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English Words Starting With L

5,456 entries — pick a word to see its definition, pronunciation, and usage.

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Noun Verb Adjective Adverb Plural noun Suffix Combining form Verb (transitive)Verb (intransitive)Verb (ambitransitive)

light
adjectivenounverb+2A1 (Extremely High Frequency)
/laɪt/The natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible; the opposite of darkness.
light adaptation
nounC2
/ˌlaɪt æ.dæpˈteɪ.ʃən/The physiological process by which the eyes adjust from darkness to bright light.
light air
nounC2
/ˌlʌɪt ˈɛː/The lightest measurable wind force on the Beaufort scale, with a speed of 1-3 knots (0.3-1.5 m/s). It produces a faint rippling effect on water but not on land.
light armored vehicle
nounC2
/laɪt ˈɑː.məd ˈvɪə.kəl/A military vehicle with protective armor plating designed primarily for transport or reconnaissance, offering more protection than an unarmored vehicle but less than a main battle tank.
light artillery
nounC1 (Specialized / Historical)
/ˌlaɪt ɑːˈtɪləri/Military guns that are relatively mobile and of smaller caliber, used to support infantry and cavalry directly.
light bomber
nounC1
/ˌlaɪt ˈbɒm.ər/A relatively small, fast military aircraft designed primarily for tactical bombing missions, often with a smaller payload capacity than heavy or medium bombers.
light box
nounB2
/ˈlaɪt ˌbɒks/A translucent box or panel illuminated from behind, used for viewing slides, negatives, or for tracing designs.
light bread
nounlow
/laɪt bred/A term, largely historical and regional (especially Southern U.S.), for commercially produced, white, soft, sliced bread, as opposed to homemade or whole grain bread.
light breeze
nounCommon
/laɪt briːz/A gentle wind blowing at a low speed, typically between 4-15 mph (6-24 km/h), often pleasant and refreshing.
light bridge
nounLow (specialised/technical)
/ˈlaɪt ˌbrɪdʒ/A lightweight, portable, or temporary bridge structure, often illuminated.
light bulb
nounHigh
/ˈlaɪt ˌbʌlb/A glass bulb containing a wire filament (or LED elements) which emits light when an electric current passes through it.
light bulb moment
nounC1
/ˈlaɪt bʌlb ˌməʊ.mənt/A sudden moment of insight, inspiration, or understanding, like an idea appearing brightly in one's mind.
light cannon
nounC1
/laɪt ˈkænən/A lightweight artillery piece, often mobile and designed for rapid deployment, historically used for direct fire support in military engagements.
light chain
nounC2
/laɪt tʃeɪn/In biochemistry, the smaller of the two types of polypeptide chains that make up an antibody (immunoglobulin) molecule.
light colonel
nounC1
/lɛfˌtɛnənt ˈkɜːnəl/a mid-level commissioned officer rank in many armed forces, above a major and below a colonel.
light cone
nounC2
/ˈlaɪt ˌkəʊn/A concept in physics, specifically in the theory of relativity, describing the set of all points in spacetime that can be connected to a single event by light rays. It defines the boundaries of possible cause and effect.
light cream
nounB1
/laɪt kriːm/A dairy product containing 18-30% milkfat, richer than half-and-half but lighter than whipping or heavy cream.
light cruiser
nounC2
/ˌlaɪt ˈkruː.zə(r)/A medium-sized warship, smaller than a heavy cruiser but larger than a destroyer, historically designed for scouting, commerce raiding, and fleet screening.
light curve
nounC2
/laɪt kɜːv/A graph plotting the brightness of an astronomical object (like a star or asteroid) over time.
light displacement
nounC2
/laɪt dɪsˈpleɪsmənt/The weight of a ship's hull, machinery, and permanently installed equipment, with no cargo, fuel, lubricating oil, ballast water, fresh water, crew, passengers, or provisions on board.

Showing 2881–2900 of 5456 words.