Emily Dickinson Lexicon

LE'GUME, or LE-GU'MEN, n. [L. legumen; Fr. legume; probably from L. Lego, to collect, and signifying that which collects or holds, or a collection.]

1. In botany, a pericarp or seed vessel, of two valves, in which to the seeds are fixed to one suture only. In the latter circumstance it differs from a siliqua, in which the seeds are attached to both sutures. In popular use, a legume is called a pod, or a cod; as, pea-pod, or peas-cod. Martyn.
2. In the plural, pulse, peas, beans, &c.

LE-GUM'IN-OUS, a.

Pertaining to pulse; consisting of pulse. Leguminous plants are such as have a legume far a pericarp, as peas and beans.

LEI-PATH'Y-MIC, a. [Gr. {foreign}, and {foreign}.]

Fainting; tending to swooning. J. Taylor.

LEIS'UR-A-BLE, a. [s as z. See Leisure.]

Vacant of employment; not occupied; as, leisurable hours. [Little used.] Brown.

LEIS'U-RA-BLY, adv.

At leisure; without hurry. [Little used.] Hooker.

LEIS'URE, n. [lee'zhur. [Fr. loisir. This is from the same root as Sw. and Dan. ledig void, empty, vacant, free, eased; Sw. ledighet, Dan. ledighed, leisure; or it may be more nearly connected with Goth. laus, loose, free, vacant, Eng. lease.]

1. Freedom from occupation or business; vacant time; time free from employment. The desire of leisure is much more natural than of business and care. Temple. I shall leave with him that rebuke to be considered at his leisure. Locke.
2. Convenience of time. He sigh'd and had no leisure more to say. [Not used.] Dryden.

LEIS'URE-LY, a.

Done at leisure; not hasty; deliberate; slow; as, a leisurely walk or march; a leisurely survey of life.

LEIS'URE-LY, adv.

Not in haste or hurry; slowly; at leisure; deliberately. We descended very leisurely, my friend being careful to count the steps. Addison.

LE'MAN, n. [probably contracted from lifman, leveman; Sax. leof, loved, and man. See Love and Lief.]

A sweetheart; a gallant, or a mistress. [Obs.] Chaucer. Spenser. Shak.

LEME, n. [Sax. leoma.]

A ray of light. [Not in use.] Chaucer.

LEME, v.i.

To shine. [Obs.]

LEM'MA, n. [Gr. {foreign}, from {foreign}, to receive.]

In mathematics, a previous proposition proved, or a proposition demonstrated for the purpose of being used in the demonstration of some other proposition. It is therefore a received truth. Day.

LEM'MING, or LEM'ING, n.

An English name applied to a group of rodent mammals, very nearly allied to the mouse and rat. They mostly inhabit the north of Europe and Asia. By some naturalists this group is made a genus under the name of Lemmus, but by others it is placed under the genus Mus. Lemnian earth, or sphragide, from the isle of Lemnos, in the Egean sea, a kind of astringent medicinal earth, of a fatty consistence and reddish color, used in the same cases as bole. It has the external appearance of clay, with a smooth surface resembling agate, especially in recent fractures. It removes impurities like soap. Encyc. Nicholson.

LEM'NIS-CATE, a. [L. lemniscus, a ribin; lemniscatus, adorned with ribins.]

A curve in the form of the figure 8.

LE-MOD'I-PODE, n.

One of an order of crustaceous animals having sessile eyes.

LEM'ON, n. [Fr. and Sp. limon; It. limone. This word is found in the Arabic of Avicenna; and in the Amharic dialect of Ethiopia, we find lime or lome, the same word.]

1. The fruit of a tree belonging to the genus Citrus, which grows in warm climates. This fruit furnishes a cooling acid juice, which forms an ingredient in some of our most delicious liquors.
2. Lemon or lemon tree, the tree that produces lemons.

LEM-ON-ADE', n. [Fr. limonade; Sp. limonada; from limon.]

A liquor consisting of lemon juice mixed with water and sweetened.

LE'MUR, n. [L.]

A genus of quadrumanous mammals, nearly allied to the apes, baboons, and monkeys, but with a form approaching that of quadrupeds, mostly inhabiting Madagascar and the East Indian islands.

LEM'U-RES, n. [L.]

Hobgoblins; evil spirits. [Not English.]

LEND, v.t. [pret. and pp. lent. Sax. lænan; Sw. lana; Dan. laaner; G. leihen; D. leenen. Lend is a corrupt orthography of lend or loan, or derived from it. See Loan.]

1. To grant to another for temporary use, on the express or implied condition that the thing shall be returned; as, to lend a book; or,
2. To grant a thing to be used, on the condition that its equivalent in kind shall be returned; as, to lend a sum of money, or a loaf of bread.
3. To afford; to grant; to furnish, in general; as, to lend assistance; to lend an ear to a discourse. Cato, lend me for a while thy patience. Addison.
4. To grant for temporary use, on condition of receiving a compensation at certain periods for the use of the thing, and an ultimate return of the thing, or its full value. Thus money is lent on condition of receiving interest for the use, and of having the principal sum returned at the stipulated time. Lend is correlative to borrow.
5. To permit to use for another's benefit. A. lent his name to obtain money from the bank.
6. To let for hire or compensation; as, to lend a horse or gig. [This sense is used by Paley, and probably may be common in England. But in the United States, I believe, the word is never thus used, except in reference to money. We lend money upon interest, but never lend a coach or horse for a compensation. We use let.]

LEND'A-BLE, a.

That may be lent. Sherwood.

LEND'ER, n.

1. One who lends. The borrower is servant to the lender. Prov. xxii.
2. One who makes a trade of putting money to interest. Bacon. Dryden.

LEND'ING, n.

1. The act of loaning.
2. That which is lent or furnished. Shak.

LEND'ING, ppr.

Granting for temporary use. [See Lend ]

LENDS, n. [Sax.]

Loins.[Not in use.] Wickliffe.