<B>legalistic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> adhering strictly to law or prescription. adv. <B>legalistically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="legality">
<B>legality, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ties.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>accordance with law; lawfulness. <BR> <I>Ex. They raised a question about the legality of the appointment (New York Times).</I> (SYN) legitimacy. <DD><B> 2. </B>attachment to or observance of law or rule. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Theology.) reliance on good works for salvation, rather than on grace. </DL>
<A NAME="legalize">
<B>legalize, </B>transitive verb, <B>-ized,</B> <B>-izing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to make legal; authorize by law; sanction. <BR> <I>Ex. The American people have been unwilling to legalize ... extensive gambling (Edward C. Devereux, Jr.).</I> (SYN) legitimize. noun <B>legalization.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="legally">
<B>legally, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>in a legal manner. <DD><B> 2. </B>according to law. <BR> <I>Ex. He is legally responsible for his wife's debts.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="legalname">
<B>legal name,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the name by which a person is known in his community, generally consisting of a given name and a family name. A person is required to use his legal name in contracts, licenses, and other legal documents. </DL>
<A NAME="legalreserve">
<B>legal reserve,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (in banking and insurance) the amount of cash or certain other liquid assets which by law must be held in reserve against deposits. </DL>
<A NAME="legals">
<B>legals, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> See under <B>legal.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="legalseparation">
<B>legal separation,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the living apart of a husband and wife by order of a court or judge. </DL>
<A NAME="legalsize">
<B>legal-size, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (of a page, folder, file, or other equipment) having a size suitable for legal documents, usually up to 14 inches long. </DL>
<A NAME="legalsized">
<B>legal-sized, </B>adjective. =legal-size.</DL>
<A NAME="legaltender">
<B>legal tender,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> money that must, by law, be accepted in payment of debts. </DL>
<A NAME="legate">
<B>legate, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a representative of the Pope. <BR> <I>Ex. The Lord Cardinal Pole, sent here as legate From our most Holy Father Julius, Pope (Tennyson).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>an ambassador or representative; messenger. <BR> <I>Ex. the legates from Utrecht (John L. Motley).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>in ancient Rome: <DD><B> a. </B>an assistant or deputy to a general or to the governor of a province. <DD><B> b. </B>(under the empire) the governor of a province. </DL>
<A NAME="legatee">
<B>legatee, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person to whom a legacy is left. </DL>
<A NAME="legateship">
<B>legateship, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the dignity and office of a legate. </DL>
<A NAME="legatine">
<B>legatine, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of or having to do with a legate. <DD><B> 2. </B>having the authority of legate. </DL>
<A NAME="legation">
<B>legation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a diplomatic representative of a country and his staff of assistants. A legation ranks next below an embassy and is now usually headed by a minister. <DD><B> 2. </B>the official residence or offices of such a representative in a foreign country. <DD><B> 3. </B>the office, position, or dignity of a legate. <DD><B> 4. </B>the act of sending a deputy or representative, especially a papal legate. <DD><B> 5. </B>the fact of his being sent. <DD><B> 6. </B>the object for which an ambassador or legate is sent; his mission or commission. </DL>
<A NAME="legationary">
<B>legationary, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of or having to do with a legation. <DD><B> 2. </B>qualified or ready to go on a legation. </DL>
<A NAME="legato">
<B>legato, </B>adjective, adverb, noun, pl. <B>-tos.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Music.) <DD><I>adj., adv. </I> smooth and connected; without breaks between successive tones. <DD><I>noun </I> a legato performance or style. </DL>
<A NAME="legator">
<B>legator, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who leaves something by will; testator. </DL>
<A NAME="legatorial">
<B>legatorial, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with a legator or testator. </DL>
<A NAME="legbeforewicket">
<B>leg before wicket,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Cricket.) the action of stopping a ball that would have hit the wicket with the leg or other part of the batsman's body, except the hand. It usually results in an out. </DL>
<A NAME="legbreak">
<B>leg break,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Cricket.) a ball pitched on or breaking from the side of the field that lies in a line with the batsman. </DL>
<A NAME="legbye">
<B>leg bye,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Cricket.) a run made on a ball touching any part of the batsman's body except his hand. </DL>
<A NAME="legend">
<B>legend, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a story coming down from the past, which many people have believed. <BR> <I>Ex. The stories about King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table are legends, not history. Listen to this Indian Legend, To this Song of Hiawatha (Longfellow).</I> (SYN) saga. <DD><B> 2. </B>such stories as a group; the legends of certain peoples. <BR> <I>Ex. a hero of Irish legend, a spot rich in legend.</I> (SYN) folklore. <DD><B> 3. </B>what is written on a coin or medal. <BR> <I>Ex. Read the legend on a five-cent piece.</I> (SYN) motto. <DD><B> 4. </B>words accompanying a picture or diagram, usually explaining something about it; caption. <BR> <I>Ex. The legend underneath the picture identified the man as General Custer.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>in the Middle Ages: <DD><B> a. </B>a story of the life of a saint. <DD><B> b. </B>a collection of saints' lives or inspirational stories. </DL>
<A NAME="legendary">
<B>legendary, </B>adjective, noun, pl. <B>-aries.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>of a legend or legends; like a legend; not historical. <BR> <I>Ex. Robin Hood is a legendary person. His legendary song ... Of ancient deeds so long forgot (Scott).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>celebrated or described in legend. <BR> <I>Ex. a legendary hero or event.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>relating legends. <BR> <I>Ex. a legendary writer.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> a collection of legends, especially of lives of saints. adv. <B>legendarily.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="legendry">
<B>legendry, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ries.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> legends collectively. </DL>
<A NAME="leger">
<B>leger, </B>noun. <B>=ledger </B>(def. 4).</DL>
<A NAME="legerdemain">
<B>legerdemain, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>sleight of hand; conjuring tricks; jugglery. <BR> <I>Ex. A common trick of legerdemain is to take rabbits from an apparently empty hat.</I> (SYN) prestidigitation. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) trickery; deception; hocus-pocus. <BR> <I>Ex. In a remarkable bit of legerdemain, he transferred his popular film personality to his singing style (Time).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Obsolete.) artful trick; juggle. </DL>
<A NAME="legerdemainist">
<B>legerdemainist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who practices legerdemain. </DL>
<A NAME="legerity">
<B>legerity, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> lightness; nimbleness. <BR> <I>Ex. Alighting with the legerity of a cat, he ... was off, like a streak of lightning (New Yorker).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="legerline">
<B>leger line,</B> =ledger line.</DL>
<A NAME="leges">
<B>leges, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Latin.) plural of <B>lex.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="legged">
<B>-legged,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (combining form.) having ______ legs. <BR> <I>Ex. Long-legged = having long legs.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="legging">
<B>legging, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> one of a pair of leggings. </DL>
<A NAME="leggings">
<B>leggings, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> extra outer coverings of cloth or leather for the legs, for use out of doors. (SYN) puttees. </DL>
<A NAME="leggy">
<B>leggy, </B>adjective, <B>-gier,</B> <B>-giest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having long legs. <BR> <I>Ex. a leggy, gun-totin' singer at the Dirty Shame saloon (Time).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>having awkwardly long legs. <BR> <I>Ex. Slapper's long-tailed leggy mare (Thackeray).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>long-stemmed (often said of plants that have grown too tall and thin from being crowded). <BR> <I>Ex. The white meeting-house, and the row of youthful and leggy trees before it (Oliver Wendell Holmes).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Informal.) having shapely legs. </DL>
<A NAME="leghit">
<B>leg hit,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Cricket.) a hit that sends the ball to leg. </DL>
<A NAME="leghorn">
<B>leghorn, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a hat made of fine, smooth, yellow braided straw or an imitation of it. <DD><B> 2. </B>this straw, made from cut and bleached green wheat. </DL>
<A NAME="leghorn">
<B>Leghorn, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a rather small chicken which produces large numbers of eggs. Leghorns are white, brown, buff, black, or silver with a yellow skin. This breed of domestic fowl originated in Italy. </DL>
<A NAME="legibility">
<B>legibility, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> legible quality; clearness of print or writing. <BR> <I>Ex. words emblazoned in all the legibility of gilt letters (Dickens).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="legible">
<B>legible, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>that can be read. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) the trouble legible in my countenance (Charles Lamb).</I> (SYN) readable. <DD><B> 2. </B>easy to read; plain and clear. <BR> <I>Ex. Her handwriting is both beautiful and legible.</I> (SYN) distinct. noun <B>legibleness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="legibly">
<B>legibly, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> clearly; readably. <BR> <I>Ex. The next time you make a list, write more legibly.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="legion">
<B>legion, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a division of the ancient Roman army containing several thousand foot soldiers and several hundred horsemen. <DD><B> 2. </B>a large body of soldiers; army. <BR> <I>Ex. Nor knew great Hector how his legions yield (Alexander Pope).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a great many; very large number. <BR> <I>Ex. a legion of difficulties, a legion of supporters. Legions of grasshoppers destroyed the crops. The number of his supporters is legion.</I> (SYN) multitude. <DD><B> 4. </B>Often, <B>Legion,</B> any one of various military or honorary groups or societies, especially a national organization of former servicemen. <BR> <I>Ex. the Royal Canadian Legion.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>one's name is legion,</B> </I>there are a great many others of the same kind. <BR> <I>Ex. My name is Legion: for we are many (Mark 5:9). She could be reached, be helped, at least in theory. Her name is indeed legion (Robert Coles).</I> </DL>
