Search the Dictionary

An Asiatic and North African shrub (Lawsonia inermis), with smooth oval leaves, and fragrant white flowers. Henna is prepared from the leaves and twigs. In England the shrub is called Egyptian privet, and in the West Indies, Jamaica mignonette.

te or quality of being lazy. Laziness travels so slowly, that Poverty soon overtakes him. Franklin.

tone in the ascending major scale; the sensible note. -- Leading question, a question so framed as to guide the person questioned in making his reply. -- Leading strings, strings by which children are supported when beginning to walk. -- To be in leading strings, to be in a state of infancy or dependence, or under t…

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

those members of a legislative assembly (as in France) who are in the opposition; the advanced republicans and extreme radicals. They have their seats at the left-hand side of the presiding officer. See Center, and Right.

lly, a supporter of the claims of the elder branch of the Bourbon dynasty to the crown of France.

The tree which bears lemons; the lemon tree. Lemon grass (Bot.), a fragrant East Indian grass (Andropogon Shoenanthus, and perhaps other allied species), which yields the grass oil used in perfumery. -- Lemon sole (Zoöl.), a yellow European sole (Solea aurantiaca). -- Salts of lemon (Chem.), a white crystalline subst…

A mineral having a glassy fracture, occurring in translucent trapezohedral crystals. It is a silicate of alumina and potash. It is found in the volcanic rocks of Italy, especially at Vesuvius.

Privilege; exemption; franchise; immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant; as, the liberties of the commercial cities of Europe. His majesty gave not an entire county to any; much less did he grant . . . any extraordinary liberties. Sir J. Davies.

el or example; as, the lights of the age or of antiquity. Joan of Are, A light of ancient France. Tennyson.

A fragrant tree mentioned in the Bible. Num. xxiv. 6.

The fragrant wood of several shrubs and trees, especially of species of Rhodorhiza from the Canary Islands, and of the West Indian Amyris balsamifera.

To liken; to compare.[Obs.] Like me to the peasant boys of France. Shak.

s, the common lilac, and S. Persica, the Persian lilac, are frequently cultivated for the fragrance and beauty of their purplish or white flowers. In the British colonies various other shrubs have this name.

he valley (Bot.), a low perennial herb (Convallaria majalis), having a raceme of nodding, fragrant, white flowers. -- Lily pad, the large floating leaf of the water lily. [U. S.] Lowell. -- Tiger lily (Bot.), Lilium tigrinum, the sepals of which are blotched with black. -- Turk's-cap lily (Bot.) Lilium Martagon, a r…

A city of Southern France. Limoges enamel, a kind of enamel ware in which the enamel is applied to the whole surface of a metal plaque, vase, or the like, and painted in enamel colors. The art was brought to a high degree of perfection in Limoges in the 16th century. -- Limoges ware. (a) Articles decorated with Limoge…

The commercial language of the Levant, -- a mixture of the language of the people of the region and foreign traders.

Any one of the several elementary pieces of a mechanism, as the fixed frame, or a rod, wheel, mass of confined liquid, etc., by which relative motion of other parts is produced and constrained.

g, and carrying the superincumbent weight by means of its strength in resisting crosswise fracture.

An Italian coin equivalent in value to the French franc.