L Flashcards
lace
lace [leɪs] noun MATERIAL 1. uncountable a decorative cloth which is made by weaving thin thread in delicate patterns with holes in them • lace curtains Thesaurus+: ↑Textiles made from natural fibres STRING 2. countable usually plural a string which you use to fasten openings, especially in shoes, by putting it through two lines of small holes and tying the ends together • Your shoe laces are undone. Thesaurus+: ↑Shoes and shoemaking verb transitive ADD ALCOHOL 1. to add alcohol or drugs to food or drink, often secretly • coffee laced with brandy Thesaurus+: ↑Drinking alcohol STRING 2. to put the lace of a shoe or boot through its holes, or to fasten a shoe or boot by tying a lace Thesaurus+: ↑Fastening clothing and textiles PhrasalVerb: lace something up lace 1. noun 1) [mass noun] a fine open fabric of cotton or silk, made by looping, twisting, or knitting thread in patterns and used especially for trimming garments ■ braid used for trimming, especially on military dress uniforms 2) (usu. laces) a cord or leather strip passed through eyelets or hooks on opposite sides of a shoe or garment and then pulled tight and fastened 2. verb [with obj.] 1) fasten or tighten (a shoe or garment) by tying the laces he put the shoes on and laced them up ■ tighten a laced corset around the waist of Rosina laced her up tight to show off her neat waist ■ (lace someone into) fasten someone into (a garment) by tightening the laces she couldn’t breathe, laced into this frock ■ [no obj.] (of a garment or shoe) be fastened by means of laces the shoes laced at the front 2) [with obj. and adverbial] entwine (things, especially fingers) together she laced her fingers together ■ (lace something through) pass a lace or cord through (a hole) 3) (usu. be laced with) add an ingredient, especially alcohol, to (a drink or dish) to enhance its flavour or strength coffee laced with brandy ■ give (something) a large amount or degree of a feature or quality the script is laced with expletives his voice was laced with derision •
lad
lad [læd] noun countable [lads] < > a boy or young man • A group of young lads were standing outside the shop. • He’s a nice lad. • The Prime Minister’s a local lad (= he was born and lived in this area) . • old-fashioned or Northern lads and lasses (= boys and girls) • as form of address Come on, lads, let’s get this job finished, shall we! Thesaurus+: ↑Kinds of men ↑Men and women • You do that once more and you’ll get a clip round the ear, my lad. • By gum, he’s a big lad! • He was a young lad of 16 when he first came to the big smoke. • A big strapping lad like you shouldn’t have much difficulty lifting that! • He’s a canny lad.
lane
lane [leɪn] noun countable [lanes] ROAD 1. < > a narrow road in the countryside or in a town • He drives so fast along those narrow country lanes. • I live at the end of Church Lane. Thesaurus+: ↑Urban and residential streets • Turn left where the lane meets the main road. • The cottage is situated in the middle of a wood at the end of a narrow potholed lane. • The youths scuffled with the policeman, then escaped down the lane. • He climbed onto his horse and set off at a relaxed trot down the lane. • We were trotting along the lane when a car suddenly appeared from nowhere and almost made me fall off my pony. STRIP 2. a special strip of a road, sports track or swimming pool that is used to keep vehicles or competitors separate • a bus/cycle lane • The northbound lane is closed because of an accident. • I find driving in the fast lane rather stressful. • The British runners/swimmers are in lanes 4 and 6. Thesaurus+: ↑Routes and roads in general ↑Surfaces on which sports take place ↑Swimming 3. a route through the sea or the air which ships or aircraft regularly sail or fly along • The English Channel is the busiest shipping lane in the world. Thesaurus+: ↑Aviation ↑Travelling by aircraft ↑Movement through the air ↑Navigation and shipwrecks
latter
latter [ˈlæt.ə r ] [ˈlæt ̬.ɚ] adjective before noun < > near or towards the end of something • Building of the new library should begin in the latter part of next year. • In the latter stages of the fight he began to tire. Thesaurus+: ↑Final and finally • She was born in the latter half of the eighteenth century. • The latter half of the play was more interesting. • He was killed in the latter stages of the war. • The latter part of the book was hardest to write. • The problems arose in the latter part of the project.. noun only singular 1. the latter the second of two people, things or groups previously mentioned • She offered me more money or a car and I chose the latter. Compare former Thesaurus+: ↑Final and finally 2. not standard the last of more than two people, things or groups previously mentioned Thesaurus+: ↑Final and finally
lavatory
lavatory [ˈlæv.ə.tri] mainly UK formal noun countable [lavatories] a toilet
leaflet
leaflet [ˈliː.flət] noun countable [leaflets] a piece of paper which gives you information or advertises something • Demonstrators handed out leaflets to passers-by. • A leaflet about the new bus services came through the door today. Thesaurus+: ↑Advertising, marketing and merchandising ↑Retailing ↑Information and messages verb intransitive or transitive [-t-] or [UK ALSO -tt-] to give out leaflets to people • They leafleted the area two weeks before the event.
lease
lease lease [liːs] verb transitive [leases leasing leased] to make a legal agreement by which money is paid in order to use land, a building, a vehicle or a piece of equipment for an agreed period of time • The estate contains 300 new homes, about a third of which are leased to the council. • + two objects It was agreed they would lease the flat to him/lease him the flat. Thesaurus+: ↑Renting, hiring and hire purchase in general ↑Mortgages and real estate ↑Renting property ↑Mortgages and real estate noun countable a legal agreement in which you pay money in order to use a building, piece of land, vehicle, etc. for a period • He has the flat on a long lease. • The lease runs out/expires in two years’ time. • We signed a three-year lease when we moved into the house.
leash
leash [liːʃ] noun countable [leashes] mainly US for lead
legislature
legislature [ˈledʒ.ɪ.slə.tʃʊə r ] [-tʃɚ] formal noun countable + singular or plural verb [legislatures] the group of people in a country or part of a country who have the power to make and change laws
lessen
lessen [ˈles. ə n] verb intransitive or transitive [lessens lessening lessened] If something lessens or is lessened, it becomes less strong
letdown
letdown [ˈlet.daʊn] informal noun only singular a disappointment • After all I’d heard about the film, it turned out to be a bit of a letdown.
liaison
liaison [liˈeɪ.zɒn] [-zɑːn] noun LINK BETWEEN 1. only singular or uncountable communication between people or groups who work with each other • He blamed the lack of liaison between the various government departments. • The police have appointed a liaison officer to work with the local community. Thesaurus+: ↑Communicating and keeping in touch 2. countable mainly US someone who helps groups to work effectively with each other • She served as a liaison between the different groups. Thesaurus+: ↑Diplomacy and mediation RELATIONSHIP 3. countable formal a sexual relationship, especially between two people not married to each other • He’s had a number of liaisons.
lid
lid [lɪd] noun countable [lids] 1. < > a cover on a container, which can be lifted up or removed • Can you get the lid off this jar? • Put a lid on the saucepan. Thesaurus+: ↑Lids, covers and stoppers 2. an eyelid (= either of the two pieces of skin which can close over each eye) • She looked at him from under half-closed lids. Thesaurus+: ↑The eye and surrounding area ↑Eyesight, glasses and lenses ↑Using the eyes • The lid of the coffin had been nailed down. • I can’t get the lid off this jar. • Screw the lid on tightly. • I prized the lid off with a spoon. • She had used a screwdriver to puncture two holes in the lid of a paint tin. Idioms: blow the lid off something ▪ keep the lid on something ▪ put the lid on something
limb
limb [lɪm] noun countable [limbs] an arm or leg of a person or animal, or a large branch of a tree • The accident victims mostly had injuries to their lower limbs (= legs) . • an artificial limb Thesaurus+: ↑The leg ↑The arm ↑Parts of plants ↑The legs and feet of non-human animals • Amputation of the limb is really a last resort. • Although she had to have her leg amputated, she still feels as though she’s got a phantom limb. • He risked life and limb to get the cat down from the tree. • If it continues to bleed, you may have to apply a tourniquet to the limb. • It is a vestigial limb.
liner
linger [ˈlɪŋ.gə r ] [-gɚ] verb intransitive [lingers lingering lingered] to take a long time to leave or disappear • After the play had finished, we lingered for a while in the bar hoping to catch sight of the actors. • The smell from the fire still lingered days later. • It’s impossible to forget such horrific events - they linger (on) in the memory forever.
