Emily Dickinson Lexicon

LU'CU-LENT, a. [L. luculentus, from luceo, to shine.]

1. Lucid; clear; transparent; as, luculent rivers. – Thomson.
2. Clear; evident; luminous. The most luculent testimonies that the Christian religious hath. – Hooker.

LU'CUL-ITE, n.

A subspecies of carbonate of lime, of three kinds. – Ure. Johnson.

LU-DIB'RI-OUS, a. [L. ludibriosus, from ludo, to sport.]

Sportive; wanton. – J. Barlow.

LU'DI-CROUS, a. [L. ludicer, from ludo, to sport.]

Sportive; burlesque; adapted to raise laughter, without scorn or contempt. Ludicrous differs from ridiculous; the latter implying contempt or derision. Plutarch quotes this instance of Homer's judgment, in closing a ludicrous scene with decency and instruction. – Broome.

LU'DI-CROUS-LY, adv.

Sportively; in burlesque; in manner to raise laughter without contempt.

LU'DI-CROUS-NESS, n.

Sportiveness; the quality of exciting laughter without contempt; merry cast.

LU-DI-FI-CA'TION, n. [L. ludificor.]

The act of deriding.

LU-DIF'I-CA-TO-RY, a.

Making sport; tending to excite derision. – Barrow.

LU'ES, n. [L.]

Poison; pestilence; plague.

LUFF, n.¹ [Goth. lofa; Scot. loof; Ir. lav, lamh; W. law.]

The palm of the hand.

LUFF, n.² [Fr. lof; G. loof; D. loef; Arm. loff.]

Weather-gage, or part toward the wind; or the sailing of a ship close to the wind.

LUFF, v.i. [D. loeven; Arm. loffi.]

To turn the head of a ship toward the wind; to sail nearer to the wind. Hence, in the imperative, luff, is an order to put the tiller on the lee side, in order to make the ship sail nearer the wind. Luff round, or luff a-lee, is the extreme of this movement, intended to throw the ship's head into the a wind. A ship is said to spring her luff, she yields to the helm by sailing nearer the wind. – Encyc.

LUFF'-TACK-LE, n.

A large tackle not destined for any particular place in the ship, but movable at pleasure. – Mar. Dict.

LUG, n.

1. A small fish. – Carew.
2. In Scotland, an ear. [Obs.] – Johnson.
3. A pole or perch, a land-measure. [Obs.] – Spenser.
4. Something heavy to be drawn or carried. [Vulgar.]

LUG, v.i.

To drag; to move heavily. [Obs.] – Dryden.

LUG, v.t. [Sax. lyccan, aluccan, geluggian, to pull, to pluck. Ir. luighim. See Pluck.]

1. To haul; to drag; to pull with force, as something heat, and moved with difficulty. Jowler lugs him still / Through hedges. – Dryden.
2. To carry or convey with labor. They must divide the image among them, and so lug every one his share. – Collier. To lug out, to draw a sword in burlesque. – Dryden.

LUG'GAGE, n. [from lug.]

1. Any thing cumbersome an heavy to be carried; traveling baggage. I am gathering up my luggage and preparing for nay journey. – Swift.
2. Something of more weight than value. What do you mean / To dote on such luggage? – Shak.

LUG'GER, n. [D. loger.]

A vessel carrying three masts with a running bowsprit an lug-sails. – Mar. Dict.

LUGGS, n.

An insect like an earth-worm, but having legs.

LUG'-SAIL, n.

A square sail bent upon a yard that hang obliquely to the mast at one-third of its length. – Mar. Dict.

LU-GU'BRI-OUS, a. [L. lugubris, from lugeo, to weep.]

Mournful; indicating sorrow; as, a lugubrious look. – Decay of Piety.

LU-GU'BRI-OUS-LY, adv.

Mournfully.

LUKE'WARM, a. [Sax. vlaco, tepid, moderately warm; vlacian, to warm; D. laauw, laauwen; G. lau; Dan. lunken, lukewarm; lunker, to make tepid; allied to flag, lag, or to lay, allay, or to slack.]

1. Moderately warm; tepid; as, lukewarm water; lukewarm beat. – Wiseman. Newton.
2. Not ardent; not zealous; cool; indifferent; as, lukewarm obedience; lukewarm patriots. – Rev. iii. Dryden. Addison.

LUKE'WARM-LY, adv.

1. With moderate warmth.
2. With indifference; coolly.

LUKE'WARM-NESS, n.

1. A mild or moderate heat.
2. Indifference; want of zeal or ardor; coldness. The defect of zeal is lukewarmness, or coldness in religion. – Sprat.