LEGITIM, lej'i-tim, _n._ (_Scots law_) the legal provision which a child is
entitled to out of the movable or personal estate of the deceased
father.--Also _Bairn's Part_. [Fr.,--L. _legitimus_--_lex_, law.]
LEGITIMATE, le-jit'i-m[=a]t, _adj._ lawful: lawfully begotten, born in
wedlock: fairly deduced: following by natural sequence: authorised by
usage.--_v.t._ to make lawful: to give the rights of a legitimate child to
an illegitimate one.--_n._ LEGIT'IMACY, state of being legitimate:
lawfulness of birth: regular deduction: directness of descent as affecting
the royal succession.--_adv._ LEGIT'IMATELY.--_ns._ LEGIT'IMATENESS,
lawfulness; LEGITIM[=A]'TION, act of rendering legitimate, esp. of
conferring the privileges of lawful birth.--_v.t._ LEGIT'IMISE (same as
LEGITIMATE).--_n._ LEGIT'IMIST, one who supports legitimate authority: in
France, a follower of the elder Bourbon line (descendants of Louis XIV.),
as opposed to the Orleanists or supporters of the descendants of the Duke
of Orleans, Louis XIV.'s brother.--LEGITIMATE DRAMA, a designation
frequently applied to the representation of Shakespeare's plays--often
employed as vaguely indicating approval of the drama of some former time.
[Low L. _legitim[=a]re_. _-[=a]tum_--L. _legitimus_, lawful--_lex_, law.]
LEGUME, leg'[=u]m, _n._ a seed-vessel which splits into two valves, having
the seeds attached to the ventral suture only: a pod, as of the pea, bean,
&c.--also LEG[=U]'MEN:--_pl._ LEG[=U]'MENS, LEG[=U]'MINA.--_adj._
LEG[=U]'MINAR.--_n._ LEG[=U]'MINE, a nitrogenous proteid substance in the
seeds of most leguminous plants, corresponding with the casein of
milk.--_adj._ LEG[=U]'MINOUS, pertaining to pulse: bearing legumes.
[Fr.,--L. _legumen_--_leg[)e]re_, to gather.]
LEIBNITZIAN, l[=i]b-nit'zi-an, _adj._ pertaining to the great German
philosopher and mathematician, Gottfried Wilhelm _Leibnitz_
(1646-1716).--_n._ LEIBNIT'ZIANISM, the philosophy of Leibnitz--the
doctrine of primordial monads, pre-established harmony, fundamental
optimism on the principle of sufficient reason.
LEIGER, lej'[.e]r, _n._ (_Shak._) a resident ambassador.--Also LEIDG'ER.
[See LEDGER.]
LEIOTRICHOUS, l[=i]-ot'ri-kus, _adj._ of the smooth-haired races. [Gr.
_leios_, smooth, _thrix_, _trichos_, hair.]
LEIPOA, l[=i]-p[=o]'a, _n._ a genus of Australian mound-birds.
LEISTER, l[=e]s't[.e]r, _n._ (_Scot._) a salmon-spear. [Cf. Ice. _ljóstr_;
Dan. _lyster_, a salmon-spear.]
LEISURE, l[=e]'zh[=oo]r, or lezh'-, _n._ time free from employment: freedom
from occupation, convenient opportunity, ease.--_adj._ unoccupied.--_adj._
LEI'SURED, not occupied with business.--_adj._ and _adv._ LEI'SURELY, not
hasty or hastily.--AT LEISURE, AT ONE'S LEISURE, free from occupation, at
one's ease or convenience. [O. Fr. _leisir_--L. _lic[=e]re_, to be
permitted.]
LEMAN, l[=e]'man, or lem'-, _n._ a sweetheart; paramour. [A.S. _leóf_,
loved, _mann_, man.]
LEMMA, lem'a, _n._ (_math._) a preliminary proposition demonstrated for the
purpose of being used in a subsequent proposition: sometimes in logic a
premise taken for granted: a theme:--_pl._ LEMM'AS, LEMM'ATA. [L.,--Gr.
_l[=e]mma_--_lambanein_, to take.]
LEMMING, lem'ing, _n._ a genus of rodents, nearly allied to voles,
migrating southward in great numbers. [Norw. _lemende_, _lemming_--_lemja_,
to beat. Perh. Lapp, _loumek_, a lemming.]
LEMNIAN, lem'ni-an, _adj._ pertaining to _Lemnos_ in the Ægean
Sea.--LEMNIAN EARTH, cimolite; LEMNIAN RUDDLE, a red chalk found in Lemnos.
LEMNISCATE, lem-nis'k[=a]t, _n._ a curve in general form like the figure
8--also _adj._--_n._ LEMNIS'CUS, a woollen fillet attached to the back of
crowns, diadems, &c. [Gr. _l[=e]mniskos_.]
LEMON, lem'un, _n._ an oval fruit resembling the orange, with an acid pulp:
the tree that bears lemons.--_n._ LEMONADE', a drink made of lemon-juice,
water, and sugar.--_adj._ LEM'ON-COL'OURED, having the colour of a ripe
lemon.--_ns._ LEM'ON-GRASS, a fragrant perennial grass, in India, Arabia,
&c., yielding an essential oil used in perfumery; LEM'ON-SQUASH,
unfervescent lemonade; LEM'ON-SQUEEZ'ER, a small hand-press for extracting
the juice of lemons; LEM'ON-YELL'OW, a clear, pale yellow colour. [Fr.
_limon_--Ar. _l[=i]m[=u]n_.]
LEMUR, l[=e]'mur, _n._ a genus of mammals appearing to stand between the
Insectivora and the monkeys, forest dwellers, mainly nocturnal in habits,
common in Madagascar. [L. _lemur_, a ghost.]
LEMURES, lem'[=u]-r[=e]z, _n.pl._ (_Milt._) spirits of the departed:
spectres. [L.]
LEND, lend, _v.t._ to give for a short time something to be returned: to
afford, grant, or furnish, in general: to let for hire.--_v.i._ to make a
loan:--_pr.p_ lend'ing; _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ lent.--_ns._ LEND'ER; LEND'ING,
the act of giving in loan: (_Shak._) that which is lent or supplied. [A.S.
_l['æ]nan_--_l['æ]n_, _lán_, a loan.]
LENGTH, length, _n._ quality of being long: extent from end to end: the
longest measure of anything: long continuance: detail: (_prosody_) time
occupied in uttering a vowel or syllable: the quality of a vowel as long or
short: any definite portion of a known extent.--_v.t._ LENGTH'EN, to
increase in length: to draw out.--_v.i._ to grow longer.--_adv._
LENGTH'ILY.--_n._ LENGTH'INESS.--_adv._ LENGTH'WISE, in the direction of
the length.--_adj._ LENGTH'Y, of great length: rather long--(_obs._)
LENGTH'FUL.--LENGTH OF DAYS, prolonged life.--AT LENGTH, in the full
extent: at last; GO GREAT LENGTHS, GO TO ALL LENGTHS, to use extreme
efforts; GO TO THE LENGTH OF, to proceed as far as. [A.S.,--_lang_, long.]
LENIENT, l[=e]'ni-ent, _adj._ softening: mild: merciful.--_n._ (_med._)
that which softens: an emollient.--_ns._ L[=E]'NIENCE,
L[=E]'NIENCY.--_adv._ L[=E]'NIENTLY.--_v.t._ L[=E]'NIFY (_rare_), to
assuage.--_adj._ LEN'ITIVE, mitigating: laxative.--_n._ any palliative:
(_med._) an application for easing pain: a mild purgative.--_n._ LEN'ITY,
mildness: clemency. [L. _leniens_, _-entis_, pr.p. of _len[=i]re_, to
soften--_lenis_, soft.]
LENO, l[=e]'n[=o], _n._ a thin linen like muslin.
LENOCINIUM, l[=e]-n[=o]-sin'i-um, _n._ (_Scots law_) a husband's connivance
at his wife's adultery. [L.]
[Illustration]
LENS, lenz, _n._ (_optics_) a piece of transparent substance with one or
both sides convex or concave, the object to refract rays of light really or
apparently radiating from a point, and make them deviate so as to pass, or
travel on as if they had passed, through another point: the crystalline
humour of the eye: a genus of leguminous plants:--_pl._ LENS'ES. [L.
_lens_, _lentis_, the lentil.]
LENT, lent, _n._ an annual fast of forty days in commemoration of the fast
of our Saviour (Matt. iv. 2), from Ash-Wednesday to Easter.--_adj._
LENT'EN, relating to, or used in, Lent: sparing.--_n._ LENT'-LIL'Y, the
daffodil, as flowering in Lent. [A.S. _lencten_, the spring; Dut. _lente_,
Ger. _lenz_.]
LENTAMENTE, len-ta-men'te, _adv._ (_mus._) slowly, in slow time.--_advs._
LENTAN'DO, becoming slower by degrees; LEN'TO, slow, slowly. [It.]
LENTICULAR, len-tik'[=u]-lar, _adj._ resembling a lens or lentil seed:
double-convex--also LEN'TIFORM.--_n._ LEN'TICEL (_bot._), a loose,
lens-shaped mass of cells belonging to the corky layer or periderm of
plants.--_adj._ LENTICEL'LATE.--_n._ LENTIC'ULA, a small lens: a lenticel:
a freckle--also LEN'TICULE.--_adv._ LENTIC'ULARLY.--_adjs._ LENTIG'EROUS,
having a crystalline lens; LEN'TOID, lens-shaped. [L.
_lenticularis_--_lenticula_, dim. of _lens_, a lentil.]
LENTIGO, len-t[=i]'g[=o], _n._ a freckle.--_adjs._ LENTIG'INOSE,
LENTIG'INOUS (_bot._), covered with minute dots as if dusted. [L.]
LENTIL, len'til, _n._ an annual plant, common near the Mediterranean,
bearing pulse used for food. [O. Fr. _lentille_--L. _lens_, _lentis_, the
lentil.]