3. Of or pertaining to, or designating, the law contained in the book
of Leviticus. Ayliffe.
Levitical degrees, degrees of relationship named in Leviticus, within
which marriage is forbidden.
Le*vit"ic*al*ly, adv. After the manner of the Levites; in accordance
with the levitical law.
Le*vit"i*cus (-*ks), n. [See Levitical.] The third canonical book of
the Old Testament, containing the laws and regulations relating to the
priests and Levites among the Hebrews, or the body of the ceremonial
law.
Lev"i*ty (lv"*t), n. [L. levitas, fr. levis light in weight; akin to
levare to raise. See Lever, n.] 1. The quality of weighing less than
something else of equal bulk; relative lightness, especially as shown
by rising through, or floating upon, a contiguous substance; buoyancy;
-- opposed to gravity.
He gave the form of levity to that which ascended; to that which
descended, the form of gravity.
Sir. W. Raleigh.
This bubble by reason of its comparative levity to the fluidity
that incloses it, would ascend to the top.
Bentley.
2. Lack of gravity and earnestness in deportment or character; trifling
gayety; frivolity; sportiveness; vanity. " A spirit of levity and
libertinism." Atterbury.
He never employed his omnipotence out of levity.
Calamy.
3. Lack of steadiness or constancy; disposition to change; fickleness;
volatility.
The levity that is fatigued and disgusted with everything of which
it is in possession.
Burke.
Syn. -- Inconstancy; thoughtlessness; unsteadiness; inconsideration;
volatility; flightiness. -- Levity, Volatility, Flightiness. All these
words relate to outward conduct. Levity springs from a lightness of
mind which produces a disregard of the proprieties of time and
place.Volatility is a degree of levity which causes the thoughts to fly
from one object to another, without resting on any for a moment.
Flightiness is volatility carried to an extreme which often betrays its
subject into gross impropriety or weakness. Levity of deportment, of
conduct, of remark; volatility of temper, of spirits; flightiness of
mind or disposition.
Le"vo- (l"v-). A prefix from L. laevus, meaning: (a) Pertaining to, or
toward, the left; as, levorotatory. (b) (Chem. & Opt.) Turning the
plane of polarized light to the left; as, levotartaric acid;
levoracemic acid; levogyratory crystals, etc. [Written also lævo-.]
Le`vo*gy"rate (-j"rt), a. [Levo- + gyrate.] (Chem. & Physics) Turning
or twisting the plane of polarization towards the left, as levulose,
levotartaric acid, etc. [Written also lævogyrate.]
Le`vo*ro"ta*to*ry (-r"t*t*r), a. [Levo- + rotatory.] (Chem. & Physics)
Turning or rotating the plane of polarization towards the left;
levogyrate, as levulose, left-handed quartz crystals, etc. [Written
also lævorotatory.]
Lev"u*lin (lv"*ln), n. (Chem.) A substance resembling dextrin, obtained
from the bulbs of the dahlia, the artichoke, and other sources, as a
colorless, spongy, amorphous material. It is so called because by
decomposition it yields levulose. [Written also lævulin.]
Lev`u*lin"ic (-ln"k), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or denoting, an acid
(called also acetyl-propionic acid), C5H8O3, obtained by the action of
dilute acids on various sugars (as levulose). [Written also lævulinic.]
Lev`u*lo"san (-l"san), n. (Chem.) An unfermentable carbohydrate
obtained by gently heating levulose.
Lev"u*lose` (lv"*ls`), n. [See Levo-.] (Chem.) A sirupy variety of
sugar, rarely obtained crystallized, occurring widely in honey, ripe
fruits, etc., and hence called also fruit sugar. It is called levulose,
because it rotates the plane of polarization to the left. [Written also
lævulose.]>
It is obtained, together with an equal quantity of dextrose, by the
inversion of ordinary cane or beet sugar, and hence, as being an
ingredient of invert sugar, is often so called. It is fermentable,
nearly as sweet as cane sugar, and is metameric with dextrose. Cf.
Dextrose.
Lev"y (-), n.; pl. Levies (-z). [A contr. of elevenpence or elevenpenny
bit.] A name formerly given in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia to
the Spanish real of one eighth of a dollar (or 12½ cents), valued at
eleven pence when the dollar was rated at 7s. 6d.
Lev"y, n. [F. levée, fr. lever to raise. See Lever, and cf. Levee.] 1.
The act of levying or collecting by authority; as, the levy of troops,
taxes, etc.
A levy of all the men left under sixty.
Thirlwall.
2. That which is levied, as an army, force, tribute, etc. " The Irish
levies." Macaulay.
3. (Law) The taking or seizure of property on executions to satisfy
judgments, or on warrants for the collection of taxes; a collecting by
execution.
Levy in mass [F. levée en masse], a requisition of all able-bodied men
for military service.
Lev"y, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Levied (lv"d); p. pr. & vb. n. Levying.] 1.
To raise, as a siege. [Obs.] Holland.
2. To raise; to collect; said of troops, to form into an army by
enrollment, conscription, etc.
Augustine . . . inflamed Ethelbert, king of Kent, to levy his
power, and to war against them.
Fuller.
3. To raise or collect by assessment; to exact by authority; as, to
levy taxes, toll, tribute, or contributions.
If they do this . . . my ransom, then, Will soon be levied.
Shak.
4. (Law) (a) To gather or exact; as, to levy money. (b) To erect,
build, or set up; to make or construct; to raise or cast up; as, to
levy a mill, dike, ditch, a nuisance, etc. [Obs.] Cowell. Blackstone.
(c) To take or seize on execution; to collect by execution.
To levy a fine, to commence and carry on a suit for assuring the title
to lands or tenements. Blackstone. -- To levy war, to make or begin
war; to take arms for attack; to attack.
Lev"y, v. i. To seize property, real or personal, or subject it to the
operation of an execution; to make a levy; as, to levy on property; the
usual mode of levying, in England, is by seizing the goods.
To levy on goods and chattels, to take into custody or seize specific
property in satisfaction of a writ.
{ Lev"yne (lv"n), Lev"yn*ite (- n*t), } n. [From Mr. Levy, an English
mineralogist.] (Min.) A whitish, reddish, or yellowish, transparent or
translucent mineral, allied to chabazite.
Lew (l), a. [Cf. lee a calm or sheltered place, lukewarm.] Lukewarm;
tepid. [Obs.] Wyclif.
Lewd (ld), a. [Compar. Lewder (-r); superl. Lewdest.] [OE. lewed, lewd,
lay, ignorant, vile, AS. lwed laical, belonging to the laity.] 1. Not
clerical; laic; laical; hence, unlearned; simple. [Obs.]
For if a priest be foul, on whom we trust, No wonder is a lewed man
to rust.
Chaucer.
So these great clerks their little wisdom show To mock the lewd, as
learn'd in this as they.
Sir. J. Davies.
2. Belonging to the lower classes, or the rabble; idle and lawless;
bad; vicious. [Archaic] Chaucer.
But the Jews, which believed not, . . . took unto them certain lewd
fellows of the baser sort, . . . and assaulted the house of Jason.
Acts xvii. 5.
Too lewd to work, and ready for any kind of mischief.
Southey.
3. Given to the promiscuous indulgence of lust; dissolute; lustful;
libidinous. Dryden.
4. Suiting, or proceeding from, lustfulness; involving unlawful sexual
desire; as, lewd thoughts, conduct, or language.
Syn. -- Lustful; libidinous; licentious; profligate; dissolute;
sensual; unchaste; impure; lascivious; lecherous; rakish; debauched.
-- Lewd"ly, adv. -- Lewd"ness, n.
Lewd"ster (-str), n. A lewd person. [Obs.] Shak.
{ Lew"is (l"s), Lew"is*son (- sn), } n. 1. An iron dovetailed tenon,
made in sections, which can be fitted into a dovetail mortise; -- used
in hoisting large stones, etc.