English Words Starting With L

• laxation

  nounLow
  /lakˈseɪʃ(ə)n/The act of making something less strict or tight; the process of becoming looser or more relaxed.
• laxative

  adjectivenounC1
  /ˈlaksətɪv/A substance taken to stimulate bowel movement and relieve constipation.
• laxity

  nounC1
  /ˈlaksɪti/The quality or state of lacking strictness, precision, or tightness; looseness or slackness.
• laxness

  nounC1
  /ˈlæksnəs/The state or quality of being lax; lack of strictness, care, or attention.
• lay

  nounverbverb-intransitiveverb-transitiveB1
  /leɪ/To put something down in a horizontal or flat position.
• lay analyst

  nounC2
  /leɪ ˈæn.ə.lɪst/A person who practices psychoanalysis without formal medical or psychiatric qualifications.
• lay aside

  verbB2
  /leɪ əˈsaɪd/To put something down or away, to stop using it temporarily, often with the intention of returning to it later.
• lay away

  verbC1
  /leɪ əˈweɪ/To reserve an item for purchase by making periodic payments until the full price is paid.
• lay baptism

  nounC2
  /leɪ ˈbæp.tɪ.zəm/A Christian baptism ceremony administered by a layperson (someone who is not an ordained member of the clergy) rather than a priest or minister.
• lay brother

  nounC2
  /ˌleɪ ˈbrʌðə(r)/A man who is a member of a Christian religious order but is not ordained as a priest and performs manual or administrative tasks.
• lay clerk

  nounLow
  /ˌleɪ ˈklɑːk/A person who is not a member of the clergy but who sings in the choir of a cathedral or collegiate church.
• lay day

  nounC1/C2
  /leɪ deɪ/A day of rest or leisure when no work is scheduled, particularly used in sports (especially sailing).
• lay days

  plural-nounC2
  /ˈleɪ ˌdeɪz/A fixed number of days allowed in a charter party (shipping contract) for loading or unloading cargo without penalty.
• lay down

  verbB1-B2
  /leɪ ˈdaʊn/To place something in a horizontal position onto a surface; to formally establish or prescribe a rule, principle, or law.
• lay figure

  nounVery low frequency, rare
  /ˈleɪ ˌfɪɡ.ər/An artist's jointed wooden dummy used to study poses and drapery.
• lay in

  verbmedium
  /leɪ ɪn/To obtain and store a supply of something for future use.
• lay intermediary

  nounC1
  /leɪ ˌɪn.təˈmiː.di.ə.ri/A non-professional or non-expert person who acts as a go-between or agent between parties, facilitating communication or transactions.
• lay into

  verbB2
  /ˌleɪ ˈɪn.tuː/To attack someone physically or criticize them verbally with great force or aggression.
• lay investiture

  nounC2 (Very Rare)
  /leɪ ɪnˈvɛstɪtʃə/The historical practice where a secular ruler (layperson), such as a king or emperor, appointed bishops and abbots and granted them the symbols of their office (the ring and crozier).
• lay of the land

  nounC1
  /leɪ əv ðə lænd/The arrangement and features of a particular area of land; the physical topography or landscape.

Showing 1481–1500 of 5456 words.