| ladybug |
any of numerous small beetles, often orange with black spots, that feed mostly on aphids and scale insects. |
| ladyfinger |
a short, narrow sponge cake shaped like a finger. |
| lady-in-waiting |
a lady of a royal court who serves a queen or princess. |
| ladykiller |
(informal) a man who is thought by himself or others to be irresistibly fascinating to women. |
| ladylike |
like, characteristic of, or befitting a lady; cultivated; refined; well-bred. [2 definitions] |
| ladyship |
(often cap.) the title used when referring or speaking directly to a woman with the rank of lady (often prec. by "Her" or "Your"). [2 definitions] |
| lady's man |
see "ladies' man." |
| lady's room |
see "ladies' room." |
| lady's-slipper |
any of various related orchids that bear flowers with a protruding, inflated lip that somewhat resembles a woman's slipper. |
| Laertes |
in Greek mythology, king of Ithaca and, in certain myths, father of Odysseus. |
| laetrile |
a drug made of substances from almond seeds and apricot or peach pits, used to treat some types of cancer but banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. |
| Laffer Curve |
a graph illustrating the theory that increasing taxes results in increased government revenue only up to a certain point, after which further tax increases discourage production and investment. |
| lag |
to fall behind an established or expected pace (often fol. by "behind"). [6 definitions] |
| lag bolt |
see "lag screw." |
| lager |
a light, carbonated beer that is stored from six weeks to six months to permit sedimentation. |
| laggard |
someone or something that lags behind. [2 definitions] |
| laggardly |
slowly or belatedly; in the way of a laggard. [2 definitions] |
| lagging |
thermal insulation that is wrapped around pipes, boilers, and the like. [3 definitions] |
| lagniappe |
an extra gift, bonus, or tip. |
| lagomorph |
any of an order of plant-eating mammals, including rabbits, hares, and pikas, having short tails and two pairs of upper incisors. |
| lagoon |
a shallow, saltwater area by the sea but separated from it by sandbars or by coral reefs or islands. [3 definitions] |