- Lombardy A region of northern Italy bordering on Switzerland. First inhabited by
a Gallic people, it became the center of the kingdom of the Lombards in the
sixth century A.D. and part of Charlemagne's empire in 774. The Lombard League
of cities defeated Emperor Frederick I in 1176.
- Lombardy poplar n. A deciduous tree having upward-pointing branches that form
a slender, columnar outline.
- lonely-hearts adj. Of or relating to people who are looking for companions or
marriage partners: a lonely-hearts column in the newspaper.
- longanimity n. Calmness in the face of suffering and adversity; forbearance.
- long face n. A discontented or sullen facial expression.
- longhair n. Informal 1. One dedicated to the arts and especially to classical
music. 2. One whose taste in the arts is considered to be overrefined. 3. A
person with long hair, especially a hippie. --longhaired adj.
- longhand n. Cursive writing.
- lookism n. Discrimination or prejudice against people based on their
appearance. --lookist adj & n.
- loose cannon n. Slang One that is uncontrolled and therefore poses danger:
"[His] bloopers in the White House seem to make him...a political loose
cannon" (Tom Morgenthau).
- loosey-goosey adj. Visibly relaxed or loose; not tense.
- lop1 tr.v 1. To cut off (a part), especially from a tree or shrub: lopped off
the dead branches. 2. To cut off a part or parts from; trim: lopped the vines
back; lopped her curls shorter. 3. To eliminate or excise as superfluous:
lopped him from the payroll.
- lop2 intr. & tr.v. To hang or let hang loosely; droop.
- lope intr.v. To run or ride with a steady, easy gait. n. A steady, easy gait.
- lop-eared adj. Having bent or drooping ears: a lop-eared hound.
- loppy adj. Hanging limp; pendulous.
- Lorentz-FitzGerald contraction n. The shortening of an object along its
direction of motion as its speed approaches the speed of light, as measured by
an observer at rest with respect to the body. Also called length contraction.
- losingest adj. Slang. Less successful or losing more often than any others of
its kind: "help turn around one of the network's losingest nights of the week"
(Washington Post).
- loss leader n. A commodity offered especially by a retail store at cost or
below cost to attract customers.
- be lost on Idiom 1. To have no effect or influence on: Her advice was lost on
me. 2. To be beyond the comprehension of: The lecture was lost on us.
- lotic adj. Of, relating to, or living in moving water.
- lotus n. 4. Greek Mythology a. A small Mediterranean tree or shrub whose fruit
was eaten by the lotus-eaters.
- lotus-eater n. 1. Lotus-eater Greek Mythology One of a people described in the
Odyssey who lived in a drugged, indolent state from feeding on the lotus. 2. A
lazy person devoted to pleasure and luxury.
- lotus land n. Informal A place or state of languid contentment.
- Louis IX Known as "Saint Louis." 1214-1270. King of France who led the Seventh
Crusade (1248-1254) and died in a subsequent crusade to Tunisia.
- louse n. 1. pl. lice Any of numerous small, flat-bodied, wingless biting or
sucking insects of the orders M. or A., many of which are external parasites
on various animals, including humans. 2. pl. louses Slang A mean or despicable
person. tr.v. Slang To bungle: loused the project; louse up a deal.
- lovage n. A Mediterranean perennial plant having edible leaves and leafstalks
and small, aromatic, seedlike fruit used as seasoning.
- for love or money Idiom Under any circumstances. Usually used in negative
sentences: I would not do that for love or money.
- lovey-dovey adj. Informal Expressing affection in an extravagantly sentimental
way; mushy.
- low-ball tr.v. Slang To underestimate or understate(a cost) deliberately: "He
often took illegal cash payments from developers in return for ... low-balling
the cost of construction and renovation work" (Boston Globe).
