Emily Dickinson Lexicon

LEEK, n. [Sax. leac; G. lauch; D. look; Sw. lök; Dan. lög.]

A plant of the genus Allium, with a bulbous root. Numb. xi.

LEE'LITE, n.

A mineral, so called from Dr. Lee, of St. John's College, Cambridge. It is described as a silicious stone, and by some mineralogists considered to be a hydrate of silica.

LEE'-LURCH, n.

A sudden and violent roll of a ship to leeward in a high sea.

LEER, a. [Sax. gelær.]

Empty; also, trilling; frivolous. [Obs.] – B. Jonson.

LEER, n. [Sax. hleare, hleor, the cheek.]

1. The cheek. [Obs.]
2. Complexion; hue; face. [Obs.] – Shak.
3. An oblique view. With jealous leer malign / Eyed them askance. – Milton.
4. An affected cast of countenance. Damn with faint praise, concede with civil leer. – Pope.

LEER, v.i. [D. gluuren, begluuren.]

1. To look obliquely; to turn the eye and cast a look from a corner, either in contempt, defiance or frowning, or for a sly look. – Swift.
2. To look with a forced countenance. – Dryden.

LEER, v.t.

To allure with smiles. – Dryden.

LEER'ED, pp.

Looked obliquely; allured by smiles.

LEER'ING, ppr.

Looking obliquely; casting a look as askance.

LEER'ING-LY, adv.

With an arch oblique look or smile.

LEES, n. [Fr. lie; Arm. ly; probably a contracted word. It is used in the plural only.]

The grosser parts of any liquor which have settled on the bottom of a vessel; dregs; sediment; as, the lees of wine.

LEESE, v.i.

To lose. [Obs. See Lose.] – B. Jonson.

LEESE, v.t. [L. læsus.]

To hurt. [Obs.] – Wickliffe.

LEE'-SHORE, n.

The shore under the lee of a ship, or that toward which the wind blows.

LEE'-SIDE, n.

The side of a ship or boat furthest from the point whence the wind blows; opposed to the weather-side.

LEET, n.

In Great Britain, a court. The court-leet or view of frankpledge, is a court of record held once a year and not oftener, within a particular hundred, lordship or manor, before the steward of the leet. Its original intent was to view the frankpledges or freemen within the liberty, to preserve the peace, and punish certain minute offenses. All freeholders within the precinct are obliged to attend this court. – Blackstone. The court-leet is for the most part superseded by the county court.

LEET'-ALE, n.

A feast or merry-making in the time of leet. – Eng.

LEE'-TIDE, n.

A tide running in the same direction that the wind blows. A tide under the Ice, is a stream in an opposite direction to the wind.

LEE'WARD, a.

Pertaining to the part toward which the wind blows; as a leeward ship.

LEE'WARD, adv.

Toward the lee, or that part toward which the wind blows; opposed to windward; as, fall to leeward.

LEE'WAY, n.

The lateral movement of a ship to the lee-ward of her course, or the angle which the line of her way makes with her keel, when she is close-hauled. – Mar. Dict.

LEFT, a. [L. lævus; Gr. λαιος, Hesych. λαφος; probably from the root of leave, Gr. λειπω, and properly weak, deficient. Applied to the hand or arm, it denotes the weak arm, as opposed to the right, the strong or dextrous. Hence the ancient idea of sinister, unfortunate, attached to the left arm or side.]

1. Denoting the part opposed to the right of the body; as, the left hand, arm or side. Hence, the noun being omitted, we say, on the left, that is, on the left side or wing, as of an army.
2. The left bank of a river, is that which is on the left hand of a person whose face is toward the mouth of the river.

LEFT, v. [pret. and pp. of Leave.]

LEFT-HAND'ED, a.

1. Having the left hand or arm more strong and dextrous than the right; using the left hand and arm with more dexterity than the right.
2. Unlucky; inauspicious; unseasonable. [Obs.] – B. Jonson.

LEFT-HAND'ED-NESS, n.

Habitual use of the left hand, or rather the ability to use the left hand with more ease and strength than the right.