Emily Dickinson Lexicon

LE-GI-T'I-MATE-LY, adv.

1. Lawfully; according to law.
2. Genuinely; not falsely. – Dryden.

LE-GIT'I-MATE-NESS, n.

Legality; lawfulness; genuineness.

LEGIT'I-MA-TING, ppr.

Rendering lawful.

LE-GIT-I-MA'TION, n. [Fr.]

1. The act of rendering legitimate, or of investing an illegitimate child with the rights of one born in wedlock.
2. Lawful birth. [Unusual.] – Shak.

LE-GIT'I-MIST, n.

One who supports legitimate authority. In France, a supporter of the crown, and the constitutional government.

LEG'LESS, a.

Having no legs.

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. λειπω, and θυμος.]

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. λημμα, from λαμβανω, 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, n. [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.]