RANDOM HOUSE
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`\X/EBSTER'S
`
`
`
`
`
`UNABRIDGED
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`DICTIONARY
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`Second Edition
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`RANDOM HOUSE
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`NEW YORK
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`1
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`VALMONT 2005
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`Random House compact unabridged dictionary
`Random House Webster’s Unabridged dictionary.——2nd ed.
`p. cm
`Rev., updated ed. of: Random House compact unabridged dictionary.
`Special 2nd Ed.
`ISBN V0-679-45854-9.—-ISBN 0-679-45853-0
`1. English language——Dictionaries.
`PE1625.R293 1997
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`
`-—laD-a-ro-scop-Ic (lap/ar a skoph
`+'"5C0l’E]
`-lflv-a-ros-co-p t (lap’e ros/ks pist), n.
`5:00-py (lap/9 ros/ka pé), n., pl. -pies. Surg.
`ion of the abdominal cavity or performance of
`bdorninal surgery using a laparoscope.
`[1850—55;
`-5-
`-SCOPY]
`toma (lap’ar a tom/), n, Surg. a cutting in-
`ofzg erforming a laparotomy.
`[1850-55; LAFA-
`t‘°'ll1lZ8 (lap/a rot/3 miz/), u.t., -mlzad, -mlz-
`.
`-48 a-rovo-mist, n.
`'38-
`topperform a laparotomy on.
`[LAPAROTOM(Y)
`_
`-my (lap/a rot’a‘mé), n., pl. -mlas. Surg.
`51011 through the abdominal wall. 2. incision into
`i 939 for access to the abdominal cavity.
`[1875-
`R0» + -'1-onv]
`la piiz’). 1. a city in and the
`2 (13 P§S’;_Eng.
`_!‘8l7Ive capital of Bolivia, in the W part; Sucre is
`lclal capital. 660,700; ab. 12,000 ft. (3660 in) above
`46951602. a city in SE Lower California, in NW Mex-
`'b'9lt/.
`(in a motor vehicle) a seat belt secured to
`Ynework ofa seat and fastening across the lap ofa
`°" 5 Passenger.
`[1950-55]
`
`on the lap for use as a table or writing surface.
`.d3|’d (lap/bérd/, -bord/), n. a thin, flat board to
`' LAP‘ + somm]
`hlld’. South Midland and Southern us. a child
`3 [Wt Yet begun or has just begun to walk.
`Volvo/, Motion Pictures. dissolve (def. 17).
`°6§;:4E]SlTlfl].l pet dog that can easily be held in the
`oveftail joint/. See half-blind joint.
`
`€11 bet: on the chest, csp.
`:1 continuation of a coat
`:09 Eel’), n. either of the two parts of a garment
`_lao
`[17§0—90;
`ii-reg. dim. of LAP‘; see -LE]
`. adj. —|a-pol/less, adj.
`8
`sker’s lapel, pocket, or the like. Also calle
`ap
`,mlk3’. a small microphone that may be cli pad
`WI? one.
`[1935-10]
`'é."'9lI86 "(ls p§ R562’), Jean Fran-cola do Ga-
`Zh§iN fnaN swaf da gs 16/),
`1741-83, French
`officer and explorer.
`l1l(1’f6’l,
`. Z.-fl.
`h
`hl
`as muc
`16Ofi5p_15;oL)M: ,f ‘Fulfil:
`as t e ap can
`5539. See -ful.
`pli der/é), n., pl. -dar-las, adj. —n. 1.
`dis! (lap/i dist). a worker who cuts, polishes,
`Eraves precious stones.
`2. Also,
`Ia-pld-ar-lat
`{Var iSl)~ an expert in precious stones and the art or
`mqlles used in cutting and engraving them. 3. the
`fcutting, polishing, and en avln
`recious stones.
`kl old book on the lore of ggins. Egdj. Also, land-
`" (lap/i_ dE‘ir’é an). 5. of or pertaining to the cut-
`Gllgraving of precious stones. 6. characterized by
`Jmctltude and extreme refinement that suggests gem
`“El 0 lupidary style; lapiclary verse. 7. of, pertaining
`1" suggestive of inscriptions on stone monuments.
`5475; ME lapldarie (n.) < L lapidorius of stone
`stone—cuttcr (n.), equiv. to lapid- (s. of lapis) stone
`us -Aiw]
`,
`-date (lap/i dat/), v.t., -dat-ed. -dot-lng. 1. to pelt
`stones. 2. to stone to death.
`[161&25; < L lopidE-
`btp. of lupida
`t
`t
`.s
`LA
`,
`.x *
`mossy
`ee
`re
`p)‘.da'“un' "I
`a sane
`-rs]
`PW-fy (la pidla £22), v.l., v.i., -fled. ~fy-ins. Ar-
`to turn into stone.
`[1650—60; ML lapidi(ficc'zti6n)
`[action (see LAPIDARY, -l-, -FICATKDN) + -rv] —Iap/-
`i-cal. adj. -la-pld’I-fl-ca/tion. TL.
`l’ll'lu5.(1a pilfas), n., pl. -pll-ll (-pil/i). a small stony
`Ole ejected from a volcano.
`[1740-50; < L: little
`er Pebble. dim. of lapis stone]
`VI
`(laplin; Fr. IA paN’), n., pl. lap-ins .(lap/iiiz; Fr.
`N’). 1. a rabbit. 2. rabbit fur, esp. when trimmed
`dyed.
`[1900—05; < F, MF, perh., by suffix alteration,
`_m lapereczn rabbit < lbero—Romance; cf. CONY]
`5 (lap’is, lsrpis), n., pl.
`lap-l-den (lap/i déz/). 1.
`Latin. stone (used in Latin names for minerals,
`» etc.) 2. See lapls lazuli.
`.
`lazhi‘-
`s laz-u-Ii
`(lap/is laz/6'6 le, -li/,
`laz/yd?)-,
`1. a deep-blue mineral composed mainly of lazu-
`Wlth smaller quantities of other minerals, used
`51"]? as a gem or as a pigment. 2. a sky—blue color;
`re. Also called lapls. lazull.
`[1350-1400; ME < ML,
`llw. to
`lapis stone + ML lazuli, gen. of lozulum
`is lazuli; see AZURE]
`' lpint’, 1. Also called plaln lap. a joint, as between
`Pleces of metal or timber, in which the pieces over-
`pwlthout any change in form. 2. any of various joints
`tween two members, as timbers, in which an end or
`on of one is partly cut away to be overlapped by an
`d or section of the other, often so that flush surfaces
`ult. —Iap/-lolnt/ad. adj.
`[1815—25]
`place (is plAs/),
`71.. Pierre SI-mon (pyelz so m6N’)
`{Ills do, 1749-1827, French astronomer'and mathe-
`atician.
`the second—order partial
`Placef aqua/tion, Math.
`fferentlal equation indicating that the Laplace opera-
`l0l'.0 erating on a given function results in zero. Cf. har-
`no (def. 4c).
`[1835—45; after P. S. LAPLACE]
`. P1366’ trans/form. Math. a map ofa function, as
`Signal, defined esp. for positive real values, as time
`eater than zero, into another domain where the func-
`n is represented as a sum of exponentials. Cf. Fourier
`nsfurm.
`[1940-15; after P. S. LAPLACE]
`P’l3l1d_ (1ap’land’), n. a region in N Norway, N Swe-
`at N _Finland, and the Kola Peninsula of the NW So-
`el: Union in Europ . inhabited by Lapps.
`Fla-ta (la
`1ii’tii),
`1. a seaport in E Argentina.
`05341. 2. See
`lata, Rio do la.
`
`RUSSIAN
`
`FEDERATION
`
`lap’ link/, a chain link for joining two lengths of chain,
`having a split in one end so that it can be opened to re-
`ey ll
`.
`aeive"ot|l;ier links and then closed again. Also called mon-
`lap! mi/crophona. See Iapol mike.
`La Porta (la pfirt/,
`firv), 1. a city in NW Indiana.
`21,796. 2. a town in
`Texas. 14,062.
`LEPP (lap). n. 1. Also called Lap-land-er (lap/lan’der,
`-lan-). a member of a Finnic people of northern Norway,
`Sweden, Finland, and adjacent regions. 2. Also called
`Lappish. any of the, lan
`ages of the Lapps, closely re-
`lated to Finnish. Also ca led Saml.
`
`of a piece of lan claimed by one person on land claimed
`lap-page (lap/S), n. Law. an overlapping of part or all
`by another.
`[L.A.r‘ + -AGE]
`a city in SE
`Lap-peen-ran-ta (lziplpen nan tti), n.
`Finland. 54,000.
`lap-per‘ (lap’ar), n. a person or thing that laps liquid.
`[1600-ll]; LAP“ + -mill]
`lap-par’ (la ’sr),_ v.i. Scot. and North Eng.
`to clabber;
`curdle,
`[180
`15; Scots form of l.ol>i-la:ll.=]
`lap-pet (lap’it), n. 1. a small lap, flap, or loosely hang-
`ing part, esp. of a garment or headdress. See illus. under
`miter. 2. is projecting, lobelike structure in certain in-
`vertebrate animals. 3. Ornith. a wattle or other fleshy
`process on a bird’s head. 4. Textiles. a. a rack or bar
`used in t e production of figured patterns.
`ll. an orna-
`containing needles, situated at the front of the read, and
`mented fabric
`roduced by lappet weaving.
`[1565—75;
`Ln‘ + -ET] -ap/pet~od, adj.
`into which an embroid-
`lap/pet weav/ing, weavin
`ered pattern produced by ad itional warp threads has
`been introduced with the aid of a lappet.
`[1860—65]
`Lap-pish (lap/ish), n. 1. Lapp (def. 2). —odj. 2. Also,
`or the Lapps.
`[1870—7 ; Lars + -lsH‘]
`Larflplc. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Lapland
`L'A-prés-mi-di d'un Fauna (Fr. 1». pne me de dci:N
`ffin’), a poem (1876) by Mallarmé: source of Debussy’s
`musical composition Prélude ci l’Aprés—rnidi d'un Fauna
`(1892-94). English, The Afternoon of a Faun.
`lap’ robe/, a blanket, fur covering, or the like, used to
`cover onc's lap or legs, as when sitting outdoors or riding
`in an open vehicle.
`[1865-70, Amen]
`laps-a-ble (lap’se bal), adj.
`liable to lapse. Also, Iapsl-
`bla.
`[1670-80; mesa + —ABLE]
`Lap-sang (lap/sang’, l.ap’san ’), adj. notin a kind of
`souchong tea with a strong smo y flavor.
`[18 5-80‘, orig.
`uncert.]
`lapse (laps), n.., u., lapsed, laps-ins. —-n. 1. an acci-
`dental or temporary decline or deviation from an ex-
`pected or accepted condition or state; a temporary falling
`or sli ping from a
`revious standard: a lapse of justice.
`2. a s ip or error, 0 en ofa trivial sort; failure: a lapse of
`memory. 3. an interval or
`assage of time; elapsed pe-
`riod: a lapse often minutes before the program resumed.
`4. a moral fall, as from rectitude or virtue. 5. a fall or
`decline to a lower grade, condition, or degree; descent;
`regression: a lapse into sauagery. 6. the act of falling,
`slipping, sliding, etc., slowly or by degrees. 7. a falling
`into disuse. 8. Insurance. discontinuance of coverage
`resulting from nonpayment of a premium; termination of
`a policy. 9. Law. the termination ofa right or privilege
`through neglect to exercise it or through failure of some
`contingency. 10. Meteorol. See lapse rate.
`11. Ar-
`chaic. a gentle, downward flow, as of water. —u.i. 12.
`to fall or deviate from a previous standard; fail to main-
`tain a normative level: Toward the and of the book the
`author lapsed into bad prose. 13.
`to come to an end;
`sto : We let our subscription to that magazine lapse. 14.
`to all, slip, or sink; subside: to lapse into silence. 15. to
`fall into disuse: The custom lapsed after cl period of time.
`16.
`to deviate or abandon principles, beliefs, etc.:
`to
`lapse into heresy. 17. to fall spiritually, as an apostate:
`to lapse from grace. 18. to pass away, as time; elapse.
`19. Law. to become voi_d, as a legac
`to someone who
`dies before the testator. 20. to cease being in force; ter-
`minate; Your insurance policy will lapse after 30 days.
`fib(i) to slide, glip, fall, make a mistake + -sus, or -tus
`51520-30; < L lapsus an error, slipping, failing, e uiv. to
`suffix of v. action] —laps/er. n.
`lapsed (lnpst), adj.
`1. expired; voided; terminated: as
`0
`_owing the tenets of a particular belief, obligation, po-
`gufised insurance policy. 2. no longer committed to or
`sition, etc.: a lapsed Catholic.
`[1610—20; mess + -cn‘]
`lapse’ rate/, Meteorol.
`the rate of decrease of atmos-
`pheric temperature_with increase of elevation vertically
`above a given location.
`[19l5—20]
`lap-si-ble (lap/sa bal), adj.
`lapsable. [mesa + -lane]
`lap-size (lap’siz/), adj. of a size to fit the lap: a lap-
`size chessboard. Also, lap/-sized/.
`lap-strake (la /strfik’), adj. Naut.
`1. clinker-built
`(def. 2). —n.
`. a vessel with a clinker-built hull.
`[1765—75, Amer-,; LAP” + s-ramus]
`a slip or lapse.
`lap-sus
`(lap’sas; Lat.
`ltip/sofas), n.
`[1660-70; < L lapsus; see LAPSE]
`
`lardy-dardy
`
`lap’sas
`
`lap’sas
`
`(liip’s6'6s kfi’lii mé’; Eng.
`lap-sus ca-Ia-mi
`kal’e mi/, —m6/), Latin. a slip of the pen.
`lap-sus lln-guae
`(liip/soils
`ling/gwi; Eng.
`ling’gwE), Latin. a slip of the tongue.
`Lapftev Saaf
`(lap/tsf, -tev; Russ. l5i’ptyif), an arm
`of the Arctic Ocean N of the Russian Federation in Asia,
`between Taimyr Peninsula and the New Siberian Is-
`lands. Also called Nordenskjiild Sea.
`lap-top (lap/top’), n. a portable, usu. battery-powered
`microcomputer small enough to rest on the user's lap.
`[198(L85; mm‘ + 'roP‘]
`La Puen-to (la pwen’te, -ta), a city in SW California,
`E of Los Angeles. 30,882.
`La-pu-ta (la pycT:’ta), n. an imaginary flying island in
`Swiilfs Gulliver's Travels, the inhabitants of which en-
`gaged in a variety of ridiculous projects and pseudo-
`scientific experiments. -La-pu/tan, udj., n.
`lap-wing (lap’wing’), n. 1. a large Old World plover,
`Vonellus uanellus, having a long, slender, upcurved
`crest, an erratic, flapping flight, and a shrill cry. 2.
`any of several similar, related plovers. Ebel‘. 1050; ME,
`var. (hy assoc. with WING) of lapwinke, OE hleapwince
`plover. See LEAP, wmx]
`la-qua-us (la/kwe as, lakiwe-), n.,pZ. Ia-qua-l (lr‘i’kwé-
`i/, -kwé E’, lak’wé i’, -we é/). Anat.
`lemniscus.
`[< L:
`noose]
`L’Aq-ui-Ia (llirkwe Ii), 71. Aquila.
`lar (lar), n., pl. lar-as (lsrrez, la/réz) for 1, Ian for 2. 1.
`(cap) Rom. Reli ion. any of the Lares. 2. Zool. See
`white-handed gl hon.
`[1580-90; < L]
`Lar-a-mie (lar/9 me),
`TL.
`1. a city in SE Wyoming.
`24,410. 2. Fort. See Fort Laramlo.
`Lar/amie Range’, a mountain range in N Colorado
`and SE Wyoming. Highest peak, Laramie Peak, 9020 ft.
`(2749 m).
`la-rar-l-um (la rfirié am), n., pl. -rar-i-a (-rar/é a).
`(in
`an ancient Roman home) a shrine for the Lares.
`[1700-
`10; < LL larorium; see L.-mes, -ARY]
`Ia ra-za (Iii l1.§’s§), (sometimes caps.) Spanish. 1. (used
`with a plural 11.) Mexican Americans collectively. 2.
`(used with a singular u.) Mexican-American culture.
`Iar-board (léirlbfird/,
`-biird/; Nout.
`llir/bard), Naut,
`—n. 1.
`(formerly) port‘ (def. 1). —adj. 2. (formerly)
`ort’ (defs. 2, 3).
`[1300-50; ME loddeborde (perh. lit.,
`oading side; see LADE, BOARD); later larborde (by analogy
`with storbourd)]
`lar-ca-nor (li-ir/sa nar), n.
`a person who commits lar-
`ceny. Also, lar’ce-nlst.
`[1625—35; LARCI-:N‘(Y) + -an‘]
`Iar-ca-nous
`(liir/sa nos), adj.
`1. of, resembling, or
`characteristic of larceny. 2. guilty of larceny.
`[1735—45;
`LARCEN(Y) + -0115] —larIc-nous-ly. adv.
`the wrongful
`lar-ca-ny (lar/sa ne), n., pl. -nles. Law.
`taking and carrying away of the personal goods of an-
`other from his or her possession with intent to convert
`them to the taker’s own use. Cf. grand larceny, patty
`larceny.
`[1425—75; late ME < AF Zarcin theft (< L lu-
`trficinium robbery, e uiv.
`to latr6cln(Elri.) to rob, ogig.
`serve as mercenary so dier (deriv. of latré hired soldier,
`robber) + -ium —IUM) + —Y‘']
`larch (larch), n.
`1. any coniferous tree of the genus
`Lariat, yielding a tough durable wood. 2. the wood of
`such a tree.
`[1540-50; earlier lorche < MHG << L lar-
`ic- (s. of lorix) larch] ~larclI/er. adj.
`larch’ sawlfly,
`a red and black sawfly, Pristiphora
`erichsonii,
`the larvae of which infest and feed on the
`leaves of larch.
`lard (liird), n. 1. the rendered fat of hogs, esp. the in-
`tsrnal fat of the abdomen. ——-v.t. 2.
`to apply lard or
`grease to. 3. to prepare or enrich (lean meat, chicken,
`etc.) with pork or fat, esp. with lardons. 4.
`to supple-
`ment or enrich with somethin for improvement or or-
`namentation: a literary work circled with mythological
`allusions.
`[1300-50; ME (v.), late ME (n.) < MF larder
`(v.), lard (n.) < L l&r(i)dum. bacon fat; akin to Gk lfirinés
`fat (adj.)] —IardI|lke’. adj.
`adj.
`lardlike;
`fatty.
`lar-da-ceous
`(Jar da’shas),
`[1815—25; LARD + -ACEOUS]
`lard-ass (liird/as/), n. Slang (vulgar). 1. a person hav-
`ing unusually large buttocks. 2. any very fat person.
`Also, lard/-ass’.
`[Lmm + Ass’]
`Iar-der (léir/dar), n. 1. a room or place where food is
`kept; pantry. 2. a supply of food.
`[1275—1325; ME <
`AF; OF lurdier. See LARD,
`-E112]
`Iarlder bee/tle,
`a black beetle, Dermestes lurdorius,
`the larvae of which feed on dried meats, hides, furs, etc.
`[lB65—70, Amen]
`Lard-ner (lard/nar), n. Ring(gold WII-mar) (ring’gfild/
`na ist.
`will/mar), 1885-1933, US. short-story writer and jour-
`lard! 0"’, a colorless or yellowish oil expressed from
`45
`’
`1ar]d, used chiefly as a_ lubricant for cutting tools.
`[1835-
`Iar-don (lar/dn), n.
`a strip of fat used in larding, esp.
`as drawn through the substance of meat, chicken, etc.,
`with a kind of needle or pin. Also, lar-doon (liir dcfin’).
`[l.400—50; late ME lardun < MF lardan piece of pork,
`‘equiv. to lard LARD + -on n. suffix]
`lard-y (lsrrds), adj.,
`lard-I-er,
`lard-l-est.
`1.
`like 0)‘
`consisting of lard: lordy pastry. 2. fat or becoming fat: a
`diet designed for the lardy figure.
`[1880—85; man + -1"]
`Iar-dy-dar-dy (larldé dfiridé), adj. Chiefly Brit. Slang.
`characterized by excessive elegance.
`[1860-65; after LA-
`D!—'DA; for sp. with r, cf. iuwo]
`CONCISE PRUNUNUIATION KEY: act, cape, dare. pan, set, Equal; if, ice;
`ox, Ever, order, ail, bliok, bo‘6t, out; up, urge; child; sing; shoe; thin,
`that; zh as in treasure. a = n as in alone, e as in system.
`i as in
`mail , o as in gallop, u as in circus; ° as in fire (fi°r), hour (ouar).
`1 ancln can serve as syllabic consonants, as in cradle (kréd/1), and
`button (but/n). See the fullvkey inside the front cover.
`
`3