LUTHERAN, l[=u]'th[.e]r-an, _adj._ pertaining to _Luther_, the great German
Protestant reformer (1483-1546), or to his doctrines: a follower of
Luther.--_ns._ LU'THERANISM, L[=U]'THERISM; L[=U]'THERIST.
LUXATE, luks'[=a]t, _v.t._ to put out of joint: to displace.--_n._
LUX[=A]'TION, a dislocation. [L. _lux[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_--_luxus_--Gr.
_loxos_, slanting.]
LUXURY, luk's[=u]-ri, _n._ free indulgence in rich diet or costly dress or
equipage: anything delightful: a dainty: (_Shak._) wantonness.--_ns._
LUX[=U]'RIANCE, LUX[=U]'RIANCY, LUXUR[=I]'ETY.--_adj._ LUX[=U]'RIANT,
exuberant in growth: overabundant.--_adv._ LUX[=U]'RIANTLY.--_v.i._
LUX[=U]'RIATE, to be luxuriant: to grow exuberantly: to live luxuriously:
to expatiate with delight.--_n._ LUXURI[=A]'TION, the act of
luxuriating.--_adj._ LUX[=U]'RIOUS, given to luxury: administering to
luxury: furnished with luxuries: softening by pleasure: (_Milt._)
luxuriant: (_Shak._) lustful.--_adv._ LUX[=U]'RIOUSLY.--_ns._
LUX[=U]'RIOUSNESS; LUX'URIST, one given to luxury. [O. Fr. _luxurie_--L.
_luxuria_, luxury--_luxus_, excess.]
LUZ, luz, _n._ a bone supposed by Rabbinical writers to be indestructible,
probably the sacrum.
LUZULA, l[=u]'z[=u]-lä, _n._ a genus of plants of the rush family, having
plain leaves, covered with thinly scattered, longish hairs. [Old It.
_luzziola_, a firefly.]
LYAM, l[=i]'am, _n._ a leash.--Also LIME.
LYART. See LIARD.
LYCANTHROPY, l[=i]-kan'thro-pi, _n._ the power possessed by a person of
changing himself into a wolf: a kind of madness, in which the patient
fancies himself to be a wolf.--_ns._ LYCAN'THROPE, LYCAN'THROPIST, a
wolf-man or were-wolf, one affected with lycanthropy.--_adjs._
LYCANTHROP'IC, LYCAN'THROPOUS. [Gr. _lykos_, a wolf, _anthr[=o]pos_, a
man.]
LYCEUM, l[=i]-s[=e]'um, _n._ a place devoted to instruction by lectures: an
association for literary improvement. [Orig. the name of a place in the
immediate neighbourhood of Athens, consecrated to _Apollo Lyceios_, where
Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, taught.]
LYCHGATE. Same as LICHGATE.
LYCHNIC, lik'nik, _n._ a part of the vespers of the Greek Church on the
occasion of a vigil.--_n._ LYCHNAP'SIA, a series of seven prayers in the
vespers of the Greek Church.--_adj._ LYCHNID'IATE, emitting light,
phosphorescent.--_ns._ LYCH'NOBITE, one who works by night and sleeps by
day; LYCH'NOMANCY, divination by means of lamps; LYCH'NOSCOPE, a small
window-like opening in the south wall of a church. [Gr. _lychnos_, a
light.]
LYCHNIS, lik'nis, _n._ a genus of erect ornamental herbs of the pink
family--campions or wall-flowers. [L.]
LYCOPODIACEÆ, l[=i]-ko-p[=o]-di-[=a]'se-[=e], _n.pl._ a class of isoporous
vascular cryptogams, having mostly a dichotomous form of branching--its
typical genus LYCOP[=O]'DIUM.--_n._ LY'COPODE, a highly inflammable yellow
powder made up of the spores of Lycopodium. [Gr. _lykos_, a wolf, _pous_,
the foot.]
LYDDITE, lid'[=i]t, _n._ a powerful explosive made (at _Lydd_ in Kent) from
picrate of potash.
LYDIAN, lid'i-an, _adj._ pertaining to _Lydia_ in Asia Minor: of an ancient
Greek mode of music: (_mus._) soft and slow: luxurious and effeminate.
LYE, l[=i], _n._ a short side-branch of railway.
LYE, l[=i], _n._ a solution leached from ashes: a solution of the fixed
alkalies, potash and soda, in water. [A.S. _leáh_; Ger. _lauge_; allied to
_lav[=a]re_, to wash.]
LYENCEPHALOUS, l[=i]-en-sef'a-lus, _adj._ having the corpus callosum absent
or rudimentary.
LYING, l[=i]'ing, _adj._ addicted to telling lies.--_n._ the habit of
telling lies.--_adv._ LY'INGLY.
LYING, l[=i]'ing, _adj._ being in a horizontal position.--_n._ LY'ING-IN,
the confinement of women during child-bearing--also _adj._
LYKE-WAKE, l[=i]k'-w[=a]k, _n._ Same as LICH-WAKE.
LYM, lim, _n._ (_Shak._) a lime-hound.--Also LYM'-HOUND.
LYME-GRASS, l[=i]m'-gras, _n._ any one of various coarse grasses of genus
_Elymus_.
LYMPH, limf, _n._ water: a colourless or faintly-yellowish fluid in animal
bodies, of a rather saltish taste, and with an alkaline reaction.--_n._
LYMPHANG[=I]'TIS (see WEED, 3).--_adj._ LYMPHAT'IC, pertaining to
lymph.--_n._ a vessel which conveys the lymph.--_adjs._ LYMPH'Y, LYMPH'OID.
[L. _lympha_.]
LYMPHAD, lim'fad, _n._ (_Scot._) a kind of sailing-vessel.
LYNCH, linsh, _v.t._ to judge and punish without the usual forms of
law.--_n._ LYNCH'-LAW (_Amer._), a kind of summary justice exercised by the
people. [From Charles _Lynch_ (1736-96) of Virginia.]
LYNX, lingks, _n._ a genus of _Felidæ_, with the body elevated at the
haunches, long fur, a short tail, the ears tipped with tufts of
hair.--_adjs._ LYNC[=E]'AN, LYNX'-EYED, sharp-sighted. [L.,--Gr.]
LYON COURT, l[=i]'un k[=o]rt, _n._ the court in Scotland with jurisdiction
in questions of coat-armour and precedency--presided over by the LYON
KING-OF-ARMS. [From the heraldic lion of Scotland.]
[Illustration]
LYRE, l[=i]r, _n._ a musical instrument like the harp, anciently used as an
accompaniment to poetry.--_n._ LY'RA, one of the northern
constellations.--_adjs._ LY'RATE, -D (_bot._), lyre-shaped.--_ns._
LYRE'BIRD, an Australian bird about the size of a pheasant, having the 16
tail-feathers of the male arranged in the form of a lyre; LYRIC (lir'-), a
lyric poem: (_obs._) a composer of lyric poetry.--_adjs._ LYRIC, -AL
(lir'-), pertaining to the lyre: fitted to be sung to the lyre: written in
stanzas: said of poetry which expresses the individual emotions of the
poet: that composes lyrics.--_ns._ LYRICISM (lir'-), a lyrical expression
or composition; LYR'ISM, the art of playing on the lyre; LYR'IST, a player
on the lyre or harp. [Fr.,--L. _lyra_--Gr.]
LYSIMETER, l[=i]-sim'e-t[.e]r, _n._ an instrument for measuring the rate of
percolation of rain through a soil.
LYSIS, l[=i]'sis, _n._ the gradual abatement of a disease, as distinguished
from crisis: (_archit._) a plinth or step above the cornice of the podium
in an ancient temple. [Gr.]