ADJ [ADJ prep/adv] □ The entrance hall is littered with toys and wellington boots. □ Concrete purpose-built resorts are littered across the mountainsides.
4 ADJ [v-link ADJ with n] If something is littered with things, it contains many examples of it. □ [+ with ] History is littered with men and women spurred into achievement by a father's disregard. □ [+ with ] Charles' speech is littered with lots of marketing buzzwords like 'package' and 'product'.
5 N‑COUNT A litter is a group of animals born to the same mother at the same time. □ [+ of ] …a litter of pups.
6 N‑UNCOUNT Litter is a dry substance that you put in the container where you want your cat to go to the toilet.
li t|ter bin (litter bins ) N‑COUNT A litter bin is a container, usually in a street, park, or public building, into which people can put rubbish. [BRIT ] in AM, use trash can
little
➊ DETERMINER, QUANTIFIER, AND ADVERB USES
➋ ADJECTIVE USES
➊ lit|tle ◆◆◆ /l I t ə l/
1 DET You use little to indicate that there is only a very small amount of something. You can use 'so', 'too', and 'very' in front of little . □ I had little money and little free time. □ I find that I need very little sleep these days. □ There is little doubt that a diet high in fibre is more satisfying. □ So far little progress has been made towards ending the fighting. ● QUANT Little is also a quantifier. □ Little of the existing housing is of good enough quality. ● PRON Little is also a pronoun. □ In general, employers do little to help the single working mother. □ Little is known about his childhood.
2 ADV [ADV with v] Little means not very often or to only a small extent. □ On their way back to Marseille they spoke very little.
3 DET A little of something is a small amount of it, but not very much. You can also say a very little . □ Mrs Caan needs a little help getting her groceries home. □ A little food would do us all some good. □ I shall be only a very little time. ● PRON Little is also a pronoun. □ They get paid for it. Not much. Just a little. ● QUANT Little is also a quantifier. □ [+ of ] Pour a little of the sauce over the chicken. □ [+ of ] I'm sure she won't mind sparing us a little of her time.
4 ADV [ADV after v] If you do something a little , you do it for a short time. □ He walked a little by himself in the garden.
5 ADV [ADV after v, ADV adj/adv] A little or a little bit means to a small extent or degree. □ He complained a little of a nagging pain between his shoulder blades. □ He was a little bit afraid of his father's reaction. □ If you have to drive when you are tired, go a little more slowly than you would normally.
6 PHRASE If something happens little by little , it happens very gradually. □ In the beginning he had felt well, but little by little he was becoming weaker.
➋ lit|tle ◆◆◆ /l I t ə l/ (littler , littlest ) The comparative littler and the superlative littlest are sometimes used in spoken English for meanings 1 , 3 , and 4 , but otherwise the comparative and superlative forms of the adjective little are not used. 1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Little things are small in size. Little is slightly more informal than small . □ We sat around a little table, eating and drinking tea. □ …the little group of art students.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] You use little to indicate that someone or something is small, in a pleasant and attractive way. □ She's got the nicest little house not far from the library. □ …a little old lady. □ James usually drives a little hatchback.
3 ADJ A little child is young. □ I have a little boy of 8. □ When I was little I was very hyper-active.
4 ADJ [ADJ n] Your little sister or brother is younger than you are. □ Whenever Daniel's little sister was asked to do something she always had a naughty reply.
5 ADJ [ADJ n] A little distance, period of time, or event is short in length. □ Just go down the road a little way, turn left, and cross the bridge. □ Why don't we just wait a little while and see what happens. □ I've been wanting to have a little talk with you.
6 ADJ [ADJ n] A little sound or gesture is quick. □ I had a little laugh to myself. □ She stood up quickly, giving a little cry of astonishment. □ He turned with a little nod and I watched him walk away.
7 ADJ [ADJ n] You use little to indicate that something is not serious or important. □ …irritating little habits. □ Harry found himself getting angry over little things that had never bothered him before. SYNONYMS little ADJ ➋1
small: She is small for her age.
tiny: The living room is tiny.
minute: Only a minute amount is needed.
compact: …my compact office in Washington.
diminutive: She noticed a diminutive figure standing at the entrance.
li t|tle fi n|ger (little fingers ) N‑COUNT Your little finger is the smallest finger on your hand.
Li t|tle Lea gue N‑PROPER The Little League is an organization of children's baseball teams that compete against each other in the United States.
lit|to|ral /l I tərəl/ (littorals ) N‑COUNT [usu sing, N n] In geography, the littoral means the coast. [TECHNICAL ] □ …the countries of the north African littoral. □ …the littoral countries of the Persian Gulf.
li|tur|gi|cal /l I tɜː r dʒ I k ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Liturgical things are used in or relate to church services. [FORMAL ]
lit|ur|gy /l I tə r dʒi/ (liturgies ) N‑VAR A liturgy is a particular form of religious service, usually one that is set and approved by a branch of the Christian Church. □ A clergyman read the liturgy from the prayer-book. □ …the many similarities in ministry, liturgy and style between the two churches.
live
➊ VERB USES
➋ ADJECTIVE USES
➊ live ◆◆◆ /l I v/ (lives , living , lived )
→ Please look at categories 14 to 16 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 VERB If someone lives in a particular place or with a particular person, their home is in that place or with that person. □ [V adv/prep] She has lived here for 10 years. □ [V adv/prep] She always said I ought to live alone. □ [V adv/prep] Where do you live? □ [V adv/prep] He still lives with his parents.
2 VERB If you say that someone lives in particular circumstances or that they live a particular kind of life, you mean that they are in those circumstances or that they have that kind of life. □ [V adv/prep] We lived quite grandly. □ [V adv/prep] We live in an age of rapid technological change. □ [V n] We can start living a normal life again now.
3 VERB If you say that someone lives for a particular thing, you mean that it is the most important thing in their life. □ [V + for ] He lived for his work.
4 VERB To live means to be alive. If someone lives to a particular age, they stay alive until they are that age. □ [V adv] He's got a terrible disease and will not live long. □ [V to-inf] He lived to be 103. □ [V + to ] Matilda was born in northern Italy in 1046 and apparently lived to a ripe old age. □ [V -ing] The blue whale is the largest living thing on the planet.
5 VERB [no cont] If people live by doing a particular activity, they get the money, food, or clothing they need by doing that activity. □ [V + by ] …the last indigenous people to live by hunting. □ [V + by ] These crimes were committed largely by professional criminals who lived by crime.
6 VERB If you live by a particular rule, belief, or ideal, you behave in the way in which it says you should behave. □ [V + by ] They live by the principle that we are here to add what we can to life.
7 → see also living
8 to live beyond your means → see means
9 to live in sin → see sin
▸ live down PHRASAL VERB If you are unable to live down a mistake, failure, or bad reputation, you are unable to make people forget about it. □ [V P n] Labour was also unable to live down its reputation as the party of high taxes. □ [V n P ] I thought I'd never live it down.
▸ live off PHRASAL VERB If you live off another person, you rely on them to provide you with money. □ [V P n] …a man who all his life had lived off his father.
▸ live on or live off
1 PHRASAL VERB If you live on or live off a particular amount of money, you have that amount of money to buy things. □ [V P amount] Even with efficient budgeting, most students are unable to live on £4000 per year. □ [V P amount] You'll have enough to live on.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you live on or live off a particular source of income, that is where you get the money that you need. □ [V P n] The proportion of Americans living on welfare rose. □ [V P n] He's been living off state benefits.
3 PHRASAL VERB If an animal lives on or lives off a particular food, this is the kind of food that it eats. □ [V P n] The fish live on the plankton. □ [V P n] Most species live off aquatic snails.
4 PHRASAL VERB If you say that a person lives on or lives off a particular kind of food, you mean that it seems to be the only thing that they eat, for example because they like it a lot or because they do not have other foods. □ [V P n] The children live on chips. □ [V P n] Their room was bare of furniture and they lived off porridge.
▸ live on PHRASAL VERB If someone lives on , they continue to be alive for a long time after a particular point in time or after a particular event. □ [V P ] I know my life has been cut short by this terrible virus but Daniel will live on after me.
▸ live out
1 PHRASAL VERB If you live out your life in a particular place or in particular circumstances, you stay in that place or in those circumstances until the end of your life or until the end of a particular period of your life. □ [V P n] Gein did not stand trial but lived out his days in a mental asylum. □ [V n P ] I couldn't live my life out on tour like he does.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you live out a dream or idea, you do the things that you have thought about. □ [V P n] He began living out his rock 'n' roll fantasy during his last year in law school. □ [V n P ] I suppose some people create an idea of who they want to be, and then they live it out.
▸ live through PHRASAL VERB If you live through an unpleasant event or change, you experience it and survive. □ [V P n] We are too young to have lived through the war.
▸ live together PHRASAL VERB If two people are not married but live in the same house and have a sexual relationship, you can say that they live together . □ [V P ] The couple had been living together for 16 years.
▸ live up to PHRASAL VERB If someone or something lives up to what they were expected to be, they are as good as they were expected to be. □ [V P P n] Sales have not lived up to expectations this year.
➋ live ◆◇◇ /la I v/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Live animals or plants are alive, rather than being dead or artificial. □ …a protest against the company's tests on live animals. □ …baskets of live chickens.
2 ADJ A live television or radio programme is one in which an event or performance is broadcast at exactly the same time as it happens, rather than being recorded first. □ Murray was a guest on a live radio show. □ …we were laughing and gossiping, oblivious to the fact that we were on live TV. □ A broadcast of the speech was heard in San Francisco, but it is not known if this was live. ● ADV [ADV after v] Live is also an adverb. □ It was broadcast live in 50 countries. □ We'll be going live to Nottingham later in this bulletin.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A live performance is given in front of an audience, rather than being recorded and then broadcast or shown in a film. □ The Rainbow has not hosted live music since the end of 1981. □ A live audience will pose the questions. □ The band was forced to cancel a string of live dates. ● ADV [ADV after v] Live is also an adverb. □ [+ with ] She has been playing live with her new band.
4 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A live recording is a recording of a band playing at a concert, rather than in a studio. □ This is my favourite live album of all time.
5 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A live wire or piece of electrical equipment is directly connected to a source of electricity. □ The plug broke, exposing live wires. □ He warned others about the live electric cables as they climbed to safety.
6 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Live bullets are made of metal, rather than rubber or plastic, and are intended to kill people rather than injure them. □ They trained in the jungle using live ammunition.
7 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A live bomb or missile is one which has not yet exploded. □ A live bomb had earlier been defused. SYNONYMS live VERB ➊1
dwell: They are concerned for the fate of the forest and the Indians who dwell in it.
lodge: …the story of the farming family she lodged with as a young teacher.
inhabit: …the people who inhabit these islands.
reside: Margaret resides with her mother in a London suburb.
live|blog /la I vblɒg/ (liveblogs , liveblogging , liveblogged )
1 N‑COUNT A liveblog is a blog in which you write about an event as it happens. □ She provided a liveblog from the conflict area.
2 VERB If you liveblog or liveblog an event, you write on your blog about an event as it happens. □ [V ] Several people were liveblogging from the scene. [also V n]
live-in ◆◇◇ /l I v I n/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] A live-in partner is someone who lives in the same house as the person they are having a sexual relationship with, but is not married to them. □ She shared the apartment with her live-in partner.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A live-in servant or other domestic worker sleeps and eats in the house where they work. □ I have a live-in nanny for my youngest daughter.
live|li|hood /la I vlihʊd/ (livelihoods ) N‑VAR Your livelihood is the job or other source of income that gives you the money to buy the things you need. □ …fishermen who depend on the seas for their livelihood. □ As a result of this conflict he lost both his home and his means of livelihood.
live|ly /la I vli/ (livelier , liveliest )
1 ADJ You can describe someone as lively when they behave in an enthusiastic and cheerful way. □ Josephine was bright, lively and cheerful. ● live|li|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Amy could sense his liveliness even from where she stood.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A lively event or a lively discussion, for example, has lots of interesting and exciting things happening or being said in it. □ It turned out to be a very interesting session with a lively debate. □ Their 4–1 win in Honduras was a particularly lively affair. ● live|li|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Some may enjoy the liveliness of such a restaurant for a few hours a day or week.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Someone who has a lively mind is intelligent and interested in a lot of different things. □ She was a very well educated girl with a lively mind, a girl with ambition. □ …her very lively imagination.
liv|en /la I v ə n/ (livens , livening , livened )
▸ liven up
1 PHRASAL VERB If a place or event livens up , or if something livens it up , it becomes more interesting and exciting. □ [V n P ] How could we decorate the room to liven it up? □ [V P n] The multicoloured rag rug was chosen to liven up the grey carpet. □ [V P ] The arena livens up only on Saturdays and Sundays when a flea market is open there.
2 PHRASAL VERB If people liven up , or if something livens them up , they become more cheerful and energetic. □ [V n P ] Talking about her daughters livens her up. □ [V P ] George livens up after midnight, relaxing a little.
liv|er /l I və r / (livers )
1 N‑COUNT Your liver is a large organ in your body which processes your blood and helps to clean unwanted substances out of it.
2 N‑VAR Liver is the liver of some animals, especially lambs, pigs, and cows, which is cooked and eaten. □ …grilled calves' liver.
liv|eried /l I vərid/ ADJ [ADJ n] A liveried servant is one who wears a special uniform. □ The tea was served to guests by liveried footmen.
liv|ery /l I vəri/ (liveries )
1 N‑VAR A servant's livery is the special uniform that he or she wears.
2 N‑COUNT [usu with poss] The livery of a particular company is the special design or set of colours associated with it that is put on its products and possessions. □ …buffet cars in the railway company's bright red and yellow livery.
lives Lives is pronounced /la I vz/ in meaning 1 , and /l I vz/ in meaning 2 . 1 Lives is the plural of life .
2 Lives is the third person singular form of live .
live|stock /la I vstɒk/ N‑UNCOUNT [with sing or pl verb] Animals such as cattle and sheep which are kept on a farm are referred to as livestock . □ The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.
live wire /la I v wa I ə r / (live wires ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a live wire , you mean that they are lively and energetic. [INFORMAL ]
liv|id /l I v I d/
1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] Someone who is livid is extremely angry. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ about ] I am absolutely livid about it. □ [+ that ] She is livid that I have invited Dick.
2 ADJ Something that is livid is an unpleasant dark purple or red colour. □ The scarred side of his face was a livid red.
liv|ing ◆◇◇ /l I v I ŋ/ (livings )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The work that you do for a living is the work that you do in order to earn the money that you need. □ Father never talked about what he did for a living. □ He earns his living doing all kinds of things.
2 N‑UNCOUNT You use living when you are talking about the quality of people's daily lives. □ Olivia has always been a model of healthy living. □ …the stresses of urban living.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] You use living to talk about the places where people relax when they are not working. □ The spacious living quarters were on the second floor. □ The study links the main living area to the kitchen.
4 N‑PLURAL The living are people who are alive, rather than people who have died. □ The young man is dead. We have only to consider the living.
5 in living memory → see memory
li v|ing room (living rooms ) also living-room N‑COUNT The living room in a house is the room where people sit and relax. □ We were sitting on the couch in the living room watching TV.
li v|ing stand|ard (living standards ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Living standards or living standard is used to refer to the level of comfort in which people live, which usually depends on how much money they have. □ [+ of ] Cheaper housing would vastly improve the living standards of ordinary people. □ Critics say his reforms have caused the fall in living standards.
li v|ing wa ge N‑SING A living wage is a wage which is just enough to enable you to buy food, clothing, and other necessary things. □ Many farmers have to depend on subsidies to make a living wage.
li v|ing wi ll (living wills ) N‑COUNT A living will is a document in which you say what medical or legal decisions you want people to make for you if you become too ill to make these decisions yourself.
liz|ard /l I zə r d/ (lizards ) N‑COUNT A lizard is a reptile with short legs and a long tail.
-'ll /- ə l/ -'ll is the usual spoken form of 'will'. It is added to the end of the pronoun which is the subject of the verb. For example, 'you will' can be shortened to 'you'll'.
lla|ma /lɑː mə/ (llamas ) N‑COUNT A llama is a South American animal with thick hair, which looks like a small camel without a hump.
lo /loʊ / CONVENTION Lo and behold or lo is used to emphasize a surprising event that is about to be mentioned, or to emphasize in a humorous way that something is not surprising at all. [HUMOROUS or LITERARY , EMPHASIS ] □ He called the minister of the interior and, lo and behold, the prisoners were released. □ I looked and lo! every one of the men had disappeared.
load ◆◇◇ /loʊ d/ (loads , loading , loaded )
1 VERB If you load a vehicle or a container, you put a large quantity of things into it. □ [V n] The three men seemed to have finished loading the truck. □ [V n + with ] Mr. Dambar had loaded his plate with lasagne. □ [V n + into/onto ] They load all their equipment into backpacks. □ [V -ed] She deposited the loaded tray. ● PHRASAL VERB Load up means the same as load . □ [V n P ] I've just loaded my truck up. □ [V P n] The giggling couple loaded up their red sports car and drove off. □ [V P n + with ] We loaded up carts with all the blankets, bandages, medication, water we could spare. □ [V P n + into/onto ] She loaded up his collection of vintage wines into crates. [Also V n P + with/into/onto ] ● load|ing N‑SING □ …the loading of baggage onto international flights.
2 N‑COUNT A load is something, usually a large quantity or heavy object, which is being carried. □ [+ of ] He drove by with a big load of hay. □ He was carrying a very heavy load.
3 QUANT If you refer to a load of people or things or loads of them, you are emphasizing that there are a lot of them. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ [+ of ] I've got loads of money. □ [+ of ] His people came up with a load of embarrassing information. □ [+ of ] …a load of kids.
4 VERB When someone loads a weapon such as a gun, they put a bullet or missile in it so that it is ready to use. □ [V n] I knew how to load and handle a gun. □ [V -ed] He carried a loaded gun.
5 VERB To load a piece of equipment means to put something into it so that it is ready to use. □ [V n ] She made us clean our room and load the dishwasher. □ [be V -ed + into/onto/on ] The data can subsequently be loaded on a computer for processing.
6 N‑COUNT You can refer to the amount of work you have to do as a load . □ [+ off ] She's taking some of the load off the secretaries.
7 N‑COUNT The load of a system or piece of equipment, especially a system supplying electricity or a computer, is the extent to which it is being used at a particular time. □ [+ of ] An efficient bulb may lighten the load of power stations. □ [+ of ] Several processors can share the load of handling data in a single program.
8 N‑SING The load on something is the amount of weight that is pressing down on it or the amount of strain that it is under. □ [+ on ] Some of these chairs have flattened feet which spread the load on the ground. □ [+ on ] High blood pressure imposes an extra load on the heart.
9 → see also loaded
10 a load off your mind → see mind ➊
▸ load up → see load 1 SYNONYMS load VERB 1
pack: When I was 17, I packed my bags and left home.
stuff: He grabbed my purse, opened it and stuffed it full, then gave it back to me.
pile: He was piling clothes into the suitcase.
-load /-loʊd/ (-loads ) COMB -load combines with nouns referring to a vehicle or container to form nouns that refer to the total amount of something that the vehicle or container mentioned can hold or carry. □ [+ of ] The first plane-loads of food, children's clothing and medical supplies began arriving. □ [+ of ] …a lorry-load of sheep on their way across Europe.
load|ed /loʊ d I d/
1 ADJ A loaded question or word has more meaning or purpose than it appears to have, because the person who uses it hopes it will cause people to respond in a particular way. □ That's a loaded question. □ …the loaded word 'sexist'.
2 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If something is loaded with a particular characteristic, it has that characteristic to a very great degree. □ [+ with ] The President's visit is loaded with symbolic significance. □ [+ with ] The phrase is loaded with irony.
3 ADJ If you say that something is loaded in favour of someone, you mean it works unfairly to their advantage. If you say it is loaded against them, you mean it works unfairly to their disadvantage. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ in favour of ] The press is loaded in favour of this present government. □ [+ against ] The article was heavily loaded against Morrissey.
loaf /loʊ f/ (loaves ) N‑COUNT A loaf of bread is bread which has been shaped and baked in one piece. It is usually large enough for more than one person and can be cut into slices. □ [+ of ] …a loaf of crusty bread. □ …freshly baked loaves.
loaf|er /loʊ fə r / (loafers ) N‑COUNT Loafers are flat leather shoes with no straps or laces. [mainly AM ]
loam /loʊ m/ N‑UNCOUNT Loam is soil that is good for growing crops and plants in because it contains a lot of decayed vegetable matter and does not contain too much sand or clay.
loan ◆◆◇ /loʊ n/ (loans , loaning , loaned )
1 N‑COUNT A loan is a sum of money that you borrow. □ The president wants to make it easier for small businesses to get bank loans. □ …loan repayments.
2 → see also bridging loan , soft loan
3 N‑SING If someone gives you a loan of something, you borrow it from them. □ [+ of ] He had offered the loan of his small villa at Cap Ferrat.
4 VERB If you loan something to someone, you lend it to them. □ [V n n] He had kindly offered to loan us all the plants required for the exhibit. □ [V n + to ] We were approached by the Royal Yachting Association to see if we would loan our boat to them. [Also V n] ● PHRASAL VERB Loan out means the same as loan . □ [V P n + to ] It is common practice for clubs to loan out players to sides in the lower divisions. □ [be V -ed out ] The ground was loaned out for numerous events including pop concerts. [Also V n P , V P n]
5 PHRASE If something is on loan , it has been borrowed. □ …impressionist paintings on loan from the National Gallery. SYNONYMS loan NOUN 1
advance: She was paid a £100,000 advance for her next two novels.
credit: The group can't get credit to buy farming machinery.
mortgage: There has been an increase in mortgage rates. VERB 4
advance: I advanced him some money, which he would repay on our way home.
lend: I had to lend him ten pounds to take his children to the pictures.
loa n shark (loan sharks ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a loan shark , you disapprove of them because they lend money to people and charge them very high rates of interest on the loan. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
loath /loʊ θ/ also loth ADJ If you are loath to do something, you do not want to do it. □ [+ to-inf] The new finance minister seems loth to cut income tax.
loathe /loʊ ð/ (loathes , loathing , loathed ) VERB If you loathe something or someone, you dislike them very much. □ [V n] The two men loathe each other. □ [V v-ing] She loathed being the child of impoverished labourers.
loath|ing /loʊ ð I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Loathing is a feeling of great dislike and disgust. □ She looked at him with loathing.
loath|some /loʊ ðsəm/ ADJ If you describe someone or something as loathsome , you are indicating how much you dislike them or how much they disgust you. □ …the loathsome spectacle we were obliged to witness.
loaves /loʊ vz/ Loaves is the plural of loaf .
lob /lɒ b/ (lobs , lobbing , lobbed ) VERB If you lob something, you throw it so that it goes quite high in the air. □ [V n prep/adv] Enemy forces lobbed a series of artillery shells onto the city. □ [V n] A group of protesters gathered outside, chanting and lobbing firebombs.
lob|by ◆◇◇ /lɒ bi/ (lobbies , lobbying , lobbied )
1 VERB If you lobby someone such as a member of a government or council, you try to persuade them that a particular law should be changed or that a particular thing should be done. □ [V n] Carers from all over the U.K. lobbied Parliament last week to demand a better financial deal. □ [V + for ] Gun control advocates are lobbying hard for new laws. [Also V + against ] ● lob|by|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ by ] The aid was frozen in June after intense lobbying by conservative Republicans.
2 N‑COUNT A lobby is a group of people who represent a particular organization or campaign, and try to persuade a government or council to help or support them. □ [+ of ] He set up this lobby of independent producers.
3 N‑COUNT In a hotel or other large building, the lobby is the area near the entrance that usually has corridors and staircases leading off it. □ [+ of ] I met her in the lobby of the museum.
lob|by|ist /lɒ bi I st/ (lobbyists ) N‑COUNT A lobbyist is someone who tries actively to persuade a government or council that a particular law should be changed or that a particular thing should be done.
lobe /loʊ b/ (lobes )
1 N‑COUNT The lobe of your ear is the soft, fleshy part at the bottom.
2 N‑COUNT A lobe is a rounded part of something, for example one of the sections of your brain or lungs, or one of the rounded sections along the edges of some leaves. □ [+ of ] …damage to the temporal lobe of the brain.
lo|boto|my /ləbɒ təmi/ (lobotomies ) N‑VAR A lobotomy is a surgical operation in which some of the nerves in the brain are cut in order to treat severe mental illness. [MEDICAL ]
lob|ster /lɒ bstə r / (lobsters ) N‑VAR A lobster is a sea creature that has a hard shell, two large claws, and eight legs. □ She sold me a couple of live lobsters. ● N‑UNCOUNT Lobster is the flesh of a lobster eaten as food. □ …lobster on a bed of fresh vegetables.
lo b|ster pot (lobster pots ) N‑COUNT A lobster pot is a trap used for catching lobsters. It is in the shape of a basket.
lo|cal ◆◆◆ /loʊ k ə l/ (locals )
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Local means existing in or belonging to the area where you live, or to the area that you are talking about. □ We'd better check on the match in the local paper. □ Some local residents joined the students' protest. □ I was going to pop up to the local library. ● N‑COUNT [usu pl] The locals are local people. □ That's what the locals call the place. ● lo|cal|ly ADV [ADV after v, ADV -ed] □ We've got cards which are drawn and printed and designed by someone locally.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Local government is elected by people in one area of a country and controls aspects such as education, housing, and transport within that area. □ Education comprises two-thirds of all local council spending.
3 N‑COUNT [usu sing, usu poss N ] Your local is a pub which is near where you live and where you often go for a drink. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ The Black Horse is my local.
4 ADJ A local anaesthetic or condition affects only a small area of your body. [MEDICAL ]
lo |cal area ne t|work (local area networks ) N‑COUNT A local area network is a group of personal computers and associated equipment that are linked by cable, for example in an office building, and that share a communications line. The abbreviation LAN is also used. [COMPUTING ] □ Users can easily move files between PCs connected by local area networks or the internet.
lo |cal autho r|ity ◆◇◇ (local authorities ) N‑COUNT A local authority is an organization that is officially responsible for all the public services and facilities in a particular area. [BRIT ] in AM, use local government
lo |cal co l|our in AM, use local color N‑UNCOUNT Local colour is used to refer to customs, traditions, dress, and other things which give a place or period of history its own particular character. □ The fishing boat harbour was usually bustling with lots of local colour.
lo|cale /loʊkɑː l/ (locales ) N‑COUNT A locale is a small area, for example the place where something happens or where the action of a book or film is set. [FORMAL ] □ [+ for ] An amusement park is the perfect locale for all sorts of adventures.
lo |cal go v|ern|ment (local governments )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Local government is the system of electing representatives to be responsible for the administration of public services and facilities in a particular area.
2 N‑COUNT A local government is the same as a local authority . [AM ]
lo|cal|ism /loʊ k ə l I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Localism is the belief that services should be controlled and provided, or goods produced and bought, within a local area for the benefit of people in that area. □ For all the talk of localism, power remains concentrated in the hands of central government.
lo|cal|ity /loʊkæ l I ti/ (localities ) N‑COUNT A locality is a small area of a country or city. [FORMAL ] □ Following the discovery of the explosives the president cancelled his visit to the locality.
lo|cal|ize /loʊ kəla I z/ (localizes , localizing , localized ) in BRIT, also use localise 1 VERB If you localize something, you identify precisely where it is. □ [V n] Examine the painful area carefully in an effort to localize the most tender point.
2 VERB If you localize something, you limit the size of the area that it affects and prevent it from spreading. □ [be V -ed] Few officers thought that a German-Czech war could be localized.
lo|cal|ized /loʊ kəla I zd/ in BRIT, also use localised ADJ Something that is localized remains within a small area and does not spread. □ She had localized breast cancer and both of her doctors had advised surgery.
lo |cal time N‑UNCOUNT Local time is the official time in a particular region or country. □ It was around 10.15 pm local time, 3.15 am at home.
lo|cate /loʊke I t, [AM ] loʊ ke I t/ (locates , locating , located )
1 VERB If you locate something or someone, you find out where they are. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] The scientists want to locate the position of the gene on a chromosome. □ [V n] We've simply been unable to locate him.
2 VERB If you locate something in a particular place, you put it there or build it there. [FORMAL ] □ [V n prep/adv] Atlanta was voted the best city in which to locate a business by more than 400 chief executives. □ [V prep/adv] Tudor Court represents your opportunity to locate at the heart of the new Birmingham.
3 VERB If you locate in a particular place, you move there or open a business there. [mainly AM , BUSINESS ] □ [V ] …tax breaks for businesses that locate in run-down neighborhoods.
lo|cat|ed /loʊke I t I d, [AM ] loʊ ke I t-/ ADJ [adv ADJ ] If something is located in a particular place, it is present or has been built there. [FORMAL ] □ [+ within ] A boutique and beauty salon are conveniently located within the grounds.
lo|ca|tion ◆◇◇ /loʊke I ʃ ə n/ (locations )
1 N‑COUNT A location is the place where something happens or is situated. □ The first thing he looked at was his office's location. □ Macau's newest small luxury hotel has a beautiful location.
2 N‑COUNT [with poss] The location of someone or something is their exact position. □ [+ of ] She knew the exact location of The Eagle's headquarters.
3 N‑VAR [oft on N ] A location is a place away from a studio where a film or part of a film is made. □ …an art movie with dozens of exotic locations. □ We're shooting on location.
loch /lɒ x, lɒ k/ (lochs ) N‑COUNT [oft in names] A loch is a large area of water in Scotland that is completely or almost completely surrounded by land. □ …twenty miles north of Loch Ness.
loci /loʊ sa I , loʊ ka I / Loci is the plural of locus .
lock ◆◇◇ /lɒ k/ (locks , locking , locked )
1 VERB When you lock something such as a door, drawer, or case, you fasten it, usually with a key, so that other people cannot open it. □ [V n] Are you sure you locked the front door? □ [V -ed] Wolfgang moved along the corridor towards the locked door at the end.
2 N‑COUNT The lock on something such as a door or a drawer is the device which is used to keep it shut and prevent other people from opening it. Locks are opened with a key. □ [+ of ] At that moment he heard Gill's key turning in the lock of the door. □ An intruder forced open a lock on French windows at the house.
3 VERB If you lock something or someone in a place, room, or container, you put them there and fasten the lock. □ [V n + in/into ] Her maid locked the case in the safe. □ [V n + in/into ] They beat them up and locked them in a cell.
4 VERB If you lock something in a particular position or if it lock there, it is held or fitted firmly in that position. □ [V n prep/adv] He leaned back in the swivel chair and locked his fingers behind his head. □ [V prep/adv] There was a whine of hydraulics as the undercarriage locked into position.
5 N‑COUNT On a canal or river, a lock is a place where walls have been built with gates at each end so that boats can move to a higher or lower section of the canal or river, by gradually changing the water level inside the gates.
6 N‑COUNT A lock of hair is a small bunch of hairs on your head that grow together and curl or curve in the same direction. □ [+ of ] She brushed a lock of hair off his forehead.
7 lock, stock, and barrel → see barrel
▸ lock away
1 PHRASAL VERB If you lock something away in a place or container, you put or hide it there and fasten the lock. □ [V n P ] She meticulously cleaned the gun and locked it away in its case. □ [V P n] He had even locked away all the videos of his previous exploits.
2 PHRASAL VERB To lock someone away means to put them in prison or a secure mental hospital. □ [V n P ] Locking them away is not sufficient, you have to give them treatment. [Also V P n]
3 PHRASAL VERB If you lock yourself away , you go somewhere where you can be alone, and do not come out or see anyone for some time. □ [V pron-refl P ] I locked myself away with books and magazines.
▸ lock in PHRASAL VERB If you lock someone in , you put them in a room and lock the door so that they cannot get out. □ [V n P ] Manda cried out that Mr Hoelt had no right to lock her in.
▸ lock out
1 PHRASAL VERB If someone locks you out of a place, they prevent you entering it by locking the doors. □ [V n P + of ] They had had a row, and she had locked him out of the apartment. □ [V n P ] My husband's locked me out.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you lock yourself out of a place, such as your house, you cannot get in because the door is locked and you do not have your keys. □ [V pron-refl P + of ] The new tenants locked themselves out of their apartment and had to break in. □ [V pron-refl P ] There had been a knock at the door and when she opened it she locked herself out. □ [V -ed P ] The wind had made the door swing closed, and she was now locked out.
3 PHRASAL VERB In an industrial dispute, if a company locks its workers out , it closes the factory or office in order to prevent the employees coming to work. [BUSINESS ] □ [V P n] The company locked out the workers, and then the rest of the work force went on strike. [Also V n P ]
▸ lock up
1 PHRASAL VERB If you lock something up in a place or container, you put or hide it there and fasten the lock. □ [V n P ] Give away any food you have on hand, or lock it up and give the key to the neighbours. □ [V P n] Control of materials could be maintained by locking up bombs.
2 PHRASAL VERB To lock someone up means to put them in prison or a secure psychiatric hospital. □ [V P n] Mr Milner persuaded the federal prosecutors not to lock up his client. [Also V n P ]
3 PHRASAL VERB When you lock up a building or car or lock up , you make sure that all the doors and windows are locked so that nobody can get in. □ [V P ] Don't forget to lock up. □ [V n P ] Leave your car here and lock it up.
locked ◆◇◇ /lɒ kt/ ADJ If you say that people are locked in conflict or in battle, you mean they are arguing or fighting in a fierce or determined way, and neither side seems likely to stop.
lock|er /lɒ kə r / (lockers ) N‑COUNT A locker is a small metal or wooden cupboard with a lock, where you can put your personal possessions, for example in a school, place of work, or sports club.
lo ck|er room (locker rooms ) N‑COUNT A locker room is a room in which there are a lot of lockers.
lock|et /lɒ k I t/ (lockets ) N‑COUNT A locket is a piece of jewellery containing something such as a picture, which a woman wears on a chain around her neck.
lo ck-keeper (lock-keepers ) N‑COUNT A lock-keeper is a person whose job is to be in charge of and maintain a lock or group of locks on a canal.
lo ck-out (lock-outs ) in AM, use lockout N‑COUNT A lock-out is a situation in which employers close a place of work and prevent workers from entering it until the workers accept the employer's new proposals on pay or conditions of work. [BUSINESS ]
lo ck-up (lock-ups ) also lockup
1 N‑COUNT A lock-up is the same as a jail . [AM , INFORMAL ]
2 N‑COUNT A lock-up is a garage that is used by someone, but is not next to their house. [BRIT ] ● ADJ [ADJ n] Lock-up is also an adjective. □ …a lock-up garage.
lo|co|mo|tion /loʊ kəmoʊ ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Locomotion is the ability to move and the act of moving from one place to another. [FORMAL ] □ Flight is the form of locomotion that puts the greatest demands on muscles.
lo|co|mo|tive /loʊ kəmoʊ t I v/ (locomotives ) N‑COUNT A locomotive is a large vehicle that pulls a railway train. [FORMAL ]
lo|cum /loʊ kəm/ (locums ) N‑COUNT A locum is a doctor or priest who does the work for another doctor or priest who is ill or on holiday. [mainly BRIT ]
lo|cus /loʊ kəs/ (loci ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] The locus of something is the place where it happens or the most important area or point with which it is associated. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] Barcelona is the locus of Spanish industry.
lo|cust /loʊ kəst/ (locusts ) N‑COUNT Locusts are large insects that live mainly in hot countries. They fly in large groups and eat crops.
lodge /lɒ dʒ/ (lodges , lodging , lodged )
1 N‑COUNT A lodge is a house or hut in the country or in the mountains where people stay on holiday, especially when they want to shoot or fish. □ …a Victorian hunting lodge. □ …a ski lodge.
2 N‑COUNT A lodge is a small house at the entrance to the grounds of a large house. □ I drove out of the gates, past the keeper's lodge.
3 N‑COUNT In some organizations, a lodge is a local branch or meeting place of the organization. □ My father would occasionally go to his Masonic lodge.
4 VERB If you lodge a complaint, protest, accusation, or claim, you officially make it. □ [V n] He has four weeks in which to lodge an appeal.
5 VERB If you lodge somewhere, such as in someone else's house or if you are lodged there, you live there, usually paying rent. □ [V prep/adv] …the story of the farming family she lodged with as a young teacher. □ [be V -ed prep/adv] The building he was lodged in turned out to be a church.
6 VERB If someone lodges you somewhere, they give you a place to stay, for example because they are responsible for your safety or comfort. □ [V n prep/adv] They lodged the delegates in different hotels.
7 VERB If an object lodges somewhere, it becomes stuck there. □ [V prep/adv] The bullet lodged in the sergeant's leg, shattering his thigh bone. □ [V -ed] His car has a bullet lodged in the passenger door.
8 → see also lodging
lodg|er /lɒ dʒə r / (lodgers ) N‑COUNT A lodger is a person who pays money to live in someone else's house. □ Jennie took in a lodger to help with the mortgage.
lodg|ing /lɒ dʒ I ŋ/ (lodgings )
1 N‑UNCOUNT If you are provided with lodging or lodgings , you are provided with a place to stay for a period of time. You can use lodgings to refer to one or more of these places. □ [+ in ] He was given free lodging in a three-room flat. □ …travel expenses including meals and lodgings while traveling away from home.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] If you live in lodgings , you live in a room or rooms in someone's house and you pay them for this. □ David had changed his lodgings, leaving no address behind.
3 → see also board and lodging
lo dg|ing house (lodging houses ) N‑COUNT A lodging house is a house where people can rent rooms to live in or stay in. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use rooming house
loft /lɒ ft, [AM ] lɔː ft/ (lofts )
1 N‑COUNT A loft is the space inside the sloping roof of a house or other building, where things are sometimes stored. □ A loft conversion can add considerably to the value of a house.
2 N‑COUNT A loft is an apartment in the upper part of a building, especially a building such as a warehouse or factory that has been converted for people to live in. Lofts are usually large and not divided into separate rooms.
lofty /lɒ fti, [AM ] lɔː f-/ (loftier , loftiest )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A lofty ideal or ambition is noble, important, and admirable. □ It was a bank that started out with grand ideas and lofty ideals.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A lofty building or room is very high. [FORMAL ] □ …a light, lofty apartment in the suburbs of Salzburg.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you say that someone behaves in a lofty way, you are critical of them for behaving in a proud and rather unpleasant way, as if they think they are very important. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the lofty disdain he often expresses for his profession. □ …lofty contempt.
log /lɒ g, [AM ] lɔː g/ (logs , logging , logged )
1 N‑COUNT [oft N n] A log is a piece of a thick branch or of the trunk of a tree that has been cut so that it can be used for fuel or for making things. □ He dumped the logs on the big stone hearth. □ …the original log cabin where Lincoln was born.
2 N‑COUNT A log is an official written account of what happens each day, for example on board a ship. □ The family made an official complaint to a ship's officer, which was recorded in the log.
3 VERB If you log an event or fact, you record it officially in writing or on a computer. □ [be V -ed] Details of the crime are then logged in the computer.
4 → see also logging
▸ log in or log on PHRASAL VERB When someone logs in or logs on , or logs into a computer system, they start using the system, usually by typing their name or identity code and a password. □ [V P ] Customers pay to log on and gossip with other users. □ [V P n] They would log into their account and take a look at prices and decide what they'd like to do.
▸ log out or log off PHRASAL VERB When someone who is using a computer system logs out or logs off , they finish using the system by typing a particular command. □ [V P ] If a computer user fails to log off, the system is accessible to all.
logan|berry /loʊ gənbəri, [AM ] -beri/ (loganberries ) N‑COUNT A loganberry is a purplish red fruit that is similar to a raspberry.
loga|rithm /lɒ gər I ðəm, [AM ] lɔː g-/ (logarithms ) N‑COUNT In mathematics, the logarithm of a number is a number that it can be represented by in order to make a difficult multiplication or division sum simpler.
lo g book (log books ) N‑COUNT A log book is a book in which someone records details and events relating to something, for example a journey or period of their life, or a vehicle.
log|ger /lɒ gə r , [AM ] lɔː g-/ (loggers ) N‑COUNT A logger is a man whose job is to cut down trees. [AM ] in BRIT, use lumberjack
log|ger|heads /lɒ gə r hed, [AM ] lɔː g-/ PHRASE If two or more people or groups are at loggerheads , they disagree very strongly with each other. □ [+ over ] For months dentists and the health department have been at loggerheads over fees. □ [+ with ] He was at loggerheads with other members of the committee.
log|gia /lɒ dʒə/ (loggias ) N‑COUNT A loggia is a roofed area attached to a house. [FORMAL ]
log|ging /lɒ g I ŋ, [AM ] lɔː g-/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Logging is the activity of cutting down trees in order to sell the wood. □ Logging companies would have to leave a central area of the forest before the end of the year.
log|ic /lɒ dʒ I k/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Logic is a method of reasoning that involves a series of statements, each of which must be true if the statement before it is true. □ Students learn forensic medicine, philosophy and logic.
2 N‑UNCOUNT The logic of a conclusion or an argument is its quality of being correct and reasonable. □ [+ of ] I don't follow the logic of your argument. □ [+ in v-ing] There would be no logic in upsetting the agreements.
3 N‑UNCOUNT [oft adj N ] A particular kind of logic is the way of thinking and reasoning about things that is characteristic of a particular type of person or particular field of activity. □ The plan was based on sound commercial logic.
logi|cal /lɒ dʒ I k ə l/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] In a logical argument or method of reasoning, each step must be true if the step before it is true. □ Each logical step must be checked by other mathematicians. ● logi|cal|ly /lɒ dʒ I kli/ ADV [usu ADV with v] □ My professional training has taught me to look at things logically.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] The logical conclusion or result of a series of facts or events is the only one which can come from it, according to the rules of logic. □ If the climate gets drier, then the logical conclusion is that even more drought will occur. □ …a society that dismisses God as a logical impossibility. ● logi|cal|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ From that it followed logically that he would not be meeting Hildegarde.
3 ADJ Something that is logical seems reasonable or sensible in the circumstances. □ Connie suddenly struck her as a logical candidate. □ There was a logical explanation. □ [+ to-inf] It is logical to take precautions. ● logi|cal|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ I was surprised it was so different from France, though logically I shouldn't have been.
-logical → see -ological
lo g|ic bomb (logic bombs ) N‑COUNT A logic bomb is an unauthorized program that is inserted into a computer system so that when it is started it affects the operation of the computer. [COMPUTING ]
lo|gi|cian /lədʒ I ʃ ə n/ (logicians ) N‑COUNT A logician is a person who is a specialist in logic.
-logist → see -ologist
lo|gis|tic /lədʒ I st I k/ or logistical /lədʒ I st I k ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] Logistic or logistical means relating to the organization of something complicated. □ Logistical problems may be causing the delay. □ She described the distribution of food and medical supplies as a logistical nightmare. ● lo|gis|ti|cal|ly /lədʒ I st I kli/ ADV [ADV adj, ADV with v] □ Organised junior football was either restricted or logistically impossible to operate. □ It is about time that the U.N. considers logistically deploying additional military resources. □ Logistically it is very difficult to value unit-linked policies.
lo|gis|tics /lədʒ I st I ks/ N‑UNCOUNT [with sing or pl verb] If you refer to the logistics of doing something complicated that involves a lot of people or equipment, you are referring to the skilful organization of it so that it can be done successfully and efficiently. □ [+ of ] The logistics of organising such a big show pose enormous practical problems.
log|jam /lɒ gdʒæm/ (logjams ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] To break the logjam means to change or deal with a difficult situation which has existed for a long time. [JOURNALISM ] □ A new initiative was needed to break the logjam.
logo /loʊ goʊ/ (logos ) N‑COUNT The logo of a company or organization is the special design or way of writing its name that it puts on all its products, notepaper, or advertisements.
-logy → see -ology
loin /lɔ I n/ (loins )
1 N‑PLURAL Someone's loins are the front part of their body between their waist and legs, especially their sexual parts. [LITERARY , OLD-FASHIONED ]
2 N‑VAR Loin or a loin is a piece of meat which comes from the back or sides of an animal, quite near the tail end. □ Heat the honey and brush it on to the outside of the loin. □ [+ of ] …roast loin of venison.
loin|cloth /lɔ I nklɒθ, [AM ] -klɔːθ/ (loincloths ) N‑COUNT A loincloth is a piece of cloth sometimes worn by men in order to cover their sexual parts, especially in countries when it is too hot to wear anything else.
loi|ter /lɔ I tə r / (loiters , loitering , loitered ) VERB If you loiter somewhere, you remain there or walk up and down without any real purpose. □ [V ] Unemployed young men loiter at the entrance of the factory.
LOL LOL is the written abbreviation for 'laughing out loud', often used in text messages. [INFORMAL ]
loll /lɒ l/ (lolls , lolling , lolled )
1 VERB If you loll somewhere, you sit or lie in a very relaxed position. □ [V prep/adv] He was lolling on the sofa in the shadows near the fire. □ [V prep/adv] He lolled back in his comfortable chair.
2 VERB If something fairly heavy, especially someone's head or tongue, lolls , it hangs down in a loose, uncontrolled way. □ [V adv/prep] When he let go the head lolled sideways. □ [V ] Tongue lolling, the dog came lolloping back from the forest.
lol|li|pop /lɒ lipɒp/ (lollipops ) N‑COUNT A lollipop is a sweet consisting of a hard disc or ball of a sugary substance on the end of a stick.
lol|lop /lɒ ləp/ (lollops , lolloping , lolloped ) VERB When an animal or a person lollops along, they run along awkwardly and not very fast. [mainly BRIT , LITERARY ] □ [V prep/adv] A herd of elephants lolloped across the plains towards a watering hole.
lol|ly /lɒ li/ (lollies )
1 N‑COUNT A lolly is the same as a lollipop . [mainly BRIT ]
2 → see also ice lolly
lone /loʊ n/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] If you talk about a lone person or thing, you mean that they are alone. □ He was shot by a lone gunman.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A lone parent is a parent who is looking after her or his child or children and who is not married or living with a partner. [mainly BRIT ] □ Ninety per cent of lone parent families are headed by mothers.
lone|li|ness /loʊ nlinəs/ N‑UNCOUNT Loneliness is the unhappiness that is felt by someone because they do not have any friends or do not have anyone to talk to. □ I have so many friends, but deep down, underneath, I have a fear of loneliness.
lone|ly /loʊ nli/ (lonelier , loneliest )
1 ADJ Someone who is lonely is unhappy because they are alone or do not have anyone they can talk to. □ …lonely people who just want to talk. □ I feel lonelier in the middle of London than I do on my boat in the middle of nowhere. ● N‑PLURAL The lonely are people who are lonely. □ He looks for the lonely, the lost, the unloved.
2 ADJ A lonely situation or period of time is one in which you feel unhappy because you are alone or do not have anyone to talk to. □ I desperately needed something to occupy me during those long, lonely nights. □ …her lonely childhood.
3 ADJ A lonely place is one where very few people come. □ It felt like the loneliest place in the world. □ …dark, lonely streets.
lo ne|ly hea rts ADJ [ADJ n] A lonely hearts section in a newspaper or a lonely hearts club is used by people who are trying to find a lover or friend.
lon|er /loʊ nə r / (loners ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a loner , you mean they prefer to be alone rather than with a group of people. □ I'm very much a loner–I never go out.
lone|some /loʊ nsəm/
1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] Someone who is lonesome is unhappy because they do not have any friends or do not have anyone to talk to. [mainly AM ] □ I've grown so lonesome, thinking of you.
2 ADJ A lonesome place is one which very few people come to and which is a long way from places where people live. [AM ] □ He was finding the river lonesome.
long
➊ TIME
➋ DISTANCE AND SIZE
➌ PHRASES
➍ VERB USES
➊ long ◆◆◆ /lɒ ŋ, [AM ] lɔː ŋ/ (longer /lɒ ŋgə r , [AM ] lɔː ŋgər/, longest /lɒ ŋg I st, [AM ] lɔː ŋg I st/)
1 ADV [ADV with v] Long means a great amount of time or for a great amount of time. □ Repairs to the cable did not take too long. □ Have you known her parents long? □ I learned long ago to avoid these invitations. □ The railway had obviously been built long after the house. □ …long-established social traditions. ● PHRASE The expression for long is used to mean 'for a great amount of time'. □ 'Did you live there?'—'Not for long.' □ Developing countries won't put up with the situation for much longer. □ For too long there was a huge gap in the market.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A long event or period of time lasts for a great amount of time or takes a great amount of time. □ We had a long meeting with the attorney general. □ They sat looking at each other for a long while. □ He must have started writing his book a long time ago.
3 ADV You use long to ask or talk about amounts of time. □ How long have you lived around here? □ He has been on a diet for as long as any of his friends can remember. □ She reflected no longer than a second before she decisively slit the envelope. ● ADJ Long is also an adjective. □ How long is the usual stay in hospital? □ The average commuter journey there is five hours long.
4 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A long speech, book, film, or list contains a lot of information or a lot of items and takes a lot of time to listen to, read, watch, or deal with. □ He was making quite a long speech. □ This is a long film, three hours and seven minutes.
5 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a period of time or work as long , you mean it lasts for more hours or days than is usual, or seems to last for more time than it actually does. □ Go to sleep. I've got a long day tomorrow. □ She was a TV reporter and worked long hours. □ This has been the longest week of my life.
6 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If someone has a long memory, they are able to remember things that happened far back in the past.
7 ADV [n ADV ] Long is used in expressions such as all year long , the whole day long , and your whole life long to say and emphasize that something happens for the whole of a particular period of time. [EMPHASIS ] □ We played that record all night long. □ Snow is sometimes found all summer long upon the highest peaks.
➋ long ◆◆◆ /lɒ ŋ, [AM ] lɔː ŋ/ (longer /lɒ ŋgə r , [AM ] lɔː ŋgər/, longest /lɒ ŋg I st, [AM ] lɔː ŋg I st/)
1 ADJ Something that is long measures a great distance from one end to the other. □ …a long table. □ A long line of people formed outside the doctor's office. □ Her hair was long and dark.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A long distance is a great distance. A long journey or route covers a great distance. □ His destination was Chobham Common, a long way from his Cotswold home. □ The long journey tired him. □ I went for a long walk.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] A long piece of clothing covers the whole of someone's legs or more of their legs than usual. Clothes with long sleeves cover the whole of someone's arms. □ She is wearing a long black dress. □ …a long-sleeved blouse.
4 ADJ [as ADJ as ] You use long to talk or ask about the distance something measures from one end to the other. □ An eight-week-old embryo is only an inch long. □ How long is the tunnel? □ In the roots of the olives, you could find centipedes as long as a pencil. ● COMB Long is also a combining form. □ …a three-foot-long gash in the tanker's side.
➌ long ◆◆◆ /lɒ ŋ, [AM ] lɔː ŋ/ (longer /lɒ ŋgə r , [AM ] lɔː ŋgər/)
→ Please look at categories 7 to 16 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 PHRASE If you say that something is the case as long as or so long as something else is the case, you mean that it is only the case if the second thing is the case. □ The interior minister said he would still support them, as long as they didn't break the rules. □ I eat as much as I want, so long as it is healthy.
2 PHRASE If you say that someone won't be long , you mean that you think they will arrive or be back soon. If you say that it won't be long before something happens, you mean that you think it will happen soon. □ 'What's happened to her?'—'I'm sure she won't be long.' □ If every tune from Radiohead is as good as this one is, it can't be long before they are household names.
3 PHRASE If you say that something will happen or happened before long , you mean that it will happen or happened soon. □ German interest rates will come down before long. □ Before long he took over the editing of the magazine.
4 PHRASE Something that is no longer the case used to be the case but is not the case now. You can also say that something is not the case any longer . □ Food shortages are no longer a problem. □ I noticed that he wasn't sitting by the door any longer.
5 CONVENTION You can say so long as an informal way of saying goodbye. [FORMULAE ] □ Well, so long, pal, see you around.
6 a long face → see face ➊
7 at long last → see last
8 in the long run → see run
9 a long shot → see shot
10 in the long term → see term
11 long in the tooth → see tooth
12 to take the long view → see view
13 to go a long way → see way
➍ long /lɒ ŋ, [AM ] lɔː ŋ/ (longs , longing , longed )
1 VERB If you long for something, you want it very much. □ [V + for ] Steve longed for the good old days. □ [V to-inf] I'm longing to meet her. □ [V + for ] He longed for the winter to be over.
2 → see also longing SYNONYMS long ADJ ➊1
prolonged: …a prolonged drought.
lengthy: …a lengthy meeting.
protracted: …a protracted civil war. VERB ➍1
desire: She had remarried and desired a child with her new husband.
crave: You may be craving some fresh air.
covet: She coveted his job so openly that conversations between them were tense.
hanker: I hankered after a floor-length brown suede coat.
lo ng-awai ted ADJ [ADJ n] A long-awaited event or thing is one that someone has been waiting for for a long time. □ …the long-awaited signing of a peace agreement.
lo ng-di stance
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Long-distance is used to describe travel between places that are far apart. □ Trains are reliable, cheap and best for long-distance journeys.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Long-distance is used to describe communication that takes place between people who are far apart. □ He received a long-distance phone call from his girlfriend in Colorado. ● ADV [ADV after v] Long-distance is also an adverb. □ I phoned Nicola long distance to suggest it.
lo ng drawn ou t also long-drawn-out ADJ [usu ADJ n] A long drawn out process or conflict lasts an unnecessarily long time or an unpleasantly long time. □ …a long drawn out election campaign.
lo nged-for ADJ [ADJ n] A longed-for thing or event is one that someone wants very much. □ …the wet weather that prevents your longed-for picnic.
lon|gev|ity /lɒndʒe v I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT Longevity is long life. [FORMAL ] □ Human longevity runs in families. □ The main characteristic of the strike has been its longevity.
long|hand /lɒ ŋhænd, [AM ] lɔː ŋ-/ N‑UNCOUNT [usu in N ] If you write something down in longhand , you write it by hand using complete words and normal letters rather than typing it or using shortened forms or special symbols.
lo ng-hau l ADJ [ADJ n] Long-haul is used to describe things that involve transporting passengers or goods over long distances. Compare short-haul . □ …learning how to avoid the unpleasant side-effects of long-haul flights.
lo ng-hou rs cu l|ture N‑SING The long-hours culture is the way in which some workers feel that they are expected to work much longer hours than they are paid to do. [BUSINESS ]
long|ing /lɒ ŋ I ŋ, [AM ] lɔː ŋ-/ (longings ) N‑VAR [N to-inf] If you feel longing or a longing for something, you have a rather sad feeling because you want it very much. □ [+ for ] He felt a longing for the familiar. □ [+ to-inf] Imelda spoke of her longing to return home.
long|ing|ly /lɒ ŋ I ŋli, [AM ] lɔː ŋ-/ ADV [ADV with v] If you look longingly at something you want, or think longingly about it, you look at it or think about it with a feeling of desire. □ [+ at ] Claire looked longingly at the sunlit gardens outside the window.
long|ish /lɒ ŋ I ʃ, [AM ] lɔː ŋ-/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Longish means fairly long. □ She's about my age, with longish hair.
lon|gi|tude /lɒ ndʒ I tjuːd, [AM ] -tuːd/ (longitudes ) N‑VAR The longitude of a place is its distance to the west or east of a line passing through Greenwich. Compare latitude . □ He noted the latitude and longitude, then made a mark on the admiralty chart. ● ADJ Longitude is also an adjective. □ A similar feature is found at 13 degrees North between 230 degrees and 250 degrees longitude.
lon|gi|tu|di|nal /lɒ ndʒ I tjuː d I n ə l, [AM ] -tuː -/ ADJ [ADJ n] A longitudinal line or structure goes from one end of an object to the other rather than across it from side to side.
lo ng johns N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Long johns are warm underpants with long legs.
lo ng jump N‑SING The long jump is an athletics contest which involves jumping as far as you can from a marker which you run up to.
lo ng-la sting (longer-lasting ) also long lasting ADJ Something that is long-lasting lasts for a long time. □ One of the long-lasting effects of the infection is damage to a valve in the heart.
lo ng-life ADJ [ADJ n] Long-life light bulbs and batteries are manufactured so that they last longer than ordinary ones. Long-life fruit juice and milk have been specially treated so that they last a long time.
lo ng-list (long-lists , long-listing , long-listed ) also longlist
1 N‑COUNT A long-list for something such as a job or a prize is a large group that has been chosen from all the people who applied for the job, or all the people or things that are competing for the prize. The successful ones from this group are chosen to go on the shortlist . □ There are 27 riders on the long-list.
2 VERB If someone or something is long-listed for a job or a prize, they are put on a long-list of those to be considered for that job or prize. □ [be V -ed + for ] She was long-listed for the senior team last year.
lo ng-li ved also long lived ADJ Something that is long-lived lives or lasts for a long time. □ The flowers may only last a day but the plants are long-lived. □ …huge piles of long-lived radioactive material.
lo ng-lo st ADJ [ADJ n] You use long-lost to describe someone or something that you have not seen for a long time. □ …finding a long-lost sixth century manuscript.
lo ng-ra nge
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A long-range piece of military equipment or vehicle is able to hit or detect a target a long way away or to travel a long way in order to do something. □ He is very keen to reach agreement with the U.S. on reducing long-range nuclear missiles. □ …the growing use on the North Atlantic routes of long-range twin-engined aircraft.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A long-range plan or prediction relates to a period extending a long time into the future. □ Eisenhower was intensely aware of the need for long-range planning.
lo ng-ru nning (longest-running ) ADJ [ADJ n] Something that is long-running has been in existence, or has been performed, for a long time. □ …a long-running trade dispute.
long|shore|man /lɒ ŋʃɔː r mən, [AM ] lɔː ŋ-/ (longshoremen ) N‑COUNT A longshoreman is a person who works in the docks, loading and unloading ships. [AM ] in BRIT, use docker
lo ng-si ghted ADJ Long-sighted people cannot see things clearly that are close to them, and therefore need to wear glasses. [BRIT ] in AM, use far-sighted ● long-sightedness N‑UNCOUNT □ Both short-sightedness and long-sightedness can be inherited.
lo ng-sta nding ADJ [usu ADJ n] A long-standing situation has existed for a long time. □ They are on the brink of resolving their long-standing dispute over money. □ …long-standing economic links between Europe and much of Africa.
lo ng-su ffering ADJ [usu ADJ n] Someone who is long-suffering patiently puts up with a lot of trouble or unhappiness, especially when it is caused by someone else. □ He went back to Yorkshire to join his loyal, long-suffering wife.
lo ng-term ◆◆◇ (longer-term )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is long-term has continued for a long time or will continue for a long time in the future. □ A new training scheme to help the long-term unemployed is expected. □ The association believes new technology will provide a long-term solution to credit card fraud.
2 N‑SING When you talk about what happens in the long term , you are talking about what happens over a long period of time, either in the future or after a particular event. □ In the long term the company hopes to open in Moscow and other major cities. □ Over the long term, such measures may only make the underlying situation worse.
lo ng-time ◆◇◇ ADJ [ADJ n] You use long-time to describe something that has existed or been a particular thing for a long time. □ She married her long-time boyfriend.
lo ng wave N‑UNCOUNT Long wave is a range of radio waves which are used for broadcasting. □ …broadcasting on long wave. □ …1500m on long wave.
lo ng-wea ring also long wearing ADJ Something that is long-wearing is strong and well made so that it lasts for a long time and stays in good condition even though it is used a lot. [AM ] □ …luxurious, long-wearing, real-leather slippers. in BRIT, use hard-wearing
lo ng-wi nded ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you describe something that is written or said as long-winded , you are critical of it because it is longer than necessary. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The manifesto is long-winded, repetitious and often ambiguous or poorly drafted. □ I hope I'm not being too long-winded.
loo /luː / (loos ) N‑COUNT A loo is a toilet. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ I asked if I could go to the loo.
loo|fah /luː fə/ (loofahs ) N‑COUNT A loofah is a long rough sponge-like piece of plant fibre which you use to scrub your body.
look
➊ USING YOUR EYES OR YOUR MIND
➋ APPEARANCE
➊ look ◆◆◆ /lʊ k/ (looks , looking , looked )
→ Please look at category 19 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 VERB If you look in a particular direction, you direct your eyes in that direction, especially so that you can see what is there or see what something is like. □ [V prep/adv] I looked down the hallway to room number nine. □ [V prep/adv] She turned to look at him. □ [V prep/adv] He looked away, apparently enraged. □ [V ] If you look, you'll see what was a lake. ● N‑SING Look is also a noun. □ Lucille took a last look in the mirror. □ Assisi has a couple of churches that are worth a look if you have time.
2 VERB If you look at a book, newspaper, or magazine, you read it fairly quickly or read part of it. □ [V + at ] You've just got to look at the last bit of Act Three. ● N‑SING Look is also a noun. □ [+ at ] A quick look at Monday's British newspapers shows that there's plenty of interest in foreign news.
3 VERB If someone, especially an expert, looks at something, they examine it, and then deal with it or say how it should be dealt with. □ [V + at ] Can you look at my back? I think something's wrong. [Also V ] ● N‑SING Look is also a noun. □ [+ at ] The car has not been running very well and a mechanic had to come over to have a look at it.
4 VERB If you look at someone in a particular way, you look at them with your expression showing what you are feeling or thinking. □ [V + at ] She looked at him earnestly. 'You don't mind?' ● N‑COUNT [oft adj N ] Look is also a noun. □ He gave her a blank look, as if he had no idea who she was. □ [+ of ] Sally spun round, a feigned look of surprise on her face.
5 VERB If you look for something, for example something that you have lost, you try to find it. □ [V + for ] I'm looking for a child. I believe your husband can help me find her. □ [V + for ] I had gone to Maine looking for a place to work. □ [V prep/adv + for ] I looked everywhere for ideas. □ [V prep/adv] Have you looked on the piano? ● N‑SING Look is also a noun. □ Go and have another look.
6 VERB If you are looking for something such as the solution to a problem or a new method, you want it and are trying to obtain it or think of it. □ [V + for ] The working group will be looking for practical solutions to the problems faced by doctors.
7 VERB If you look at a subject, problem, or situation, you think about it or study it, so that you know all about it and can perhaps consider what should be done in relation to it. □ [V + at ] Next term we'll be looking at the Second World War period. □ [V + at ] He visited Florida a few years ago looking at the potential of the area to stage a big match. ● N‑SING Look is also a noun. □ [+ at ] A close look at the statistics reveals a troubling picture.
8 VERB If you look at a person, situation, or subject from a particular point of view, you judge them or consider them from that point of view. □ [V + at ] Brian had learned to look at her with new respect. □ [V + at ] It depends how you look at it.
9 CONVENTION You say look when you want someone to pay attention to you because you are going to say something important. □ Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. □ Now, look, here is how things stand.
10 VERB You can use look to draw attention to a particular situation, person, or thing, for example because you find it very surprising, significant, or annoying. □ [V + at ] Hey, look at the time! We'll talk about it tonight. All right? □ [V wh] Look what a mess you've made of your life.
11 VERB If something such as a building or window looks somewhere, it has a view of a particular place. □ [V prep] The castle looks over private parkland. ● PHRASAL VERB Look out means the same as look . □ [V P prep] We sit on the terrace, which looks out on the sea.
12 VERB If you are looking to do something, you are aiming to do it. □ [V to-inf] We're not looking to make a fortune.
13 EXCLAM If you say or shout ' look out! ' to someone, you are warning them that they are in danger. □ 'Look out!' somebody shouted, as the truck started to roll toward the sea.
14 to look down your nose at someone → see nose
▸ look after
1 PHRASAL VERB If you look after someone or something, you do what is necessary to keep them healthy, safe, or in good condition. □ [V P n] I love looking after the children. □ [V P n] People don't look after other people's property in the same way as they look after their own.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you look after something, you are responsible for it and deal with it or make sure it is all right, especially because it is your job to do so. □ [V P n] …the farm manager who looks after the day-to-day organization. □ [V P n] We'll help you look after your finances.
▸ look ahead PHRASAL VERB If you look ahead , you think about what is going to happen in the future and perhaps make plans for the future. □ [V P ] I'm trying to look ahead at what might happen and be ready to handle it.
▸ look around in BRIT, also use look round PHRASAL VERB If you look around or look round a building or place, you walk round it and look at the different parts of it. □ [V P n] We went to look round the show homes. □ [V P ] I'm going to look around and see what I can find.
▸ look back PHRASAL VERB If you look back , you think about things that happened in the past. □ [V P ] Looking back, I am staggered how easily it was all arranged.
▸ look down on PHRASAL VERB To look down on someone means to consider that person to be inferior or unimportant, usually when this is not true. □ [V P P n] I wasn't successful, so they looked down on me.
▸ look forward to
1 PHRASAL VERB If you look forward to something that is going to happen, you want it to happen because you think you will enjoy it. □ [V P P v-ing/n] He was looking forward to working with the new Prime Minister.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you say that someone is looking forward to something useful or positive, you mean they expect it to happen. □ [V P P n] Motor traders are looking forward to a further increase in vehicle sales.
▸ look into PHRASAL VERB If a person or organization is looking into a possible course of action, a problem, or a situation, they are finding out about it and examining the facts relating to it. □ [V P v-ing/n] He had once looked into buying his own island off Nova Scotia.
▸ look on PHRASAL VERB If you look on while something happens, you watch it happening without taking part yourself. □ [V P ] About 150 local people looked on in silence as the two coffins were taken into the church.
▸ look on or look upon PHRASAL VERB If you look on or look upon someone or something in a particular way, you think of them in that way. □ [V P n + as ] A lot of people looked on him as a healer. □ [V P n prep/adv] A lot of people look on it like that. □ [V P n] Employers look favourably on applicants who have work experience.
▸ look out → see look ➊ 11
▸ look out for PHRASAL VERB If you look out for something, you pay attention to things so that you notice it if or when it occurs. □ [V P P n] Look out for special deals.
▸ look over PHRASAL VERB If you look something over , you examine it quite quickly in order to get a general idea of what it is like. □ [V n P ] They presented their draft to the president, who looked it over, nodded and signed it. □ [V P n] He could have looked over the papers in less than ten minutes.
▸ look round → see look around
▸ look through
1 PHRASAL VERB If you look through a group of things, you examine each one so that you can find or choose the one that you want. □ [V P n] Peter starts looking through the mail as soon as the door shuts.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you look through something that has been written or printed, you read it. □ [V P n] He happened to be looking through the medical book 'Gray's Anatomy' at the time.
▸ look to
1 PHRASAL VERB If you look to someone or something for a particular thing that you want, you expect or hope that they will provide it. □ [V P n] We look to others for support, for example in online groups.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you look to something that will happen in the future, you think about it. □ [V P n] As an organisation we are looking to the future.
▸ look up
1 PHRASAL VERB If you look up a fact or a piece of information, you find it out by looking in something such as a reference book or a list. □ [V n P ] I looked your address up in the personnel file. □ [V P n] Many people have to look up the meaning of this word in the dictionary.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you look someone up , you visit them after not having seen them for a long time. □ [V n P ] I'll try to look him up, ask him a few questions. □ [V P n] She looked up some friends of bygone years.
3 PHRASAL VERB [usu cont] If a situation is looking up , it is improving. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P ] Things could be looking up in the computer industry.
▸ look upon → see look on
▸ look up to PHRASAL VERB If you look up to someone, especially someone older than you, you respect and admire them. □ [V P P n] You're a popular girl, Grace, and a lot of the younger ones look up to you.
➋ look ◆◆◆ /lʊ k/ (looks , looking , looked )
1 V‑LINK You use look when describing the appearance of a person or thing or the impression that they give. □ [V adj] Sheila was looking miserable. □ [V n] He does not look the most reliable of animals. □ [V + like ] They look like stars to the naked eye. □ [V + as if ] He looked as if he was going to smile. □ [V to-inf] Everybody in the club looked to be fourteen years old. ● -looking COMB □ She was a very peculiar-looking woman.
2 N‑SING If someone or something has a particular look , they have a particular appearance or expression. □ She had the look of someone deserted and betrayed. □ When he came to decorate the kitchen, Kenneth opted for a friendly rustic look.
3 N‑PLURAL When you refer to someone's looks , you are referring to how beautiful or ugly they are, especially how beautiful they are. □ I never chose people just because of their looks. □ …a young woman with wholesome good looks.
4 V‑LINK You use look when indicating what you think will happen in the future or how a situation seems to you. □ [V adj] He had lots of time to think about the future, and it didn't look good. □ [V adj] Britain looks set to send a major force of over 100 tanks and supporting equipment. □ [V like/as if ] So far it looks like Warner Brothers' gamble is paying off. □ [V like v-ing] The Europeans had hoped to win, and, indeed, had looked like winning. □ [V to-inf] The team had stormed into a two-goal lead and looked to be cruising to a third round place.
5 PHRASE You use expressions such as by the look of him and by the looks of it when you want to indicate that you are giving an opinion based on the appearance of someone or something. □ He was not a well man by the look of him. □ By the look of things, Mr Stone and company will stay busy.
6 PHRASE If you don't like the look of something or someone, you feel that they may be dangerous or cause problems. □ I don't like the look of those clouds.
7 PHRASE If you ask what someone or something looks like , you are asking for a description of them. COLLOCATIONS look NOUN
➊1
adjective + look : close, good, hard, long, quick
verb + look : get, have, take
➊ 4
adjective + look : blank, dirty, funny, puzzled, quizzical
look|alike /lʊ kəla I k/ (lookalikes ) also look-alike N‑COUNT A lookalike is someone who has a very similar appearance to another person, especially a famous person. □ …a Marilyn Monroe look-alike.
look|er /lʊ kə r / (lookers ) N‑COUNT You can refer to an attractive man or woman as a looker or a good looker . [INFORMAL ] □ She was quite a looker before this happened.
loo k-in N‑SING If you are trying to take part in an activity and you do not get a look-in , you do not get the chance to take part because too many other people are doing it. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ They want to make sure the newcomers don't get a look-in.
loo k|ing glass (looking glasses ) also looking-glass N‑COUNT A looking glass is a mirror. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
look|out /lʊ kaʊt/ (lookouts )
1 N‑COUNT A lookout is a place from which you can see clearly in all directions. □ Troops tried to set up a lookout post inside a refugee camp.
2 N‑COUNT A lookout is someone who is watching for danger in order to warn other people about it.
3 PHRASE If someone keeps a lookout , especially on a boat, they look around all the time in order to make sure there is no danger. □ He denied that he'd failed to keep a proper lookout that night.
loom /luː m/ (looms , looming , loomed )
1 VERB If something looms over you, it appears as a large or unclear shape, often in a frightening way. □ [V prep/adv] …the bleak mountains that loomed out of the blackness and towered around us. [Also V ]
2 VERB If a worrying or threatening situation or event is looming , it seems likely to happen soon. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V ] Another government spending crisis is looming in the United States. □ [V adv/prep] The threat of renewed civil war looms ahead. □ [V -ing] …the looming threat of recession.
3 N‑COUNT A loom is a machine that is used for weaving thread into cloth.
loony /luː ni/ (loonies , loonier , looniest )
1 ADJ If you describe someone's behaviour or ideas as loony , you mean that they seem mad, strange, or eccentric. Some people consider this use offensive. [INFORMAL , OFFENSIVE , DISAPPROVAL ] □ What's she up to? She's as loony as her brother!
2 N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a loony , you mean that they behave in a way that seems mad, strange, or eccentric. Some people consider this use offensive. [INFORMAL , OFFENSIVE , DISAPPROVAL ] □ At first they all thought I was a loony.
loop /luː p/ (loops , looping , looped )
1 N‑COUNT A loop is a curved or circular shape in something long, for example in a piece of string. □ Mrs. Morrell reached for a loop of garden hose.
2 VERB If you loop something such as a piece of rope around an object, you tie a length of it in a loop around the object, for example in order to fasten it to the object. □ [V n prep] He looped the rope over the wood. □ [V -ed] He wore the watch and chain looped round his neck like a medallion.
3 VERB If something loops somewhere, it goes there in a circular direction that makes the shape of a loop. □ [V prep/adv] The helicopter took off and headed north. Then it looped west, heading for the hills.
4 PHRASE If someone is in the loop , they are part of a group of people who make decisions about important things, or they know about these decisions. If they are out of the loop , they do not make or know about important decisions. [mainly AM , INFORMAL ] □ I think that the vice president was in the loop. □ These activists don't want to feel out of the loop.
loop|hole /luː phoʊl/ (loopholes ) N‑COUNT A loophole in the law is a small mistake which allows people to do something that would otherwise be illegal. □ [+ in ] He uses his legal knowledge to exploit loopholes in the law.
loose ◆◇◇ /luː s/ (looser , loosest , looses , loosing , loosed )
1 ADJ Something that is loose is not firmly held or fixed in place. □ If a tooth feels very loose, your dentist may recommend that it's taken out. □ [+ from ] Two wooden beams had come loose from the ceiling. □ She idly pulled at a loose thread on her skirt. ● loose|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Tim clasped his hands together and held them loosely in front of his belly.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is loose is not attached to anything, or held or contained in anything. □ Frank emptied a handful of loose change on the table. □ A page came loose and floated onto the tiles.
3 ADJ [ADJ after v, ADJ n, v-link ADJ ] If people or animals break loose or are set loose , they are no longer held, tied, or kept somewhere and can move around freely. □ [+ from ] She broke loose from his embrace and crossed to the window. □ Why didn't you tell me she'd been set loose?
4 ADJ Clothes that are loose are rather large and do not fit closely. □ Wear loose clothes as they're more comfortable. ● loose|ly ADV [ADV after v, oft ADV -ed] □ His shirt hung loosely over his thin shoulders.
5 ADJ If your hair is loose , it hangs freely round your shoulders and is not tied back. □ She was still in her nightdress, with her hair hanging loose over her shoulders.
6 ADJ If something is loose in texture, there is space between the different particles or threads it consists of. □ She gathered loose soil and let it filter slowly through her fingers.
7 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A loose grouping, arrangement, or organization is flexible rather than strictly controlled or organized. □ Murray and Alison came to some sort of loose arrangement before he went home. □ He wants a loose coalition of left wing forces. ● loose|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ The investigation had aimed at a loosely organised group of criminals.
8 PHRASE If a person or an animal is on the loose , they are free because they have escaped from a person or place. □ Up to a thousand prisoners may be on the loose inside the jail.
9 a loose cannon → see cannon
10 all hell breaks loose → see hell
loo se e nd (loose ends )
1 N‑COUNT A loose end is part of a story, situation, or crime that has not yet been explained. □ [+ in ] There are some annoying loose ends in the plot.
2 PHRASE If you are at a loose end , you are bored because you do not have anything to do and cannot think of anything that you want to do. In American English, you usually say that you are at loose ends . [INFORMAL ] □ Adolescents are most likely to get into trouble when they're at a loose end.
loo se-fi tting also loose fitting ADJ [usu ADJ n] Loose-fitting clothes are rather large and do not fit tightly on your body.
loos|en /luː s ə n/ (loosens , loosening , loosened )
1 VERB If someone loosens restrictions or laws, for example, they make them less strict or severe. □ [V n] Drilling regulations, too, have been loosened to speed the development of the fields. ● loos|en|ing N‑SING □ [+ of ] Domestic conditions did not justify a loosening of monetary policy.
2 VERB If someone or something loosens the ties between people or groups of people, or if the ties loosen , they become weaker. □ [V n] The Federal Republic must loosen its ties with the United States. □ [V n] The deputy leader is cautious about loosening the links with the unions. □ [V ] The ties that bind them together are loosening.
3 VERB If you loosen your clothing or something that is tied or fastened or if it loosens , you undo it slightly so that it is less tight or less firmly held in place. □ [V n] Loosen the bolt so the bars can be turned. □ [V ] Her hair had loosened and was tangled around her shoulders.
4 VERB If you loosen something that is stretched across something else, you make it less stretched or tight. □ [V n] Insert a small knife into the top of the chicken breast to loosen the skin.
5 VERB If you loosen your grip on something, or if your grip loosens , you hold it less tightly. □ [V n] Harry loosened his grip momentarily and Anna wriggled free. □ [V ] When his grip loosened she eased herself away.
6 VERB If a government or organization loosens its grip on a group of people or an activity, or if its grip loosens , it begins to have less control over it. □ [V n] There is no sign that the Party will loosen its tight grip on the country. □ [V ] The President's own grip on power has loosened.
▸ loosen up
1 PHRASAL VERB If a person or situation loosens up , they become more relaxed and less tense. □ [V P ] Young people often loosen up on the dance floor. □ [V P n] I think people have loosened up their standards.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you loosen up your body, or if it loosens up , you do simple exercises to get your muscles ready for a difficult physical activity, such as running or playing football. □ [V P n] Squeeze the foot with both hands, again to loosen up tight muscles. □ [V P ] Close your eyes. Relax. Let your body loosen up. [Also V n P ]
loot /luː t/ (loots , looting , looted )
1 VERB If people loot shops or houses, they steal things from them, for example during a war or riot. □ [V n] The trouble began when gangs began breaking windows and looting shops. □ [V ] There have been reports of youths taking advantage of the general confusion to loot and steal. ● loot|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ In the country's largest cities there has been rioting and looting.
2 VERB If someone loots things, they steal them, for example during a war or riot. □ [V n] Armed thugs have looted food supplies and terrorized the population.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Loot is stolen money or goods. [INFORMAL ] □ Most criminals steal in order to sell their loot for cash on the black market.
loot|er /luː tə r / (looters ) N‑COUNT A looter is a person who steals things from shops or houses, for example during a war or riot.
lop /lɒ p/ (lops , lopping , lopped )
▸ lop off
1 PHRASAL VERB If you lop something off , you cut it away from what it was attached to, usually with a quick, strong stroke. □ [V n P ] Somebody lopped the heads off our tulips. □ [V P n] …men with axes, lopping off branches. □ [V P n] His ponytail had been lopped off.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you lop an amount of money or time off something such as a budget or a schedule, you reduce the budget or schedule by that amount. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n P n] The Air France plane lopped over four hours off the previous best time. □ [V n P n] More than 100 million pounds will be lopped off the prison building programme. [Also V P n, V n P ]
lope /loʊ p/ (lopes , loping , loped ) VERB If a person or animal lopes somewhere, they run in an easy and relaxed way, taking long steps. □ [V prep/adv] He was loping across the sand toward Nancy. □ [V prep/adv] Matty saw him go loping off, running low. [Also V ] ● lop|ing ADJ [ADJ n] □ She turned and walked away with long, loping steps.
lop|sided /lɒ psa I d I d/ also lop-sided ADJ Something that is lopsided is uneven because one side is lower or heavier than the other. □ His suit had shoulders that made him look lopsided. □ …a friendly, lopsided grin.
lo|qua|cious /ləkwe I ʃəs/ ADJ If you describe someone as loquacious , you mean that they talk a lot. [FORMAL ] □ The normally loquacious Mr O'Reilly has said little.
lord ◆◆◇ /lɔː r d/ (lords )
1 N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE In Britain, a lord is a man who has a high rank in the nobility, for example an earl, a viscount, or a marquis. □ She married a lord and lives in this huge house in the Cotswolds. □ A few days earlier he had received a telegram from Lord Lloyd.
2 N‑COUNT In Britain, judges, bishops, and some male members of the nobility are addressed as ' my Lord '. [POLITENESS ] □ My lord, I am instructed by my client to claim that the evidence has been tampered with.
3 In Britain, Lord is used in the titles of some officials of very high rank. □ He was Lord Chancellor from 1970 until 1974. □ …the head of the judiciary, the Lord Chief Justice.
4 N‑PROPER [with sing or pl verb] The Lords is the same as the House of Lords . □ It's very likely the bill will be defeated in the Lords.
5 N‑PROPER In the Christian church, people refer to God and to Jesus Christ as the Lord . □ I know the Lord will look after him. □ She prayed now. 'Lord, help me to find courage.' □ …the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
6 → see also Our Lord
7 EXCLAM Lord is used in exclamations such as ' good Lord! ' and ' oh Lord! ' to express surprise, shock, frustration, or annoyance about something. [FEELINGS ] □ 'Good lord, that's what he is: he's a police officer.' □ 'They didn't fire you for drinking, did they?'—'Lord, no! I only drink beer, nowadays.'
lord|ly /lɔː r dli/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you say that someone's behaviour is lordly , you are critical of them because they treat other people in a proud and arrogant way. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …their usual lordly indifference to patients.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Lordly means impressive and suitable for a lord. □ …the site of a lordly mansion.
Lord|ship /lɔː r dʃ I p/ (Lordships ) N‑COUNT ; N‑PROPER You use the expressions Your Lordship , His Lordship , or Their Lordships when you are addressing or referring to a judge, bishop, or male member of the nobility. [POLITENESS ] □ My name is Richard Savage, your Lordship. □ His Lordship expressed the hope that the Law Commission might look at the subject.
Lo rd's Pra yer N‑PROPER The Lord's Prayer is a Christian prayer that was originally taught by Jesus Christ to his followers.
lore /lɔː r / N‑UNCOUNT The lore of a particular country or culture is its traditional stories and history. □ …the Book of the Sea, which was stuffed with sailors' lore. □ …ancient Catalan lore.
lor|ry /lɒ ri, [AM ] lɔː ri/ (lorries ) N‑COUNT A lorry is a large vehicle that is used to transport goods by road. [BRIT ] □ …a seven-ton lorry. in AM, use truck
lose ◆◆◆ /luː z/ (loses , losing , lost )
1 VERB If you lose a contest, a fight, or an argument, you do not succeed because someone does better than you and defeats you. □ [V n] They lost the Italian Cup Final. □ [V n] The government lost the argument over the pace of reform. □ [V -ing] No one likes to be on the losing side.
2 VERB If you lose something, you do not know where it is, for example because you have forgotten where you put it. □ [V n] I lost my keys. □ [V n] I had to go back for my checkup; they'd lost my X-rays.
3 VERB You say that you lose something when you no longer have it because it has been taken away from you or destroyed. □ [V n] I lost my job when the company moved to another state. □ [V n] She was terrified they'd lose their home.
4 VERB If someone loses a quality, characteristic, attitude, or belief, they no longer have it. □ [V n] He lost all sense of reason. □ [V n] He had lost his desire to live.
5 VERB If you lose an ability, you stop having that ability because of something such as an accident. □ [V n] They lost their ability to hear. □ [V n] He had lost the use of his legs.
6 VERB If someone or something loses heat, their temperature becomes lower. □ [V n] Babies lose heat much faster than adults.
7 VERB If you lose blood or fluid from your body, it leaves your body so that you have less of it. □ [V n] During fever a large quantity of fluid is lost in perspiration.
8 VERB If you lose weight, you become less heavy, and usually look thinner. □ [V n] I have lost a lot of weight. □ [V n] Martha was able to lose 25 pounds.
9 VERB If you lose a part of your body, it is cut off in an operation or in an accident. □ [V n] He lost a foot when he was struck by a train.
10 VERB If someone loses their life, they die. □ [V n] …the ferry disaster in 1987, in which 192 people lost their lives. □ [be V -ed] Hundreds of lives were lost in fighting.
11 VERB If you lose a close relative or friend, they die. □ [V n] My Grandma lost her brother in the war.
12 VERB [usu passive] If things are lost , they are destroyed in a disaster. □ [be V -ed] …the famous Nankin pottery that was lost in a shipwreck off the coast of China.
13 VERB If you lose time, something slows you down so that you do not make as much progress as you hoped. □ [V n] They claim that police lost valuable time in the early part of the investigation. □ [be V -ed] Six hours were lost in all.
14 VERB If you lose an opportunity, you do not take advantage of it. □ [V n] If you don't do it soon you're going to lose the opportunity. □ [V n to-inf] They did not lose the opportunity to say what they thought of events. □ [V -ed] …a lost opportunity.
15 VERB If you lose yourself in something or if you are lost in it, you give a lot of attention to it and do not think about anything else. □ [V pron-refl + in ] Michael held on to her arm, losing himself in the music. □ [be V -ed + in ] He was lost in the contemplation of the landscape.
16 VERB If a business loses money, it earns less money than it spends, and is therefore in debt. [BUSINESS ] □ [V n] His shops stand to lose millions of pounds.
17 VERB If something loses you a contest or loses you something that you had, it causes you to fail or to no longer have what you had. □ [V n n] My own stupidity lost me the match. □ [V n n] His economic mismanagement has lost him the support of the general public.
18 → see also lost
19 PHRASE If someone loses it , they become extremely angry or upset. [INFORMAL ] □ I completely lost it. I went mad, berserk.
20 PHRASE If you lose your way , you become lost when you are trying to go somewhere. □ The men lost their way in a sandstorm.
21 to lose your balance → see balance
22 to lose the battle but win the war → see battle
23 to lose contact → see contact
24 to lose your cool → see cool
25 to lose face → see face ➊
26 to lose your grip → see grip
27 to lose your head → see head
28 to lose heart → see heart
29 to lose your mind → see mind ➊
30 to lose your nerve → see nerve
31 to lose the plot → see plot
32 to lose sight of → see sight
33 to lose your temper → see temper
34 to lose touch → see touch
35 to lose track of → see track
▸ lose out PHRASAL VERB If you lose out , you suffer a loss or disadvantage because you have not succeeded in what you were doing. □ [V P ] We both lost out. □ [V P + to ] Laura lost out to Tom. □ [V P + in ] Women have lost out in this new pay flexibility. □ [V P + on ] Egypt has lost out on revenues from the Suez Canal. COLLOCATIONS lose VERB 4
lose + noun : confidence, faith, interest; control
los|er /luː zə r / (losers )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The losers of a game, contest, or struggle are the people who are defeated or beaten. □ [+ of ] …the winners and losers of this year's Super Bowl. ● PHRASE If someone is a good loser , they accept that they have lost a game or contest without complaining. If someone is a bad loser , they hate losing and complain about it. □ I'm sure the prime minister will turn out to be a good loser. □ You are a very bad loser Lou, aren't you?
2 N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a loser , you have a low opinion of them because you think they are always unsuccessful. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ You're a bunch of losers.
3 N‑COUNT [usu pl] People who are losers as the result of an action or event, are in a worse situation because of it or do not benefit from it. □ Some of Britain's top business leaders of the 1980s became the country's greatest losers in the recession.
loss ◆◆◇ /lɒ s, [AM ] lɔː s/ (losses )
1 N‑VAR Loss is the fact of no longer having something or having less of it than before. □ [+ of ] …loss of sight. □ [+ of ] The loss of income for the government is about $250 million a month. □ …hair loss. □ The job losses will reduce the total workforce to 7,000.
2 N‑VAR Loss of life occurs when people die. □ [+ of ] …a terrible loss of human life. □ The allies suffered less than 20 casualties while enemy losses were said to be high.
3 N‑UNCOUNT The loss of a relative or friend is their death. □ [+ of ] They took the time to talk about the loss of Thomas and how their grief was affecting them. □ [+ of ] …the loss of his mother.
4 N‑VAR If a business makes a loss , it earns less than it spends. □ [+ of ] That year the company made a loss of nine hundred million pounds. □ The company stopped producing fertilizer because of continued losses. □ …profit and loss.
5 N‑UNCOUNT Loss is the feeling of sadness you experience when someone or something you like is taken away from you. □ Talk to others about your feelings of loss and grief.
6 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A loss is the disadvantage you suffer when a valuable and useful person or thing leaves or is taken away. □ [+ to ] She said his death was a great loss to herself.
7 N‑UNCOUNT The loss of something such as heat, blood, or fluid is the gradual reduction of it or of its level in a system or in someone's body. □ …blood loss. □ …weight loss. □ [+ of ] …a rapid loss of heat from the body.
8 PHRASE If a business produces something at a loss , they sell it at a price which is less than it cost them to produce it or buy it. [BUSINESS ] □ New fashion designs have to be sold off at a loss if sales are poor.
9 PHRASE If you say that you are at a loss , you mean that you do not know what to do in a particular situation. □ The government is at a loss to know how to tackle the violence.
10 PHRASE If you cut your losses , you stop doing what you were doing in order to prevent the bad situation that you are in becoming worse. □ Directors are right to cut their losses, admit they chose the wrong man and make a change.
11 PHRASE If you say that someone or something is a dead loss , you have a low opinion of them because you think they are completely useless or unsuccessful. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ I'd had no experience of organizing anything of that sort. I think I was largely a dead loss. COLLOCATIONS loss
1
noun + loss : hair, hearing, memory, weight
adjective + loss : heavy, huge, massive
3
adjective + loss : heartbeaking, sad, tragic
verb + loss : mourn, suffer
4
adjective + loss : attributable; net, pre-tax
verb + loss : incur; record, report; offset
lo ss ad|just|er (loss adjusters ) also loss adjustor N‑COUNT A loss adjuster is someone who is employed by an insurance company to decide how much money should be paid to a person making a claim. [BRIT , BUSINESS ] in AM, use insurance adjuster , claims adjuster
lo ss lead|er (loss leaders ) also loss-leader N‑COUNT A loss leader is an item that is sold at such a low price that it makes a loss in the hope that customers will be attracted by it and buy other goods at the same shop. [BUSINESS ]
lost ◆◇◇ /lɒ st, [AM ] lɔː st/
1 Lost is the past tense and past participle of lose .
2 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are lost or if you get lost , you do not know where you are or are unable to find your way. □ Barely had I set foot in the street when I realised I was lost. □ I took a wrong turn and we got lost in the mountains.
3 ADJ If something is lost , or gets lost , you cannot find it, for example because you have forgotten where you put it. □ …a lost book. □ My paper got lost. □ He was scrabbling for his pen, which had got lost somewhere under the sheets of paper.
4 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you feel lost , you feel very uncomfortable because you are in an unfamiliar situation. □ Of the funeral he remembered only the cold, the waiting, and feeling very lost. □ I feel lost and lonely in a strange town alone.
5 ADJ If you describe a person or group of people as lost , you think that they do not have a clear idea of what they want to do or achieve. □ They are a lost generation in search of an identity.
6 ADJ If you describe something as lost , you mean that you no longer have it or it no longer exists. □ …a lost job or promotion. □ The sense of community is lost. □ The riots will also mean lost income for Los Angeles County.
7 ADJ [ADJ n] You use lost to refer to a period or state of affairs that existed in the past and no longer exists. □ He seemed to pine for his lost youth. □ …the relics of a lost civilisation.
8 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If something is lost , it is not used properly and is considered wasted. □ He is not bitter about the lost opportunity to compete in the Games. □ The advantage is lost.
9 PHRASE If advice or a comment is lost on someone, they do not understand it or they pay no attention to it. □ The meaning of that was lost on me.
lo st and fou nd
1 N‑SING Lost and found is the place where lost property is kept. [AM ] in BRIT, use lost property 2 ADJ Lost and found things are things which someone has lost and which someone else has found. □ …the shelf where they stored lost-and-found articles. □ …the local paper's lost-and-found column.
lo st cau se (lost causes ) N‑COUNT If you refer to something or someone as a lost cause , you mean that people's attempts to change or influence them have no chance of succeeding. □ They do not want to expend energy in what, to them, is a lost cause.
lo st pro p|er|ty
1 N‑UNCOUNT Lost property consists of things that people have lost or accidentally left in a public place, for example on a train or in a school. □ Lost property should be handed to the driver.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Lost property is a place where lost property is kept. [BRIT ] □ I was enquiring in Lost Property at Derby. in AM, use lost and found
lo st sou l (lost souls ) N‑COUNT If you call someone a lost soul , you mean that they seem unhappy, and unable to fit in with any particular group of people in society. □ They just clung to each other like two lost souls.
lot ◆◆◆ /lɒ t/ (lots )
1 QUANT A lot of something or lots of it is a large amount of it. A lot of people or things, or lots of them, is a large number of them. □ A lot of our land is used to grow crops for export. □ I remember a lot of things. □ 'You'll find that everybody will try and help their colleague.'—'Yeah. There's a lot of that.' □ He drank lots of milk. □ A lot of the play is very funny. ● PRON Lot is also a pronoun. □ There's lots going on at Selfridges this month. □ [+ from ] I learned a lot from him about how to run a band. □ I know a lot has been said about my sister's role in my career.
2 ADV [ADV after v] A lot means to a great extent or degree. □ Matthew's out quite a lot doing his research. □ I like you, a lot. □ If I went out and accepted a job at a lot less money, I'd jeopardize a good career.
3 ADV [ADV after v] If you do something a lot , you do it often or for a long time. □ They went out a lot, to the Cafe Royal or The Ivy. □ [+ about ] He talks a lot about his own children.
4 N‑COUNT [num N ] You can use lot to refer to a set or group of things or people. □ [+ of ] He bought two lots of 1,000 shares in the company during August and September. □ [+ of ] We've just sacked one lot of builders.
5 N‑SING [adj N ] You can refer to a specific group of people as a particular lot . [INFORMAL ] □ Future generations are going to think that we were a pretty boring lot.
6 N‑SING You can use the lot to refer to the whole of an amount that you have just mentioned. [INFORMAL ] □ She was given £20 and by Monday morning had spent the lot.
7 N‑SING [usu with poss] Your lot is the kind of life you have or the things that you have or experience. □ [+ in ] Sometimes you just have to accept your lot in life .
8 N‑COUNT A lot is a small area of land that belongs to a person or company. [AM ] □ If oil or gold are discovered under your lot, you can sell the mineral rights.
9 → see also parking lot
10 N‑COUNT A lot in an auction is one of the objects or groups of objects that are being sold. □ The receivers are keen to sell the stores as one lot.
11 PHRASE If people draw lots to decide who will do something, they each take a piece of paper from a container. One or more pieces of paper is marked, and the people who take marked pieces are chosen. □ For the first time in a World Cup finals, lots had to be drawn to decide who would finish second and third.
12 PHRASE If you throw in your lot with a particular person or group, you decide to work with them and support them from then on, whatever happens. □ He has decided to throw in his lot with the far-right groups in parliament.
loth /loʊ θ/ → see loath
lo|tion /loʊ ʃ ə n/ (lotions ) N‑VAR [usu n N ] A lotion is a liquid that you use to clean, improve, or protect your skin or hair. □ …suntan lotion. □ …cleansing lotions.
lot|tery /lɒ təri/ (lotteries )
1 N‑COUNT A lottery is a type of gambling game in which people buy numbered tickets. Several numbers are then chosen, and the people who have those numbers on their tickets win a prize. □ …the national lottery.
2 N‑SING If you describe something as a lottery , you mean that what happens depends entirely on luck or chance. □ Which judges are assigned to a case is always a bit of a lottery.
lo|tus /loʊ təs/ (lotuses ) N‑COUNT A lotus or a lotus flower is a type of water lily that grows in Africa and Asia.
lo |tus po|si|tion N‑SING If someone doing meditation or yoga is in the lotus position , they are sitting with their legs crossed and each foot resting on top of the opposite thigh.
louche /luː ʃ/ ADJ If you describe a person or place as louche , you mean that they are unconventional and not respectable, but often in a way that people find rather attractive. [WRITTEN ] □ …that section of London society which somehow managed to be louche and fashionable at the same time.
loud ◆◇◇ /laʊ d/ (louder , loudest )
1 ADJ If a noise is loud , the level of sound is very high and it can be easily heard. Someone or something that is loud produces a lot of noise. □ Suddenly there was a loud bang. □ His voice became harsh and loud. □ The band was starting to play a fast, loud number. □ …amazingly loud discos. ● ADV [ADV after v] Loud is also an adverb. □ She wonders whether Paul's hearing is OK because he turns the television up very loud. ● loud|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ His footsteps echoed loudly in the tiled hall. ● loud|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ The students began to enter the classroom and Anna was startled at their loudness.
2 ADJ If someone is loud in their support for or criticism of something, they express their opinion very often and in a very strong way. □ [+ in ] Mr Adams' speech yesterday was very loud in condemnation of the media. □ Mr Jones received loud support from his local community. ● loud|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Mac talked loudly in favour of the good works done by the Church.
3 ADJ If you describe something, especially a piece of clothing, as loud , you dislike it because it has very bright colours or very large, bold patterns which look unpleasant. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He liked to shock with his gold chains and loud clothes.
4 PHRASE If you tell someone something loud and clear , you are very easily understood, either because your voice is very clear or because you express yourself very clearly. □ Lisa's voice comes through loud and clear. □ The committee's warnings should be heard loud and clear.
5 PHRASE If you say or read something out loud , you say it or read it so that it can be heard, rather than just thinking it. □ Even Ford, who seldom smiled, laughed out loud a few times. □ He began to read out loud.
6 for crying out loud → see cry SYNONYMS loud ADJ 1
noisy: …my noisy old typewriter.
deafening: …the deafening roar of fighter jets taking off.
ear-splitting: …ear-splitting screams.
loud|hail|er /laʊ dhe I lə r / (loudhailers ) also loud-hailer N‑COUNT A loudhailer is a portable device with a microphone at one end and a cone-shaped speaker at the other end, used to make your voice heard more easily outdoors. [BRIT ] in AM, use bullhorn
loud|mouth /laʊ dmaʊθ/ (loudmouths /laʊ dmaʊðz/) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a loudmouth , you are critical of them because they talk a lot, especially in an unpleasant, offensive, or stupid way. [DISAPPROVAL ]
lou d-mouthed ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe someone as loud-mouthed , you are critical of them because they talk a lot, especially in an unpleasant, offensive, or stupid way. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a loud-mouthed oaf with very little respect for women.
loud|speaker /laʊ dspiː kə r / (loudspeakers ) also loud speaker N‑COUNT A loudspeaker is a piece of equipment, for example part of a radio or hi-fi system, through which sound comes out.
lounge /laʊ ndʒ/ (lounges , lounging , lounged )
1 N‑COUNT In a house, a lounge is a room where people sit and relax. [mainly BRIT ] □ The Holmbergs were sitting before a roaring fire in the lounge, sipping their cocoa.
2 N‑COUNT In a hotel, club, or other public place, a lounge is a room where people can sit and relax. □ [+ of ] I spoke to her in the lounge of a big Johannesburg hotel where she was attending a union meeting.
3 N‑COUNT In an airport, a lounge is a very large room where people can sit and wait for aircraft to arrive or leave. □ Instead of taking me to the departure lounge they took me right to my seat on the plane.
4 VERB If you lounge somewhere, you sit or lie there in a relaxed or lazy way. □ [V prep] They ate and drank and lounged in the shade.
louse /laʊ s/ (lice ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Lice are small insects that live on the bodies of people or animals and bite them in order to feed off their blood.
lousy /laʊ zi/ (lousier , lousiest )
1 ADJ If you describe something as lousy , you mean that it is of very bad quality or that you do not like it. [INFORMAL ] □ He blamed Fiona for a lousy weekend. □ [+ to-inf] It's lousy to be the new kid.
2 ADJ If you describe someone as lousy , you mean that they are very bad at something they do. [INFORMAL ] □ I was a lousy secretary. □ [+ at ] There can be no argument about how lousy he is at public relations.
3 ADJ If you describe the number or amount of something as lousy , you mean it is smaller than you think it should be. [INFORMAL ] □ The pay is lousy.
4 ADJ If you feel lousy , you feel very ill. [INFORMAL ] □ I wasn't actually sick but I felt lousy.
lout /laʊ t/ (louts ) N‑COUNT If you describe a man or boy as a lout , you are critical of them because they behave in an impolite or aggressive way. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a drunken lout.
lout|ish /laʊ t I ʃ/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a man or a boy as loutish , you are critical of them because their behaviour is impolite and aggressive. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ I was appalled by the loutish behaviour.
lou|vre /luː və r / (louvres ) in AM, use louver N‑COUNT [oft N n] A louvre is a door or window with narrow, flat, sloping pieces of wood or glass across its frame.
lov|able /lʌ vəb ə l/ ADJ If you describe someone as lovable , you mean that they have attractive qualities, and are easy to like. □ His vulnerability makes him even more lovable.
love ◆◆◆ /lʌ v/ (loves , loving , loved )
1 VERB If you love someone, you feel romantically or sexually attracted to them, and they are very important to you. □ [V n] Oh, Amy, I love you. □ [V n] We love each other. We want to spend our lives together.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Love is a very strong feeling of affection towards someone who you are romantically or sexually attracted to. □ [+ for ] Our love for each other has been increased by what we've been through together. □ …a old fashioned love story. □ …an album of love songs.
3 VERB You say that you love someone when their happiness is very important to you, so that you behave in a kind and caring way towards them. □ [V n] You'll never love anyone the way you love your baby.
4 N‑UNCOUNT Love is the feeling that a person's happiness is very important to you, and the way you show this feeling in your behaviour towards them. □ [+ for ] My love for all my children is unconditional. □ She's got a great capacity for love.
5 VERB If you love something, you like it very much. □ [V n/v-ing] We loved the food so much, especially the fish dishes. □ [V n/v-ing] I loved reading. □ [V to-inf] …one of these people that loves to be in the outdoors. □ [V it wh] I love it when I hear you laugh.
6 VERB You can say that you love something when you consider that it is important and want to protect or support it. □ [V n] I love my country as you love yours.
7 N‑UNCOUNT Love is a strong liking for something, or a belief that it is important. □ [+ of ] The French are known for their love of their language.
8 N‑COUNT [usu with poss] Your love is someone or something that you love. □ 'She is the love of my life,' he said. □ Music's one of my great loves.
9 VERB If you would love to have or do something, you very much want to have it or do it. □ [V to-inf] I would love to play for England again. □ [V n] I would love a hot bath and clean clothes. □ [V n to-inf] His wife would love him to give up his job.
10 N‑COUNT Some people use love as an affectionate way of addressing someone. [BRIT , INFORMAL , FEELINGS ] □ Well, I'll take your word for it then, love. □ Don't cry, my love.
11 NUM In tennis, love is a score of zero. □ He beat the Austrian three sets to love.
12 CONVENTION You can use expressions such as ' love ', ' love from ', and ' all my love ', followed by your name, as an informal way of ending a letter to a friend or relation. □ …with love from Grandma and Grandpa.
13 N‑UNCOUNT If you send someone your love , you ask another person, who will soon be speaking or writing to them, to tell them that you are thinking about them with affection. □ Please give her my love.
14 → see also free love , -loved , loving , peace-loving , tug-of-love
15 PHRASE If you fall in love with someone, you start to be in love with them. □ [+ with ] I fell in love with him because of his kind nature. □ We fell madly in love.
16 PHRASE If you fall in love with something, you start to like it very much. □ Working with Ford closely, I fell in love with the cinema.
17 PHRASE If you are in love with someone, you feel romantically or sexually attracted to them, and they are very important to you. □ Laura had never before been in love. □ [+ with ] I've never really been in love with anyone. □ We were madly in love for about two years.
18 PHRASE If you are in love with something, you like it very much. □ He had always been in love with the enchanted landscape of the West.
19 PHRASE When two people make love , they have sex. □ [+ to ] Have you ever made love to a girl before? [Also + with ] COLLOCATIONS love VERB 1
love + adverb : dearly, unconditionally NOUN 2
adjective + love : true, unconditional, undying, unrequited; passionate, romantic
lo ve af|fair (love affairs )
1 N‑COUNT A love affair is a romantic and usually sexual relationship between two people who love each other but who are not married or living together. □ [+ with ] …a stressful love affair with a married man. [Also + between ]
2 N‑SING If you refer to someone's love affair with something, you mean that they like it a lot and are very enthusiastic about it. □ [+ with ] …the American love affair with firearms.
love|birds /lʌ vbɜː r dz/ N‑PLURAL You can refer to two people as lovebirds when they are obviously very much in love. [HUMOROUS ]
lo ve bite (love bites ) also lovebite N‑COUNT A love bite is a mark which someone has on their body as a result of being bitten by their partner when they were kissing or making love.
lo ve child (love children ) also love-child N‑COUNT If journalists refer to someone as a love child , they mean that the person was born as a result of a love affair between two people who have never been married to each other. □ Eric has a secret love child.
-loved /-lʌvd/ COMB [usu ADJ n] -loved combines with adverbs to form adjectives that describe how much someone or something is loved. □ The similarities between the much-loved father and his son are remarkable. □ …two of Mendelssohn's best-loved works.
lo ve-ha te re|la|tion|ship (love-hate relationships ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you have a love-hate relationship with someone or something, your feelings towards them change suddenly and often from love to hate. □ …a book about the close love-hate relationship between two boys.
love|less /lʌ vləs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A loveless relationship or situation is one where there is no love. □ She is in a loveless relationship.
lo ve let|ter (love letters ) N‑COUNT A love letter is a letter that you write to someone in order to tell them that you love them.
lo ve life (love lives ) N‑COUNT Someone's love life is the part of their life that consists of their romantic and sexual relationships. □ His love life was complicated, and involved intense relationships.
love|lorn /lʌ vlɔː r n/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Lovelorn means the same as lovesick . □ He was acting like a lovelorn teenager.
love|ly ◆◇◇ /lʌ vli/ (lovelier , loveliest )
1 ADJ If you describe someone or something as lovely , you mean that they are very beautiful and therefore pleasing to look at or listen to. [mainly BRIT ] □ You look lovely, Marcia. □ He had a lovely voice. □ It was just one of those lovely old English gardens. ● love|li|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ You are a vision of loveliness.
2 ADJ If you describe something as lovely , you mean that it gives you pleasure. [mainly BRIT , mainly SPOKEN ] □ Mary! How lovely to see you! □ It's a lovely day. □ What a lovely surprise!
3 ADJ If you describe someone as lovely , you mean that they are friendly, kind, or generous. [mainly BRIT ] □ Laura is a lovely young woman. □ She's a lovely child. SYNONYMS lovely ADJ 1
beautiful: New England is beautiful.
appealing: There was a sense of humour to what he did that I found very appealing.
attractive: The creamy white flowers are attractive in the spring.
charming: …a charming little fishing village.
adorable: We have three adorable children.
love|making /lʌ vme I k I ŋ/ also love-making N‑UNCOUNT Lovemaking refers to sexual activities that take place between two people who love each other. □ Their love-making became less and less frequent.
lo ve nest (love nests ) also love-nest N‑COUNT [usu sing] A love nest is a house or flat where two people who are having a love affair live or meet. [JOURNALISM ]
lov|er ◆◇◇ /lʌ və r / (lovers )
1 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's lover is someone who they are having a sexual relationship with but are not married to. □ He and Liz became lovers soon after they first met.
2 N‑COUNT If you are a lover of something such as animals or the arts, you enjoy them very much and take great pleasure in them. □ [+ of ] She is a great lover of horses and horse racing. □ Are you an opera lover?
lo ve rat (love rats ) N‑COUNT Journalists sometimes use love rat to refer to a man who treats his partner in a cruel way, especially by having sexual relationships with other people. [JOURNALISM , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the womanising of royal love rat James Hewitt.
love|sick /lʌ vs I k/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe someone as lovesick , you mean that they are so in love with someone who does not love them, that they are behaving in a strange and foolish way. □ …a lovesick boy consumed with self-pity.
lo ve sto|ry (love stories ) N‑COUNT A love story is something such as a novel or film about a love affair.
lo ve-stricken also lovestruck ADJ If you describe someone as love-stricken , you mean that they are so much in love that they are behaving in a strange and foolish way.
lo ve tri|an|gle (love triangles ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A love triangle is a relationship in which three people are each in love with at least one other person in the relationship. [JOURNALISM ]
lovey-dovey /lʌ vi dʌ vi/ ADJ You can use lovey-dovey to describe, in a humorous or slightly disapproving way, lovers who show their affection for each other very openly. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ All my friends were either lovey-dovey couples or wild, single girls.
lov|ing /lʌ v I ŋ/
1 ADJ Someone who is loving feels or shows love to other people. □ Jim was a most loving husband and father. □ The children there were very loving to me. ● lov|ing|ly ADV □ Brian gazed lovingly at Mary Ann.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Loving actions are done with great enjoyment and care. □ The house has been restored with loving care. ● lov|ing|ly ADV [ADV after v, oft ADV -ed] □ I lifted the box and ran my fingers lovingly over the top.
3 → see also peace-loving
low ◆◆◆ /loʊ / (lower , lowest , lows )
1 ADJ Something that is low measures only a short distance from the bottom to the top, or from the ground to the top. □ …the low garden wall that separated the front garden from next door. □ She put it down on the low table. □ The Leisure Center is a long and low modern building.
2 ADJ If something is low , it is close to the ground, to sea level, or to the bottom of something. □ He bumped his head on the low beams. □ It was late afternoon and the sun was low in the sky. □ They saw a government war plane make a series of low-level bombing raids.
3 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] When a river is low , it contains less water than usual. □ …pumps that guarantee a constant depth of water even when the supplying river is low.
4 ADJ You can use low to indicate that something is small in amount or that it is at the bottom of a particular scale. You can use phrases such as in the low 80s to indicate that a number or level is less than 85 but not as little as 80. □ British casualties remained remarkably low. □ They are still having to live on very low incomes. □ The temperature's in the low 40s.
5 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Low is used to describe people who are not considered to be very important because they are near the bottom of a particular scale or system. □ She refused to promote Colin above the low rank of 'legal adviser'.
6 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If something reaches a low of a particular amount or degree, that is its smallest amount or lowest level. □ [+ of ] Overnight temperatures fell to a low of -20°C in some areas. □ The dollar fell to a new low.
7 ADJ If you drive or ride a bicycle in a low gear, you use a gear, usually first or second, which gives you the most control over your car or bicycle when travelling slowly. □ She selected a low gear and started down the track carefully.
8 ADJ If the quality or standard of something is low , it is very poor. □ A school would not accept low-quality work from any student. □ …low-grade coal.
9 ADJ If a food or other substance is low in a particular ingredient, it contains only a small amount of that ingredient. □ [+ in ] They look for foods that are low in calories. ● COMB [usu ADJ n] Low is also a combining form. □ …low-sodium tomato sauce. □ Low-odour paints help make decorating so much easier.
10 ADJ [ADJ n] If you describe someone such as a student or a worker as a low achiever, you mean that they are not very good at their work, and do not achieve or produce as much as others. □ Low achievers in schools will receive priority.
11 ADJ If you have a low opinion of someone or something, you disapprove of them or dislike them. □ I have an extremely low opinion of the British tabloid newspapers.
12 ADJ You can use low to describe negative feelings and attitudes. □ We are all very tired and morale is low. □ People had very low expectations.
13 ADJ If a sound or noise is low , it is deep. □ Then suddenly she gave a low, choking moan and began to tremble violently. □ My voice has got so low now I was mistaken for a man the other day on the phone.
14 ADJ If someone's voice is low , it is quiet or soft. □ Her voice was so low he had to strain to catch it.
15 ADJ A light that is low is not bright or strong. □ Their eyesight is poor in low light.
16 ADJ If a radio, oven, or light is on low , it has been adjusted so that only a small amount of sound, heat, or light is produced. □ She turned her little kitchen radio on low. □ Buy a dimmer switch and keep the light on low, or switch it off altogether. □ Cook the sauce over a low heat until it boils and thickens.
17 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you are low on something or if a supply of it is low , there is not much of it left. □ [+ on ] We're a bit low on bed linen. □ World stocks of wheat were getting very low.
18 ADJ If you are low , you are depressed. [INFORMAL ] □ 'I didn't ask for this job, you know,' he tells friends when he is low.
19 → see also lower
20 PHRASE If you are lying low , you are hiding or not drawing attention to yourself. [INFORMAL ] □ Far from lying low, Kuti became more outspoken than ever.
21 to look high and low → see high
22 low profile → see profile
23 to be running low → see run COLLOCATIONS low NOUN 6
adjective + low : all-time, historic, new, record
verb + low : hit, plumb, reach
low|brow /loʊ braʊ/ also low-brow ADJ If you say that something is lowbrow , you mean that it is easy to understand or appreciate rather than intellectual and is therefore perhaps inferior. □ His choice of subject matter has been regarded as lowbrow. □ …low-brow novels.
lo w-cal ADJ [usu ADJ n] Low-cal food is food that contains only a few calories. People who are trying to lose weight eat low-cal food.
lo w-cu t ADJ [usu ADJ n] Low-cut dresses and blouses do not cover the top part of a woman's chest.
lo w-down also lowdown
1 N‑SING If someone gives you the low-down on a person or thing, they tell you all the important information about them. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ on ] We want you to give us the low-down on your team-mates.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] You can use low-down to emphasize how bad, dishonest, or unfair you consider a particular person or their behaviour to be. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ …a lowdown, evil drunkard. □ They will stoop to every low-down trick.
low|er ◆◇◇ /loʊ ə r / (lowers , lowering , lowered )
1 ADJ [ADJ n, the ADJ ] You can use lower to refer to the bottom one of a pair of things. □ She bit her lower lip. □ …the lower deck of the bus. □ The upper layer of felt should overlap the lower. □ …the lower of the two holes.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] You can use lower to refer to the bottom part of something. □ Use a small cushion to help give support to the lower back. □ …fires which started in the lower part of a tower block.
3 ADJ [ADJ n, the ADJ ] You can use lower to refer to people or things that are less important than similar people or things. □ Already the awards are causing resentment in the lower ranks of council officers. □ The nation's highest court reversed the lower court's decision. □ The higher orders of society must rule the lower.
4 VERB If you lower something, you move it slowly downwards. □ [V n prep/adv] Two reporters had to help lower the coffin into the grave. □ [V pron-refl] Sokolowski lowered himself into the black leather chair. □ [V n] 'No movies of me getting out of the pool, boys.' They dutifully lowered their cameras. ● low|er|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the extinguishing of the flame and the lowering of the flag.
5 VERB If you lower something, you make it less in amount, degree, value, or quality. □ [V n] The bank has lowered interest rates by 2 percent. ● low|er|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …a package of social measures which included the lowering of the retirement age.
6 VERB If someone lowers their head or eyes, they look downwards, for example because they are sad or embarrassed. □ [V n] She lowered her head and brushed past photographers as she went back inside. □ [V n] She lowered her gaze to the hands in her lap.
7 VERB If you say that you would not lower yourself by doing something, you mean that you would not behave in a way that would make you or other people respect you less. □ [V pron-refl] Don't lower yourself, don't be the way they are. □ [V pron-refl + to ] I've got no qualms about lowering myself to Lemmer's level to get what I want.
8 VERB If you lower your voice or if your voice lowers , you speak more quietly. □ [V n] The man moved closer, lowering his voice. □ [V ] His voice lowers confidentially.
9 → see also low SYNONYMS lower VERB 5
lessen: Make sure that your immunisations are up to date to lessen the risk of serious illness.
cut: The first priority is to cut costs.
reduce: Consumption is being reduced by 25 per cent.
lo w|er ca se also lower-case N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Lower-case letters are small letters, not capital letters. □ It was printed in lower case. □ We did the logo in lower-case letters instead of capitals.
lo w|er cla ss (lower classes ) also lower-class N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb, usu pl] Some people use the lower class or the lower classes to refer to the division of society that they consider to have the lowest social status. □ Education now offers the lower classes access to job opportunities. ● ADJ Lower class is also an adjective. □ …lower-class families.
lo w|est com|mon de|no mi|na|tor (lowest common denominators )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you describe a plan or policy as the lowest common denominator , you are critical of it because it has been deliberately made too simple so that nobody will disagree. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ They reduce complicated explanations to the lowest common denominator.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you say that something is designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator , you are critical of it because it is designed to be liked by the majority of people. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Tabloid newspapers pander to the lowest common denominator.
3 N‑COUNT In mathematics, the lowest common denominator is the smallest number that all the numbers on the bottom of a particular group of fractions can be divided into. [TECHNICAL ]
lo w-fly ing ADJ [ADJ n] Low-flying aircraft or birds are flying very close to the ground, or lower than normal.
lo w-i mpact
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Low-impact exercise does not put a lot of stress on your body.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Low-impact projects, developments, and activities such as holidays are designed to cause minimum harm to the environment. □ …sensitive, enlightened, low-impact ecotourism.
lo w-ke y ADJ If you say that something is low-key , you mean that it is on a small scale rather than involving a lot of activity or being made to seem impressive or important. □ The wedding will be a very low-key affair. □ He wanted to keep the meetings low-key.
low|lands /loʊ ləndz/ also lowland The form lowland is also used as a modifier. N‑PLURAL Lowlands are an area of low, flat land. □ [+ of ] …wherever you travel in the lowlands of the United Kingdom. □ …the fever-haunted old town on the lowland across the lake. □ …lowland areas.
lo w life also low-life , lowlife N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] People sometimes use low life to refer in a disapproving way to people who are involved in criminal, dishonest, or immoral activities, or to these activities. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the sort of low-life characters who populate this film.
low|ly /loʊ li/ (lowlier , lowliest ) ADJ If you describe someone or something as lowly , you mean that they are low in rank, status, or importance. □ …lowly bureaucrats pretending to be senators.
lo w-ly ing ADJ [usu ADJ n] Low-lying land is at, near, or below sea level. □ Sea walls collapsed, and low-lying areas were flooded.
lo w-pai d ADJ If you describe someone or their job as low-paid , you mean that their work earns them very little money. □ …low-paid workers. □ The majority of working women are in low-paid jobs. ● N‑PLURAL The low-paid are people who are low-paid.
lo w-pi tched
1 ADJ A sound that is low-pitched is deep. □ With a low-pitched rumbling noise, the propeller began to rotate.
2 ADJ A voice that is low-pitched is very soft and quiet. □ He kept his voice low-pitched in case someone was listening.
lo w-re nt
1 ADJ If someone lives in a low-rent house, they only have to pay a small amount of money to live there. □ …a low-rent housing development.
2 ADJ You can use low-rent to describe something that is of poor quality, especially when it is compared with something else. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a low-rent horror movie.
lo w sea|son N‑SING The low season is the time of year when a place receives the fewest visitors, and fares and holiday accommodation are often cheaper. [BRIT ] □ Prices drop to £315 in the low season. in AM, use off-season
lo w-slu ng ADJ [usu ADJ n] Low-slung chairs or cars are very low, so that you are close to the ground when you are sitting in them.
lo w-te ch ADJ [usu ADJ n] Low-tech machines or systems are ones that do not use modern or sophisticated technology. □ …a simple form of low-tech electric propulsion.
lo w ti de (low tides ) N‑VAR [oft at N ] At the coast, low tide is the time when the sea is at its lowest level because the tide is out. □ The causeway to the island is only accessible at low tide.
lo w wa |ter N‑UNCOUNT Low water is the same as low tide .
lox /lɒ ks/ N‑UNCOUNT Lox is salmon that has been smoked and is eaten raw. [mainly AM ]
loy|al /lɔ I əl/ ADJ Someone who is loyal remains firm in their friendship or support for a person or thing. [APPROVAL ] □ [+ to ] They had remained loyal to the president. □ He'd always been such a loyal friend to us all. ● loy|al|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ They have loyally supported their party and their leader.
loy|al|ist /lɔ I əl I st/ (loyalists ) N‑COUNT A loyalist is a person who remains firm in their support for a government or ruler. □ Party loyalists responded as they always do, waving flags and carrying placards.
loy|al|ty /lɔ I əlti/ (loyalties )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Loyalty is the quality of staying firm in your friendship or support for someone or something. □ [+ to ] I have sworn an oath of loyalty to the monarchy. □ This is seen as a reward for the army's loyalty during a barracks revolt earlier this month.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Loyalties are feelings of friendship, support, or duty towards someone or something. □ [+ to ] She had developed strong loyalties to the Manet family.
lo y|al|ty card (loyalty cards ) N‑COUNT A loyalty card is a plastic card that some shops give to regular customers. Each time the customer buys something from the shop, points are electronically stored on their card and can be exchanged later for goods or services.
loz|enge /lɒ z I ndʒ/ (lozenges )
1 N‑COUNT Lozenges are sweets which you can suck to make a cough or sore throat better. □ …throat lozenges.
2 N‑COUNT A lozenge is a shape with four corners. The two corners that point up and down are further away than the two pointing sideways.
LP /e l piː / (LPs ) N‑COUNT An LP is a record which usually has about 25 minutes of music or speech on each side. LP is an abbreviation for 'long-playing record'. □ …his first LP since 1986.
LPG /e l piː dʒiː / N‑UNCOUNT LPG is a type of fuel consisting of hydrocarbon gases in liquid form. LPG is an abbreviation for 'liquefied petroleum gas'.
L -plate (L-plates ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] In Britain, L-plates are signs with a red 'L' on them which you attach to a car to warn other drivers that you are a learner.
LSD /e l es diː / N‑UNCOUNT LSD is a very powerful illegal drug which makes the user see things that only exist in their mind.
Lt Lt is a written abbreviation for lieutenant . □ He was replaced by Lt Frank Fraser.
Ltd ◆◇◇ Ltd is a written abbreviation for limited when it is used after the name of a company. Compare plc . [BRIT , BUSINESS ]
lub|ri|cant /luː br I kənt/ (lubricants )
1 N‑VAR A lubricant is a substance which you put on the surfaces or parts of something, especially something mechanical, to make the parts move smoothly. □ Its nozzle was smeared with some kind of lubricant. □ …industrial lubricants.
2 N‑COUNT If you refer to something as a lubricant in a particular situation, you mean that it helps to make things happen without any problems. □ [+ for ] I think humor is a great lubricant for life.
lu|bri|cate /luː br I ke I t/ (lubricates , lubricating , lubricated )
1 VERB If you lubricate something such as a part of a machine, you put a substance such as oil on it so that it moves smoothly. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] Mineral oils are used to lubricate machinery. □ [V -ing] …lubricating oil. [Also V ] ● lu|bri|ca|tion /luː br I ke I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ Use a touch of linseed oil for lubrication.
2 VERB If you say that something lubricates a particular situation, you mean that it helps things to happen without any problems. □ [V n] Franklin's task was to lubricate the discussions with the French.
lu|cerne /luːsɜː r n/ N‑UNCOUNT Lucerne is a plant that is grown for animals to eat and in order to improve the soil. [BRIT ] in AM, use alfalfa
lu|cid /luː s I d/
1 ADJ Lucid writing or speech is clear and easy to understand. □ …a lucid account of the history of mankind. □ His prose as always lucid and compelling. ● lu|cid|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Both of them had the ability to present complex matters lucidly. ● lu|cid|ity /luːs I d I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] His writings were marked by an extraordinary lucidity and elegance of style.
2 ADJ If someone is lucid , they are thinking clearly again after a period of illness or confusion. [FORMAL ] □ He wasn't very lucid, he didn't quite know where he was. ● lu|cid|ity N‑UNCOUNT □ The pain had lessened in the night, but so had his lucidity.
luck ◆◇◇ /lʌ k/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Luck or good luck is success or good things that happen to you, that do not come from your own abilities or efforts. □ [+ to-inf] I knew I needed a bit of luck to win. □ [+ with ] The Sri Lankans have been having no luck with the weather. □ The goal, when it came, owed more to good luck than good planning.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Bad luck is lack of success or bad things that happen to you, that have not been caused by yourself or other people. □ I had a lot of bad luck during the first half of this season. □ Randall's illness was only bad luck.
3 → see also hard luck
4 CONVENTION If you ask someone the question ' Any luck? ' or ' No luck? ', you want to know if they have been successful in something they were trying to do. [INFORMAL ] □ 'Any luck?'—'No.'
5 CONVENTION You can say ' Bad luck ', or ' Hard luck ', to someone when you want to express sympathy to them. [INFORMAL , FORMULAE ] □ Well, hard luck, mate.
6 PHRASE If you describe someone as down on their luck , you mean that they have had bad experiences, often because they do not have enough money.
7 CONVENTION If you say ' Good luck ' or ' Best of luck ' to someone, you are telling them that you hope they will be successful in something they are trying to do. [INFORMAL , FORMULAE ] □ He kissed her on the cheek. 'Best of luck!'
8 PHRASE You can say someone is in luck when they are in a situation where they can have what they want or need. □ You're in luck. The doctor's still in.
9 PHRASE If you say that someone is out of luck , you mean that they cannot have something which they can normally have. □ 'What do you want, Roy? If it's money, you're out of luck.'
10 PHRASE If you say that someone is pushing their luck , you think they are taking a bigger risk than is sensible, and may get into trouble. □ I didn't dare push my luck too far and did not ask them to sign statements.
11 PHRASE If someone tries their luck at something, they try to succeed at it, often when it is very difficult or there is little chance of success. □ She was going to try her luck at the Las Vegas casinos.
12 pot luck → see pot
lucki|ly /lʌ k I li/ ADV You add luckily to a statement to indicate that it is good that a particular thing happened or is the case because otherwise the situation would have been difficult or unpleasant. □ Luckily, we both love football. □ Luckily for me, he spoke very good English.
luck|less /lʌ kləs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe someone or something as luckless , you mean that they are unsuccessful or unfortunate. [WRITTEN ] □ …the luckless parent of an extremely difficult child.
lucky ◆◇◇ /lʌ ki/ (luckier , luckiest )
1 ADJ [oft ADJ to-inf] You say that someone is lucky when they have something that is very desirable or when they are in a very desirable situation. □ I am luckier than most. I have a job. □ He is incredibly lucky to be alive. □ Those who are lucky enough to be wealthy have a duty to give to the hungry.
2 ADJ Someone who is lucky seems to always have good luck. □ Some people are born lucky aren't they? □ [+ at ] He had always been lucky at cards.
3 ADJ If you describe an action or experience as lucky , you mean that it was good or successful, and that it happened by chance and not as a result of planning or preparation. □ They admit they are now desperate for a lucky break. □ [+ that ] The man is very lucky that he had help so quickly.
4 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A lucky object is something that people believe helps them to be successful. □ He did not have on his other lucky charm, a pair of green socks.
5 → see also happy-go-lucky
6 PHRASE If you say that someone will be lucky to do or get something, you mean that they are very unlikely to do or get it, and will definitely not do or get any more than that. □ You'll be lucky if you get any breakfast. □ Those remaining in work will be lucky to get the smallest of pay increases.
7 PHRASE If you strike lucky or strike it lucky , you have some good luck. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ You may strike lucky and find a sympathetic and helpful clerk, but, there again, you might not.
lu cky di p (lucky dips ) N‑COUNT a lucky dip is a game in which you take a prize out of a container full of hidden prizes and then find out what you have chosen. [BRIT ] in AM, use grab bag
lu|cra|tive /luː krət I v/ ADJ A lucrative activity, job, or business deal is very profitable. □ Thousands of ex-army officers have found lucrative jobs in private security firms.
lu|cre /luː kə r / N‑UNCOUNT People sometimes refer to money or profit as lucre , especially when they think that it has been obtained by dishonest means. [HUMOROUS or OLD-FASHIONED , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …so they can feel less guilty about their piles of filthy lucre.
Lud|dite /lʌ da I t/ (Luddites ) N‑COUNT [oft N n] If you refer to someone as a Luddite , you are criticizing them for opposing changes in industrial methods, especially the introduction of new machines and modern methods. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The majority have a built-in Luddite mentality; they are resistant to change.
lu|di|crous /luː d I krəs/ ADJ If you describe something as ludicrous , you are emphasizing that you think it is foolish, unreasonable, or unsuitable. [EMPHASIS ] □ It was ludicrous to suggest that the visit could be kept secret. □ It's a completely ludicrous idea. ● lu|di|crous|ly ADV □ By Western standards the prices are ludicrously low.
lug /lʌ g/ (lugs , lugging , lugged ) VERB If you lug a heavy or awkward object somewhere, you carry it there with difficulty. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n with adv] Nobody wants to lug around huge suitcases full of clothes. □ [V n prep] I hastily packed the hamper and lugged it to the car. [Also V n]
luge /luː ʒ/ (luges ) N‑COUNT A luge is an object that is designed to be used for racing downhill over snow or ice. Riders lie on their backs and travel with their feet pointing towards the front of the luge.
lug|gage /lʌ g I dʒ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Luggage is the suitcases and bags that you take with you when travel. □ Leave your luggage in the hotel. □ Each passenger was allowed two 30-kg pieces of luggage.
2 → see also left luggage
lu g|gage rack (luggage racks )
1 N‑COUNT A luggage rack is a shelf for putting luggage on, on a vehicle such as a train or bus.
2 N‑COUNT A luggage rack is a metal frame that is fixed on top of a car and used for carrying large objects. [AM ] in BRIT, use roof rack
lu|gu|bri|ous /luːguː briəs/ ADJ If you say that someone or something is lugubrious , you mean that they are sad rather than lively or cheerful. [LITERARY ] □ …a tall, thin man with a long and lugubrious face. □ He plays some passages so slowly that they become lugubrious. ● lu|gu|bri|ous|ly ADV [ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ The dog gazed at us lugubriously for a few minutes.
luke|warm /luː kwɔː m/
1 ADJ Something, especially a liquid, that is lukewarm is only slightly warm. □ Wash your face with lukewarm water. □ The coffee was weak and lukewarm.
2 ADJ If you describe a person or their attitude as lukewarm , you mean that they are not showing much enthusiasm or interest. □ The study received a lukewarm response from the Home Secretary.
lull /lʌ l/ (lulls , lulling , lulled )
1 N‑COUNT A lull is a period of quiet or calm in a longer period of activity or excitement. □ [+ in ] There was a lull in political violence after the election of the current president. □ [+ in ] …a lull in the conversation.
2 VERB If you are lulled into feeling safe, someone or something causes you to feel safe at a time when you are not safe. □ [be V -ed + into ] It is easy to be lulled into a false sense of security. □ [V -ed] Lulled by almost uninterrupted economic growth, too many European firms assumed that this would last for ever. [Also V n + into ]
3 VERB If someone or something lulls you, they cause you to feel calm or sleepy. □ [V n + into/to ] Before he knew it, the heat and hum of the forest had lulled him to sleep. [Also V n ]
4 PHRASE If you describe a situation as the lull before the storm , you mean that although it is calm now, there is going to be trouble in the future.
lulla|by /lʌ ləba I / (lullabies ) N‑COUNT A lullaby is a quiet song which is intended to be sung to babies and young children to help them go to sleep.
lum|ba|go /lʌmbe I goʊ/ N‑UNCOUNT If someone has lumbago , they have pains in the lower part of their back.
lum|bar /lʌ mbə r / ADJ [ADJ n] Lumbar means relating to the lower part of your back. [MEDICAL ] □ Lumbar support is very important if you're driving a long way.
lum|ber /lʌ mbə r / (lumbers , lumbering , lumbered )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Lumber consists of trees and large pieces of wood that have been roughly cut up. [mainly AM ] □ It was made of soft lumber, spruce by the look of it. □ He was going to have to purchase all his lumber at full retail price.
2 VERB If someone or something lumbers from one place to another, they move there very slowly and clumsily. □ [V adv/prep] He turned and lumbered back to his chair. □ [V -ing] He looked straight ahead and overtook a lumbering lorry.
▸ lumber with PHRASAL VERB [usu passive] If you are lumbered with someone or something, you have to deal with them or take care of them even though you do not want to and this annoys you. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ [be V -ed + with ] I was lumbered with the job of taking charge of all the money. □ [be V -ed + with ] She was lumbered with a bill for about ninety pounds.
lumber|jack /lʌ mbə r dʒæk/ (lumberjacks ) N‑COUNT A lumberjack is a person whose job is to cut down trees.
lumber|man /lʌ mbə r mən/ (lumbermen ) N‑COUNT A lumberman is a man who sells timber. [AM ]
lumber|yard /lʌ mbə r jɑː r d/ (lumberyards ) also lumber yard N‑COUNT A lumberyard is a place where wood is stored and sold. [AM ] in BRIT, use timber yard
lu|mi|nary /luː m I nəri, [AM ] -neri/ (luminaries ) N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a luminary , you mean that they are an expert in a particular subject or activity. [LITERARY ] □ …the political opinions of such luminaries as Sartre or de Beauvoir.
lu|mi|nes|cence /luː m I ne s ə ns/ N‑UNCOUNT Luminescence is a soft, glowing light. [LITERARY ] □ Lights reflected off dust-covered walls creating a ghostly luminescence.
lu|mi|nos|ity /luː m I nɒ s I ti/
1 N‑UNCOUNT The luminosity of a star or sun is how bright it is. [TECHNICAL ] □ …the present-day luminosity of the Sun.
2 N‑UNCOUNT You can talk about the luminosity of someone's skin when it has a healthy glow. □ Rosy powder gives the skin warmth and luminosity.
lu|mi|nous /luː m I nəs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is luminous shines or glows in the dark. □ The luminous dial on the clock showed five minutes to seven.
lump /lʌ mp/ (lumps , lumping , lumped )
1 N‑COUNT A lump of something is a solid piece of it. □ [+ of ] The potter shaped and squeezed the lump of clay into a graceful shape. □ [+ of ] …a lump of wood. □ They used to buy ten kilos of meat in one lump.
2 N‑COUNT A lump on or in someone's body is a small, hard swelling that has been caused by an injury or an illness. □ [+ on ] I've got a lump on my shoulder. □ [+ in ] Howard had to have cancer surgery for a lump in his chest.
3 N‑COUNT A lump of sugar is a small cube of it. □ 'No sugar,' I said, and Jim asked for two lumps.
4 → see also sugar lump
5 → see also lump sum
6 PHRASE If you say that you have a lump in your throat , you mean that you have a tight feeling in your throat because of a strong emotion such as sorrow or gratitude. □ I stood there with a lump in my throat and tried to fight back tears.
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