Emily Dickinson Lexicon

LIT'ER-A-TURE, n. [L. literatura.]

Learning; acquaintance with letters or books. Literature; comprehends a knowledge of the ancient languages, denominated classical, history, grammar, rhetoric, logic, geography, &c., as well as of the sciences. A knowledge of the world and good breeding give luster to literature.

LITH, n. [Sax.]

A joint or limb. [Obs.] Chaucer.

LI-THAN'THRAX, n. [Gr. λιθος, a stone, and ανθραξ, a coal.]

Stone-coal, a black, compact, brittle, inflammable substance of laminated texture, more or less shining. – Nicholson.

LITH'ARGE, n. [Fr. from L. lithargyros, Gr. λιθαργυρος, the spume or scum of silver.]

A semi-vitreous oxyd of lead, produced in refining silver by cupellation with lead. It appears in the form of soft flakes, or semi-transparent shining plates. – Dict. Nat. Hist. Encyc. Nicholson.

LITH'ATE, n. [Gr. λιθος, a stone.]

A salt or compound formed by the lithic acid with a base. – Hooper.

LITHE, a. [Sax. lith, lithe; W. llyth.]

That may be easily bent; pliant; flexible; limber; as, the elephant's lithe proboscis. – Milton.

LITHE, v.t.

1. To smooth; to soften; to palliate. [Obs.] – Chaucer.
2. To listen. [Obs.] [See Listen.]

LITHE'NESS, n.

Flexibility; limberness.

LITH'ER, a.

1. Soft; pliant. [Obs.] – Shak.
2. [Sax. lythr.] Bad; corrupt. [Obs.] – Woolton.

LITH'ER-LY, adv.

Slowly; lazily. [Obs.] – Barret.

LITH'ER-NESS, n.

Idleness; laziness. [Obs.] – Barret.

LITHE'SOME, a.

Pliant; limber; nimble. – Scott.

LITH'IA, n.

A new alkali, found in a mineral called petalite, of which the basis is a metal called lithium. – Davy. Ure.

LITH'IC, a. [supra.]

Pertaining to the stone in the bladder. The lithic acid is obtained from a urinary or gouty calculus.

LITH'IUM, n.

The metallic base of lithia.

LITH-O-BIB'LI-ON, n. [See LITHOPHYL.]

LITH'O-CARP, n. [Gr. λιθος, a stone, and καρπος, fruit.]

Fossil fruit; fruit petrified. – Dict. Nat. Hist.

LITH'O-COL-LA, n. [Gr. λιθος, a stone, and κολλα, glue.]

A cement that unites stones. – Ash.

LITH-O-DEN'DRON, n. [Gr. λιθος, stone, and δενδρον, tree.]

Coral; so called from its resembling a petrified branch.

LITH'O-DERM, n. [Gr. λιθος and δερμα.]

One of a genus of Apodal Echinoderms, having an oval body, covered with a layer of calcarious granules, forming a hard crust.

LITH'O-DOM, or LITH'O-DO-MI, n. [Gr. λιθος, stone, and δομος, house.]

The name given to moluscane which perforate stones, shells, &c. – Mantell.

LI-THOD'O-MOUS, a.

Relating to a genus of molluscan animals, which perforate stones.

LITH-O-GEN'E-SY, n. [Gr. λιθος, stone, and γενεσις, generation.]

The doctrine or science of the origin of minerals composing the globe, and of the causes which have produced their form and disposition. – Dict. Nat. Hist.

LI-THOG'E-NOUS, a.

Depositing or forming stones.

LITH'O-GLYPH, n.

The art of engraving on precious stones. – Elmes.