Emily Dickinson Lexicon

LIN'E-A-MENT, n. [Fr. from L. lineamentum.]

Feature; form; make; the outline or exterior of a body or figure, particularly of the face. Man he seems / In all his lineaments. – Milton. The lineaments of the body. – Locke. Lineaments of a character. – Swift.

LIN'E-AR, a. [L. linearis.]

1. Pertaining to a line; consisting of lines; in a straight direction.
2. In botany, like a line; slender; of the same breadth throughout, except at the extremities; as, a linear leaf. Linear numbers, in mathematics, such as have relation to length only; such is a number which represents one side of a plane figure. If the plane figure is a square, the linear figure is called a root. – Encyc. Linear problem, that which may be solved geometrically by the intersection of two right lines. – Encyc.

LIN'E-AR-SHAP'ED, a.

Of a linear shape.

LIN'E-ATE, a.

In botany, marked longitudinally with depressed parallel lines; as, a lineate leaf.

LIN-E-A'TION, n.

Draught; delineation, – which see. – Woodward.

LIN'ED, pp.

Covered on the inside.

LIN'EN, a. [L. lineus.]

1. Made of flax or hemp; as, linen cloth; a linen stocking.
2. Resembling linen cloth; white; pale. – Shak. Fossil-linen, a kind of amianth, with soft, parallel, flexible fibers. – Encyc.

LIN'EN, n. [L. linum, flax, Gr. λινον; W. llin, Ir. lin, Russ. len, G. lein. The sense is probably long, extended or smooth. In the latter sense, it would accord with L. linio, lenio.]

1. Cloth made of flax or hemp.
2. An under garment.

LIN'EN-DRA-PER, n.

A person who deals in linens. [Linener and linen-man, in a like sense, are obsolete.]

LING, a. [-ling.]

A Saxon termination, as in darling, firstling, denotes primarily state, condition, or subject. In some words it denotes the young of an animal, or a small one. – Encyc.

LING, n.¹ [D. leng; Ir. long; probably Sax. leng, long.]

A fish of the genus Gadus, or cod kind, which grows to the length of four feet or more, is very slender, with a flat head. This fish abounds on the coasts of Scotland and Ireland, and forms a considerable article of commerce. Encyc.

LING, n.² [Ice. ling, from leng, long.]

A species of long grass; heath. – Jamieson. Cyc.

LING'ER, v.i. [from the root of lońg, Sax. leng.]

1. To delay; to loiter; to remain or wait long; to be slow. Nor cast one longing, lingering look behind. – Gray. Whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not. – 2 Pet. ii.
2. To hesitate; to be slow in deciding; to be in suspense. Perhaps thou lingerest, in deep thought detained. – Milton.
3. To remain long in any state. The patient lingers on a bed of sickness.

LIN'GER, v.t.

To protract. – Shak.

LIN'GER-ED, pp.

Delayed; loitered.

LIN'GER-ER, n.

One who lingers.

LIN'GER-ING, n.

A delaying; a remaining long; tardiness; protraction. The lingerings of holyday customs. – Irving.

LIN'GER-ING, ppr.

1. Delaying; loitering.
2. adj. Drawing out in time; remaining long; protracted; as, a lingering disease. To die is the fate of man; but to die with lingering anguish is generally his folly. – Rambler.

LIN'GER-ING-LY, adv.

With delay; slowly; tediously. – Hale.

LIN'GET, n. [Fr. lingot, from languette, a tongue.]

A small mass of metal. – Camden.

LIN'GLE, n. [Fr. ligneul, from ligne.]

Shoemaker's thread. [Not in use or local.] – Drayton.

LIN'GO, n. [L. lingua.]

Language; speech. [Vulgar.]

LIN-GUA'CIOUS, a.

Talkative; loquacious.

LIN-GUA-DENT'AL, a. [L. lingua, tongue, and dens, a tooth.]

Formed or uttered by the joint use of the tongue and teeth as, the letters d and t. – Holder.

LIN-GUA-DENT'AL, n.

An articulation formed by the tongue and teeth.