<B>libido, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>sexual energy or desire. <DD><B> 2. </B>the energy associated with instincts generally; vital impulse; force motivating mental life. <BR> <I>Ex. Libido ... is now very commonly, though not invariably, used to mean the ... vital impetus of the individual (F. G. H. Coster).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="liblab">
<B>Lib-Lab, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (British.) of, having to do with, or involving both the Liberal Party and the Labour Party. <BR> <I>Ex. We have rejected timorous and defeatist proposals for a Lib-Lab alliance (Manchester Guardian Weekly).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="liblab">
<B>Lib.-Lab.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> Liberal-Labour (British politics of the early 1900's). </DL>
<A NAME="liblabbery">
<B>Lib-Labbery, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (British.) alliance between the Liberal Party and the Labour Party. </DL>
<A NAME="libra">
<B>libra</B> (1), noun, pl. <B>-brae.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the ancient Roman pound, equal to about 7/10 of a pound avoirdupois. </DL>
<A NAME="libra">
<B>libra</B> (2), noun, pl. <B>-bras.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a former Peruvian monetary unit or gold coin replaced by the sol. </DL>
<A NAME="libra">
<B>Libra, </B>noun, genitive (def. 1) <B>Librae.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a southern constellation between Virgo and Scorpio, seen by ancient astronomers as having the rough outline of a pair of scales. <DD><B> 2. </B>the seventh sign of the zodiac; Scales. The sun enters Libra about September 23. <DD><B> 3. </B>a person born under the sign of Libra. </DL>
<A NAME="librae">
<B>Librae, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> genitive of <B>Libra</B> (the constellation). </DL>
<A NAME="librarian">
<B>librarian, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person in charge of a library or part of a library. <BR> <I>Ex. The librarian had several helpers to work at the desk checking books in and out.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a person trained for work in a library. <BR> <I>Ex. Several librarians were needed to check in books, and decide where they should be placed in the library.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="librarianship">
<B>librarianship, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the profession, authority, and duties of a librarian. <DD><B> 2. </B>the management of a library. </DL>
<A NAME="library">
<B>library, </B>noun, pl. <B>-braries.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1a. </B>a collection of books. <BR> <I>Ex. Those two girls have libraries all their own. Good as it is to inherit a library, it is better to collect one (Augustine Birrell).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>a room or building where a collection of books, periodicals, manuscripts, and other materials, is kept. A public library that lends books to members for a certain time is called a lending, circulating, or free library. <BR> <I>Ex. He goes to the public library to borrow and return books every Saturday. Reference books may be read only in the reference library.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=rental library.</B> <DD><B> 3a. </B>any classified group of objects, collected and arranged for use or study. <BR> <I>Ex. a library of classical records, a film library, a stamp library.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>any room or building where such a collection is kept. <BR> <I>Ex. There are a hundred and fifty species of barnacle on file in the library (New Yorker).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>a series of books similar in some respect and issued by the same publisher. <BR> <I>Ex. The Complete Home Library of Classics.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="librarycard">
<B>library card,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a card entitling the holder to borrow books from a circulating library. </DL>
<A NAME="librarypaste">
<B>library paste,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a white, thick paste for paper and cardboard, used in libraries, offices, and schools. </DL>
<A NAME="libraryscience">
<B>library science,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the science of organizing, administering, and maintaining libraries, including the techniques of collecting, cataloging, and circulating books and other materials for reading or reference. </DL>
<A NAME="librate">
<B>librate, </B>intransitive verb, <B>-brated,</B> <B>-brating.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to move from side to side or up and down; sway; oscillate. <DD><B> 2. </B>to be balanced or poised, as a bird. </DL>
<A NAME="libration">
<B>libration, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(Astronomy.) a real or apparent oscillatory motion of a planet or satellite in its orbit. <DD><B> 2. </B>the act of librating; swaying to and fro. <DD><B> 3. </B>a being balanced; equipoise; balance. </DL>
<B>librettist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the writer of a libretto. </DL>
<A NAME="libretto">
<B>libretto, </B>noun, pl. <B>-tos,</B> <B>-ti.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the words of an opera or other long musical composition. <BR> <I>Ex. a clever and yet beautiful libretto.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a book containing the words. <BR> <I>Ex. a beautifully bound libretto.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="libriform">
<B>libriform, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Botany.) having the form of or resembling liber or bast; elongated, thick-walled, and woody, as certain cells. </DL>
<B>Libyan, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> of or having to do with Libya or its people. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a native or inhabitant of Libya. <DD><B> 2. </B>ancient or modern Berber, or the group of Hamitic languages to which Berber belongs. </DL>
<A NAME="lice">
<B>lice, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> plural of <B>louse.</B> </DL>
<B>license, </B>noun, verb, <B>-censed,</B> <B>-censing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>permission given by law to do something. <BR> <I>Ex. A license to drive an automobile is issued by the state. The man passed the tests and has a license to be a plumber.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a paper, card, or plate, showing such permission. <BR> <I>Ex. The policeman asked the reckless driver for his license.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the fact or condition of being allowed to do something. <BR> <I>Ex. The farmer gave us license to use his road and to fish in his brook.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>freedom of action, speech, thought, or other expression or activity, that is permitted or conceded. Poetic license is the freedom from rules that is permitted in poetry and other arts. <BR> <I>Ex. He ... had obtained for himself a sort of license for the tongue (James F. Cooper).</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>too much liberty; lack of proper control; abuse of liberty. <BR> <I>Ex. License they mean when they cry liberty (Milton).</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>formal permission; authorization. <BR> <I>Ex. His majesty ... was pleased to give me his license to depart (Jonathan Swift).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to give a license to; permit by law. <BR> <I>Ex. A doctor is licensed to practice medicine.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to give permission to do something; allow freedom of action to. <BR> <I>Ex. They were licensed to make bold with any of his things (John Bunyan).</I> adj. <B>licensable.</B> adj. <B>licenseless.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="licensee">
<B>licensee, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person to whom a license is given. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Law.) a person having the right to enter or be on property belonging to someone else. </DL>
<A NAME="licenseplate">
<B>license plate,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a metal plate on an automobile, truck, or other vehicle, bearing numbers and letters that identify the vehicle. </DL>
<A NAME="licenser">
<B>licenser</B> or <B>licensor, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Law.) a person who is authorized to grant licenses. </DL>
<A NAME="licensure">
<B>licensure, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a licensing, especially to practice a profession. </DL>
<A NAME="licentiate">
<B>licentiate, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person who has a license or permit to practice an art or profession. <BR> <I>Ex. An attorney is a licentiate in law.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a person who holds a certain degree between that of bachelor and that of doctor in certain European universities. </DL>
<A NAME="licentiateship">
<B>licentiateship, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the rank or status of a licentiate. </DL>
<A NAME="licentious">
<B>licentious, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>loose in sexual activities; immoral. (SYN) lewd, lustful, lascivious, sensual, wanton. <DD><B> 2. </B>disregarding commonly accepted rules or principles; lawless. adv. <B>licentiously.</B> noun <B>licentiousness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="lich">
<B>lich, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Archaic.) a dead body; corpse. Also, <B>lych.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="lichee">
<B>lichee, </B>noun. <B>=litchi.</B></DL>
<A NAME="lichen">
<B>lichen, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a plant without roots, stems, leaves, or flowers that grows on rocks, trees, and other surfaces. Lichens are gray, yellow, brown, black, or green. A lichen consists of a fungus and an alga growing together so that they look like one plant. The alga provides the food, and the fungus provides the water and protection. <DD><B> 2. </B>a skin disease characterized by itching and reddish pimples in a small area. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to cover with lichens. <BR> <I>Ex. weathered, lichened grave-stones (New Yorker).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="lichenin">
<B>lichenin, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a white gelatinous carbohydrate, a polysaccharide, obtained from Iceland moss and other lichens. </DL>
<A NAME="lichenize">
<B>lichenize, </B>transitive verb, <B>-ized,</B> <B>-izing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to unite (a fungus) with an alga so as to form a lichen. <DD><B> 2. </B>to cover with lichens. </DL>
<A NAME="lichenoid">
<B>lichenoid, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> like a lichen. <BR> <I>Ex. lichenoid eczema.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="lichenologist">
<B>lichenologist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who studies lichenology. </DL>
<A NAME="lichenology">
<B>lichenology, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the branch of botany dealing with lichens. </DL>
