Lim"bous (lm"bs), a. [See Limbus.] (Anat.) With slightly overlapping
borders; -- said of a suture.
Lime (lm), n. [See Leam a string.] A thong by which a dog is led; a
leash. Halliwell.
Lime, n. [Formerly line, for earlier lind. See Linden.] (Bot.) The
linden tree. See Linden.
Lime, n. [F. lime; of Persian origin. See Lemon.] (Bot.) A fruit allied
to the lemon, but much smaller; also, the tree which bears it. There
are two kinds; Citrus Medica, var. acida which is intensely sour, and
the sweet lime (C. Medica, var. Limetta) which is only slightly sour.
Lime, n. [AS. lm; akin to D. lijm, G. leim, OHG. lm, Icel. lm, Sw. lim,
Dan. liim, L. limus mud, linere to smear, and E. loam. √126. Cf.
Loam, Liniment.] 1. Birdlime.
Like the lime That foolish birds are caught with.
Wordsworth.
2. (Chem.) Oxide of calcium; the white or gray, caustic substance,
usually called quicklime, obtained by calcining limestone or shells,
the heat driving off carbon dioxide and leaving lime. It develops great
heat when treated with water, forming slacked lime, and is an essential
ingredient of cement, plastering, mortar, etc.
Lime is the principal constituent of limestone, marble, chalk, bones,
shells, etc.
Caustic lime, calcium hydrate or slacked lime; also, in a less
technical sense, calcium oxide or quicklime. -- Lime burner, one who
burns limestone, shells, etc., to make lime. -- Lime light. See Calcium
light, under Calcium. -- Lime pit, a limestone quarry. -- Lime rod,
Lime twig, a twig smeared with birdlime; hence, that which catches; a
snare. Chaucer.
Lime, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Limed (lmd); p. pr. & vb. n. Liming.] [Cf.
AS. gelman to glue or join together. See Lime a viscous substance.] 1.
To smear with a viscous substance, as birdlime.
These twigs, in time, will come to be limed.
L'Estrange.