Li*bra"ri*an*ship, n. The office of a librarian.
Li"bra*ry (l"br*r), n.; pl. Libraries (- rz). [OE. librairie, F.
librairie bookseller's shop, book trade, formerly, a library, fr.
libraire bookseller, L. librarius, from liber book; cf. libraria
bookseller's shop, librarium bookcase, It. libreria. See Libel.] 1. A
considerable collection of books kept for use, and not as merchandise;
as, a private library; a public library.
2. A building or apartment appropriated for holding such a collection
of books. Holland.
Li"brate (l"brt), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Librated (l"br*td); p. pr. & vb.
n. Librating.] [L. libratus, p. p. of librare to balance, to make even,
fr. libra. Cf. Level, Deliberate, Equilibrium.] To vibrate as a balance
does before resting in equilibrium; hence, to be poised.
Their parts all librate on too nice a beam.
Clifton.
Li"brate, v. t. To poise; to balance.
Li*bra"tion (l*br"shn), n. [L. libratio: cf. F. libration.] 1. The act
or state of librating. Jer. Taylor.
2. (Astron.) A real or apparent libratory motion, like that of a
balance before coming to rest.
Libration of the moon, any one of those small periodical changes in the
position of the moon's surface relatively to the earth, in consequence
of which narrow portions at opposite limbs become visible or invisible
alternately. It receives different names according to the manner in
which it takes place; as: (a) Libration in longitude, that which,
depending on the place of the moon in its elliptic orbit, causes small
portions near the eastern and western borders alternately to appear and
disappear each month. (b) Libration in latitude, that which depends on
the varying position of the moon's axis in respect to the spectator,
causing the alternate appearance and disappearance of either pole. (c)
Diurnal or parallactic libration, that which brings into view on the
upper limb, at rising and setting, some parts not in the average
visible hemisphere.
Li"bra*to*ry (l"br*t*r), a. Balancing; moving like a balance, as it
tends to an equipoise or level.
Li*bret"tist (l*brt"tst), n. One who makes a libretto.
Li*bret"to (l*brt"t; It. l*brt"t), n.; pl. E. Librettos (-tz), It.
Libretti (-t). [It., dim. of libro book, L. liber. See Libel.] (Mus.)
(a) A book containing the words of an opera or extended piece of music.
(b) The words themselves.
Li"bri*form (l"br*fôrm), a. [Liber + -form.] (Bot.) Having the form of
liber, or resembling liber.
Libriform cells, peculiar wood cells which are very slender and
relatively thick-walled, and occasionally are furnished with bordered
pits. Goodale.
Lib"y*an (lb"*an), a. Of or pertaining to Libya, the ancient name of
that part of Africa between Egypt and the Atlantic Ocean, or of Africa
as a whole.
Lice (ls), n.; pl. of Louse.
Li"cens*a*ble (l"sens**b'l), a. That can be licensed.
Li"cense (l"sens), n. [Written also licence.] [F. licence, L. licentia,
fr. licere to be permitted, prob. orig., to be left free to one; akin
to linquere to leave. See Loan, and cf. Illicit, Leisure.] 1. Authority
or liberty given to do or forbear any act; especially, a formal
permission from the proper authorities to perform certain acts or to
carry on a certain business, which without such permission would be
illegal; a grant of permission; as, a license to preach, to practice
medicine, to sell gunpowder or intoxicating liquors.
To have a license and a leave at London to dwell.
P. Plowman.