English words starting with L

l-dopa

1. noun: the levorotatory form of dopa (trade names Bendopa and Brocadopa and Larodopa); as a drug it is used to treat Parkinson's disease

l-p

1. noun: a long-playing phonograph record; designed to be played at 33.3 rpm

l-plate

1. noun: a square plate bearing the letter L that is attached to both ends of a car to indicate that the driver is a learner

l-shaped

1. adjective: shaped in the form of the letter L

l'aquila

1. noun: the provincial capital of the Abruzzi region in central Italy

l'enfant

1. noun: United States architect (born in France) who laid out the city plan for Washington (1754-1825)

la

1. noun: a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
2. noun: a state in southern United States on the Gulf of Mexico; one of the Confederate states during the American Civil War

la crosse

1. noun: a town in western Wisconsin on the Mississippi River

la fayette

1. noun: French soldier who served under George Washington in the American Revolution (1757-1834)

la fontaine

1. noun: French writer who collected Aesop's fables and published them (1621-1695)

la paz

1. noun: capital city in western Bolivia and the administrative seat of Bolivia's government; largest city in Bolivia

la plata

1. noun: an estuary between Argentina and Uruguay

la rochefoucauld

1. noun: French writer of moralistic maxims (1613-1680)

la spezia

1. noun: a port city in Liguria on an arm of the Ligurian Sea; a major seaport and year-round resort

la tour

1. noun: French painter of religious works (1593-1652)

la-di-da

1. adjective: affectedly genteel

laager

1. noun: a camp defended by a circular formation of wagons

lab

1. noun: a workplace for the conduct of scientific research

lab bench

1. noun: a workbench in a laboratory

lab coat

1. noun: a light coat worn to protect clothing from substances used while working in a laboratory

laban

1. noun: Hungarian choreographer who developed Labanotation (1879-1958)

labanotation

1. noun: a system of notation for dance movements that uses symbols to represent points on a dancer's body and the direction of the dancer's movement and the tempo and the dynamics

labdanum

1. noun: a dark brown to greenish oleoresin that has a fragrant odor and is used as a fixative in perfumes; obtained as a juice from certain rockroses
2. noun: a soft blackish-brown resinous exudate from various rockroses used in perfumes especially as a fixative

label

1. noun: a brief description given for purposes of identification; "the label modern is applied to many different kinds of architecture"
2. noun: trade name of a company that produces musical recordings; "the artists and repertoire department of a recording label is responsible for finding new talent"

labeled

1. adjective: bearing or marked with a label or tag; "properly labeled luggage"

labeling

Spelling-list entry. A WordNet 3.1 definition is not available for this form.

labelled

1. adjective: bearing or marked with a label or tag; "properly labeled luggage"

labels

Spelling-list entry. A WordNet 3.1 definition is not available for this form.

labetalol

1. noun: antihypertensive drug (trade names Trandate and Normodyne) that blocks alpha and beta-adrenergic receptors of the sympathetic nervous system (leading to a decrease in blood pressure)

labetalol hydrochloride

1. noun: antihypertensive drug (trade names Trandate and Normodyne) that blocks alpha and beta-adrenergic receptors of the sympathetic nervous system (leading to a decrease in blood pressure)

labia

Spelling-list entry. A WordNet 3.1 definition is not available for this form.

labia majora

1. noun: the two outer folds of the vulva

labia minora

1. noun: the two inner folds of the vulva

labial

1. noun: a consonant whose articulation involves movement of the lips
2. adjective: of or relating to the lips of the mouth; "labial stops"

labial artery

1. noun: an artery that is a branch of the facial artery that supplies the lips of the mouth

labial consonant

1. noun: a consonant whose articulation involves movement of the lips

labial pipe

1. noun: organ pipe whose tone is produced by air passing across the sharp edge of a fissure or lip

labial stop

1. noun: a stop consonant that is produced with the lips

labial vein

1. noun: veins draining the lips of the vulva
2. noun: a vein draining the lips of the mouth

labialise

1. verb: pronounce with rounded lips

labialize

1. verb: pronounce with rounded lips

labials

Spelling-list entry. A WordNet 3.1 definition is not available for this form.

labiatae

1. noun: a large family of aromatic herbs and shrubs having flowers resembling the lips of a mouth and four-lobed ovaries yielding four one-seeded nutlets and including mint; thyme; sage; rosemary

labiate

1. adjective: having lips or parts that resemble lips

labile

1. adjective: (chemistry, physics, biology) readily undergoing change or breakdown
2. adjective: liable to change; "an emotionally labile person"

labiodental

1. noun: a consonant whose articulation involves the lips and teeth

labiodental consonant

1. noun: a consonant whose articulation involves the lips and teeth

labium

1. noun: a liplike structure that bounds a bodily orifice (especially any of the four labiate folds of a woman's vulva)

lablab

1. noun: one species: hyacinth bean

lablab purpureus

1. noun: perennial twining vine of Old World tropics having trifoliate leaves and racemes of fragrant purple pea-like flowers followed by maroon pods of edible seeds; grown as an ornamental and as a vegetable on the Indian subcontinent; sometimes placed in genus Dolichos

lablink

1. noun: a defense laboratory that provides essential services in fundamental science for national security and environmental protection and provides technologies that contribute to industrial competitiveness

labor

1. noun: a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages; "there is a shortage of skilled labor in this field"
2. noun: productive work (especially physical work done for wages); "his labor did not require a great deal of skill"

labor agreement

1. noun: contract between labor and management governing wages and benefits and working conditions

labor camp

1. noun: a penal institution for political prisoners who are used as forced labor

labor coach

1. noun: an assistant (often the father of the soon-to-be-born child) who provides support for a woman in labor by encouraging her to use techniques learned in childbirth-preparation classes

labor contract

1. noun: contract between labor and management governing wages and benefits and working conditions

labor day

1. noun: first Monday in September in the United States and Canada

labor department

1. noun: the federal department responsible for promoting the working conditions of wage earners in the United States; created in 1913

labor force

1. noun: the source of trained people from which workers can be hired

labor leader

1. noun: a leader of a labor movement

labor market

1. noun: the market in which workers compete for jobs and employers compete for workers

labor movement

1. noun: an organized attempt by workers to improve their status by united action (particularly via labor unions) or the leaders of this movement

labor of love

1. noun: productive work performed voluntarily without material reward or compensation

labor organizer

1. noun: someone who enlists workers to join a union

labor pain

1. noun: pain and discomfort associated with contractions of the uterus during labor

labor pains

1. noun: a regularly recurrent spasm of pain that is characteristic of childbirth

labor party

1. noun: a left-of-center political party formed to represent the interest of ordinary working people

labor pool

1. noun: the source of trained people from which workers can be hired

labor resources

1. noun: resources of available manpower

labor secretary

1. noun: the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Labor; "the first Labor Secretary was William B. Wilson who was appointed by President Wilson"
2. noun: the position of the head of the Department of Labor; "the post of Labor Secretary was created in 1913"

labor union

1. noun: an organization of employees formed to bargain with the employer; "you have to join the union in order to get a job"

labor-intensive

1. adjective: requiring a large expenditure of labor but not much capital; "cottage industries are labor intensive"

laboratories

Spelling-list entry. A WordNet 3.1 definition is not available for this form.

laboratory

1. noun: a workplace for the conduct of scientific research
2. noun: a region resembling a laboratory inasmuch as it offers opportunities for observation and practice and experimentation; "the new nation is a testing ground for socioeconomic theories"; "Pakistan is a laboratory for studying the use of American troops to combat terrorism"

laboratory bench

1. noun: a workbench in a laboratory

laboratory coat

1. noun: a light coat worn to protect clothing from substances used while working in a laboratory

labored

1. adjective: lacking natural ease; "a labored style of debating"
2. adjective: requiring or showing effort; "heavy breathing"; "the subject made for labored reading"

laborer

1. noun: someone who works with their hands; someone engaged in manual labor

laborers

Spelling-list entry. A WordNet 3.1 definition is not available for this form.

laboring

1. adjective: doing arduous or unpleasant work; "drudging peasants"; "the bent backs of laboring slaves picking cotton"; "toiling coal miners in the black deeps"

laborious

1. adjective: characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort; "worked their arduous way up the mining valley"; "a grueling campaign"; "hard labor"; "heavy work"; "heavy going"; "spent many laborious hours on the project"; "set a punishing pace"

laboriously

1. adverb: in a laborious manner; "their lives were spent in committee making decisions for others to execute on the basis of data laboriously gathered for them"

laboriousness

1. noun: the quality of requiring extended effort

labors

Spelling-list entry. A WordNet 3.1 definition is not available for this form.

laborsaving

1. adjective: designed to replace or conserve human and especially manual labor; "laborsaving devices like washing machines"

labour

1. noun: a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages; "there is a shortage of skilled labor in this field"
2. noun: concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of contractions to the birth of a child; "she was in labor for six hours"

labour camp

1. noun: a penal institution for political prisoners who are used as forced labor

labour of love

1. noun: productive work performed voluntarily without material reward or compensation

labour pains

1. noun: a regularly recurrent spasm of pain that is characteristic of childbirth

labour party

1. noun: a political party formed in Great Britain in 1900; characterized by the promotion of labor's interests and formerly the socialization of key industries
2. noun: a left-of-center political party formed to represent the interest of ordinary working people

labour-intensive

1. adjective: requiring a large expenditure of labor but not much capital; "cottage industries are labor intensive"

laboured

1. adjective: lacking natural ease; "a labored style of debating"
2. adjective: requiring or showing effort; "heavy breathing"; "the subject made for labored reading"

labourer

1. noun: someone who works with their hands; someone engaged in manual labor

labouring

1. adjective: doing arduous or unpleasant work; "drudging peasants"; "the bent backs of laboring slaves picking cotton"; "toiling coal miners in the black deeps"

labourite

1. noun: a member of the British Labour Party

laboursaving

1. adjective: designed to replace or conserve human and especially manual labor; "laborsaving devices like washing machines"

labrador

1. noun: the mainland part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador in the eastern part of the large Labrador-Ungava Peninsula in northeastern Canada

labrador peninsula

1. noun: a peninsular region of eastern Canada between Hudson Bay and the Labrador Sea; contains most of Quebec and the mainland part of Newfoundland and Labrador

labrador retriever

1. noun: breed originally from Labrador having a short black or golden-brown coat

labrador sea

1. noun: an arm of the northern Atlantic between Labrador and southern Greenland

labrador tea

1. noun: evergreen shrub of eastern North America having white or creamy bell-shaped flowers and dark green hairy leaves used for tea during American Revolution

labrador-ungava peninsula

1. noun: a peninsular region of eastern Canada between Hudson Bay and the Labrador Sea; contains most of Quebec and the mainland part of Newfoundland and Labrador

labridae

1. noun: wrasses

labrocyte

1. noun: a large connective tissue cell that contains histamine and heparin and serotonin which are released in allergic reactions or in response to injury or inflammation

labrouste

1. noun: French architect who was among the first to use metal construction successfully (1801-1875)

labs

Spelling-list entry. A WordNet 3.1 definition is not available for this form.

laburnum

1. noun: flowering shrubs or trees having bright yellow flowers; all parts of the plant are poisonous

laburnum alpinum

1. noun: an ornamental shrub or tree of the genus Laburnum

laburnum anagyroides

1. noun: an ornamental shrub or tree of the genus Laburnum; often cultivated for Easter decorations

laburnums

Spelling-list entry. A WordNet 3.1 definition is not available for this form.

labyrinth

1. noun: complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost
2. noun: a complex system of interconnecting cavities; concerned with hearing and equilibrium

labyrinth of minos

1. noun: a vast labyrinth built in Crete by Daedalus at the command of Minos in order to contain the Minotaur

labyrinthian

1. adjective: resembling a labyrinth in form or complexity; "a labyrinthine network of tortuous footpaths"

labyrinthine

1. adjective: relating to or affecting or originating in the inner ear; "labyrinthine deafness"
2. adjective: resembling a labyrinth in form or complexity; "a labyrinthine network of tortuous footpaths"

labyrinthine artery

1. noun: an artery that is a branch of the basilar artery that supplies the labyrinth

labyrinthine sense

1. noun: a sensory system located in structures of the inner ear that registers the orientation of the head

labyrinthine vein

1. noun: veins that drain the inner ear

labyrinthitis

1. noun: inflammation of the inner ear; can cause vertigo and vomiting

labyrinthodont

1. noun: an amphibian of the superorder Labyrinthodontia

labyrinthodonta

1. noun: extinct amphibians typically resembling heavy-bodied salamanders or crocodiles and having a solid flattened skull and conical teeth; Devonian through Triassic