Emily Dickinson Lexicon

LEV'ER-OCK, n.

A bird, a lark. [See Lark.] – Johnson.

LEV'ET, n. [Qu. Fr. lever, to raise.]

A blast of a trumpet; probably that by which soldiers are called in the morning. [Not used.] – Hudibras.

LEV'I-A-BLE, a. [from levy.]

That may be levied, that may be assessed and collected; as, sums leviable by course of law. – Bacon.

LE-VI'A-THAN, n. [Heb. לויתן.]

1. An aquatic animal, described in the book of Job, ch. xli, and mentioned in other passages of Scripture. In Isaiah, it is called the crooked serpent. It is not agreed what animal is intended by the writers, whether the crocodile, the whale, or a species of serpent.
2. The whale, or a great whale. – Milton.

LEV'I-ED, pp.

Raised; collected.

LEV'I-GATE, a.

Made smooth.

LEV'I-GATE, v.t. [L. lævigo, from lævis, smooth, Gr. λειος.]

1. In pharmacy and chimistry, to rub or grind to a fine impalpable powder; to make fine, soft and smooth.
2. To plane; to polish. – Barrow.

LEV'I-GA-TED, pp.

Reduced to a fine impalpable powder.

LEV'I-GA-TING, ppr.

Rendering very fine, soft and smooth, by grinding or rubbing.

LEV'I-GA-TION, n.

The act or operation of grinding or rubbing a solid substance to a fine impalpable powder. – Encyc.

LEV-I-TA'TION, n. [L. levis, levitas.]

Lightness; buoyancy; act of making light.

LE'VITE, n. [from Levi, one of the sons of Jacob.]

One of the tribe or family of Levi; a descendant of Levi; more particularly, an officer in the Jewish church, who was employed in manual service, as in bringing wood and other necessaries for the sacrifices. The Levites also sung and played on instruments of music. They were subordinate to the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who was also of the family of Levi. – Encyc.

LE-VIT'ICAL, a.

1. Belonging to the Levites, or descendants of Levi; as, the levitical law, the law given by Moses, which prescribed the duties and rites of the priests and Levites, and regulated the civil and religious concerns of the Jews.
2. Priestly. – Milton.

LE-VIT'IC-AL-LY, adv.

After the manner of the Levites.

LE-VIT'IC-US, n. [from Levi, Levite.]

A canonical book of the Old Testament, containing the laws and regulations which relate to the priests and Levites among the Jews, or the body of the ceremonial law.

LEV'I-TY, n. [L. levitas, from levis, light; connected perhaps with Eng. lift.]

1. Lightness; the want of weight in a body, compared with another that is heavier. The ascent of a balloon in the air is owing to its levity, as the gas that fills it is lighter than common air.
2. Lightness of temper or conduct; inconstancy; changeableness; unsteadiness; as, the levity of youth. – Hooker.
3. Want of due consideration; vanity; freak. He never employed his omnipotence out of levity or ostentation.
4. Gayety of mind want of seriousness; disposition to trifle. The spirit of religion and seriousness was succeeded by levity.

LEV'Y, n.

1. The act of collecting men for military, or other public service, as by enlistment, enrollment or other means. 1 Kings v.
2. Troops collected; an army raised. 1 Kings v.
3. The act of collecting money for public use by tax or other imposition.
4. War raised. [Not in use.] – Shak. Levy in mass, a requisition of the whole body of soldiery in the service.

LEV'Y, v.i. [Fr. lever; It. levare; Sp. levar; L. levo; Eng. to lift.]

1. To raise; to collect. To levy troops, is to enlist or to order men into public service. To levy an army, is to collect troops and form an army by enrollment, conscription or other means.
2. To raise; to collect by assessment; as, to levy taxes, toll, tribute, or contributions. To levy war, is to raise or begin war; to take arms for attack; to attack. Blackstone. To levy a fine, to commence and carry on a suit for assuring the title to lands or tenements. – Blackstone.

LEV'Y-ING, ppr.

Raising; collecting, as men or money.

LEW, a. [D. laauw.]

Tepid; lukewarm; pale; wan. [Obs.]

LEWD, a.¹ [W. llodig, having a craving; llodi, to reach out, to crave; llodineb, lewdness; llawd, that shoots out or is growing, a lad; G. luder, lewdness; Heb. Ch. Syr. Sam. ילד, to, to beget, to bring forth; Ar. وَلَدَ walada, Eth. ወለደ id.]

1. Given to the unlawful indulgence of lust; addicted to fornication or adultery; dissolute; lustful; libidinous. – Ezek. xxiii.
2. Proceeding from unlawful lust; as, lewd actions.
3. Wicked; vile; profligate; licentious. Acts xvii.

LEWD, a.² [Sax. læwed, lewd. This seems to be a contracted word, and either from the root of laical, lay, or from the Sax. leod, G. leute, people, which seems to be from the same root as the foregoing word, like L. gens, from geno.]

Lay; laical; not clerical. [Obs.] – Davies.

LEWD'LY, adv.

1. With the unlawful indulgence of lust; lustfully.
2. Wickedly; wantonly.

LEWD'NESS, n.

1. The unlawful indulgence of lust; fornication, or adultery.
2. In Scripture, it generally denotes idolatry.
3. Licentiousness; shamelessness. – Spenser.

LEWD'STER, n.

One given to the criminal indulgence of lust; a lecher. [Not used.] – Shak.