wharf ( hwôrf, wôrf ) n. pl. wharves ( hwôrvz, wôrvz ) or wharfs Abbr. whf. 1. A landing place or pier where ships may tie up and load or unload. 2. Obsolete A shore or riverbank. v. wharfed wharf·ing wharfs v. tr. 1. To moor (a vessel) at a wharf. 2. To take to or store (cargo) on a wharf. 3. To furnish, equip, or protect with wharves or a wharf. v. intr. 1. To berth at a wharf. [Middle English from Old English hwearf]

land·ing ( l²n"d¹ng) n. Abbr. ldg. 1. a. The act or process of coming to land or rest, especially after a voyage or flight. b. A termination, especially of a voyage or flight. 2. A site for loading and unloading passengers and cargo. 3. a. An intermediate platform on a flight of stairs. b. The area at the top or bottom of a staircase.

land ( l²nd) n. Abbr. l. 1. The solid ground of the earth. 2. a. Ground or soil: tilled the land. b. A topographically or functionally distinct tract: desert land; prime building land. 3. a. A nation; a country. b. The people of a nation, district, or region. c. lands Territorial possessions or property. 4. Public or private landed property; real estate. 5. An area or a realm: the land of make-believe; the land of television. 6. Law a. A tract that may be owned, together with everything growing or constructed on it. b. A landed estate. 7. The raised portion of a grooved surface, as on a phonograph record. v. land·ed land·ing lands v. tr. 1. a. To bring to and unload on land: land cargo. b. To set (a vehicle) down on land or another surface: land an airplane smoothly; land a seaplane on a lake. 2. Informal To cause to arrive in a place or condition: Civil disobedience will land you in jail. 3. a. To catch and pull in (a fish): landed a big catfish. b. Informal To win; secure: land a big contract. 4. Informal To deliver: landed a blow on his opponent's head. v. intr. 1. a. To come to shore: landed against the current with great difficulty. b. To disembark: landed at a crowded dock. 2. To descend toward and settle onto the ground or another surface: The helicopter has landed. 3. Informal To arrive in a place or condition: landed at the theater too late for the opening curtain. 4. To come to rest in a certain way or place: land on one's feet. [Middle English from Old English; See lendh- in Indo-European Roots.]

lard ( lärd) n. 1. The white solid or semisolid rendered fat of a hog. v. tr. lard·ed lard·ing lards 1. To cover or coat with lard or a similar fat. 2. To insert strips of fat or bacon in (meat) before cooking. 3. a. To enrich or lace heavily with extra material; embellish: larded the report with quotations. b. To fill throughout; inject: " The history of Sicily was larded with treachery " Mario Puzo [Middle English from Old French larde from Latin l³rdum] lard "y adj.

laud ( lôd) v. tr. laud·ed laud·ing lauds 1. To give praise to; glorify. See note at praise . n. 1. Praise; glorification. 2. A hymn or song of praise. 3. Often Lauds used with a sing. or pl. verb a. The service of prayers following the matins and constituting with them the first of the seven canonical hours. b. The time appointed for this service. [Middle English lauden from Old French lauder from Latin laud³re from laus laud-praise] laud "er n.

lead·ing 1 ( l¶"d¹ng) adj. 1. Having a position in the lead; foremost: the leading candidate. 2. Chief; principal: the leading cause of high inflation. See note at chief . 3. Of or performing a lead in a theatrical production: a leading role; a leading lady. 4. Formulated so as to elicit a desired response: a leading question. lead "ing·ly adv.

lead·ing 2 ( lµd"¹ng) n. 1. A border or rim of lead, as around a windowpane. 2. Printing The spacing between lines, usually measured in points.

lead 1 ( l¶d) v. led ( lµd) lead·ing leads v. tr. 1. To show the way to by going in advance. 2. To guide or direct in a course: lead a horse by the halter. See note at guide . 3. a. To serve as a route for; take: The path led them to a cemetery. b. To be a channel or conduit for (water or electricity, for example). 4. To guide the behavior or opinion of; induce: led us to believe otherwise. 5. a. To direct the performance or activities of: lead an orchestra. b. To inspire the conduct of: led the nation in its crisis. 6. To play a principal or guiding role in: lead a discussion; led the antiwar movement. 7. a. To go or be at the head of: The queen led the procession. My name led the list. b. To be ahead of: led the runner-up by three strides. c. To be foremost in or among: led the field in nuclear research; led her teammates in free throws. 8. To pass or go through; live: lead an independent life. 9. To begin or open with, as in games: led an ace. 10. To guide (a partner) in dancing. 11. To aim in front of (a moving target). v. intr. 1. To be first; be ahead. 2. To go first as a guide. 3. To act as commander, director, or guide. 4. To afford a passage, course, or route: a road that leads over the mountains; a door leading to the pantry. 5. To tend toward a certain goal or result: a remark that led to further discussion; policies that led to disaster. 6. To make the initial play, as in a game or contest. 7. To begin a presentation or an account in a given way: The announcer led with the day's top stories. 8. a. To guide a dance partner. b. To start a dance step on a specified foot. 9. Baseball To advance a few paces away from one's base toward the next while the pitcher is in the delivery. Used of a base runner. 10. Sports To begin an attack in boxing with a specified hand or punch: led with a right to the body. n. 1. a. The first or foremost position. b. One occupying such a position; a leader. c. The initiative: took the lead in setting the pace of the project. 2. The margin by which one holds a position of advantage or superiority: held a lead of nine points at the half. 3. a. Information pointing toward a possible solution; a clue: followed a promising lead in the murder case. b. An indication of potential opportunity; a tip: a good lead for a job. 4. Command; leadership: took over the lead of the company. 5. An example; a precedent: followed his sister's lead in running for office. 6. a. The principal role in a dramatic production. b. The person playing such a role. 7. a. The introductory portion of a news story. b. An important, usually prominently displayed news story. 8. Games a. The first play. b. The prerogative or turn to make the first play: The lead passes to the player on the left. c. A card played first in a round. 9. Baseball A position taken by a base runner away from one base in the direction of the next. 10. A leash. 11. Geology a. A deposit of gold ore in an old riverbed. b. See lode . 12. Electronics A conductor by which one circuit element is electrically connected to another. 13. Nautical The direction in which a rope runs. 14. The distance aimed in front of a moving target.

Phrasal Verbs: lead off 1. To begin; start. 2. Baseball To be the first batter in an inning. lead on 1. To keep in a state of expectation or hope; entice. 2. To mislead; deceive.

Idioms: lead up to 1. To result in by a series of steps: events leading up to the coup. 2. To proceed toward (a main topic) with preliminary remarks. [Middle English leden from Old English lÆdan;See leit- in Indo-European Roots.]

lead 2 ( lµd) n. 1. Symbol Pb A soft, malleable, ductile, bluish-white, dense metallic element, extracted chiefly from galena and used in containers and pipes for corrosives, solder and type metal, bullets, radiation shielding, paints, and antiknock compounds. Atomic number 82; atomic weight 207.19; melting point 327.5 °C; boiling point 1,744 °C; specific gravity 11.35; valence 2, 4. See note at element . 2. A lead weight suspended by a line, used to make soundings. 3. Bullets from or for firearms; shot: pumped the target full of lead. 4. leads Strips of lead used to hold the panes of a window. 5. Abbr. ld. Printing A thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type. 6. leads Chiefly British A flat roof covered with sheets of lead. 7. a. Any of various, often graphitic compositions used as the writing substance in pencils. b. A thin stick of such material. v. tr. lead·ed lead·ing leads 1. To cover, line, weight, or fill with lead. 2. Printing To provide space between (lines of type) with leads. 3. To secure (window glass) with leads. 4. To treat with lead or a lead compound: leaded gasoline; leaded paint.

Idioms: get the lead out Informal 1. To start moving or move more rapidly. [Middle English led from Old English l¶ad probably of Celtic origin] lead adj.

lend ( lµnd) v. lent ( lµnt) lend·ing lends v. tr. 1. a. To give or allow the use of temporarily on the condition that the same or its equivalent will be returned. b. To provide (money) temporarily on condition that the amount borrowed be returned, usually with an interest fee. 2. To contribute or impart: Books and a fireplace lent a feeling of warmth to the room. 3. To accommodate or offer (itself) to; be suitable for: The Bible lends itself to various interpretations. v. intr. 1. To make a loan. See note at loan .

Idioms: lend a helping hand 1. To be of assistance. [Middle English lenden from Old English lÆnan;See leik w - in Indo-European Roots.] lend "er n.

lid ( l¹d) n. 1. A removable or hinged cover for a hollow receptacle or box. 2. An eyelid. 3. Biology A flaplike covering, such as an operculum. 4. A curb, restraint, or limit: approved a new lid on corporate spending. 5. Informal An act of concealment; a cover: told us to keep a lid on the report until the campaign was over. 6. Slang A hat. 7. Slang An ounce of marijuana. v. tr. lid·ded lid·ding lids 1. To cover with or as if with a lid. [Middle English from Old English hlid; See klei- in Indo-European Roots.]

load·ing ( l½"d¹ng) n. Abbr. ldg. 1. A weight placed on something else; a burden. 2. A substance added to something else; a filler. 3. An addition to an insurance premium. 4. Electricity The addition of inductance to a transmission line to improve its transmission characteristics.

load ( l½d) n. Abbr. ld. 1. a. A weight or mass that is supported: the load on an arch. b. The overall force to which a structure is subjected in supporting a weight or mass or in resisting externally applied forces. 2. a. Something that is carried, as by a vehicle, a person, or an animal: a load of firewood. b. The quantity that is or can be carried at one time. 3. a. The share of work allocated to or required of a person, a machine, a group, or an organization. b. The demand for services or performance made on a machine or system. 4. The amount of material that can be inserted into a device or machine at one time: The camera has a full load of film. 5. A single charge of ammunition for a firearm. 6. a. A mental weight or burden: Good news took a load off my mind. b. A responsibility regarded as oppressive. 7. The external mechanical resistance against which a machine acts. 8. Electricity a. The power output of a generator or power plant. b. A device or the resistance of a device to which power is delivered. 9. A front-end load. 10. Often loads Informal A great number or amount: loads of parties during the holiday season. 11. Slang A satisfying view; an eyeful: Get a load of that new car! 12. Genetic load. v. load·ed load·ing loads v. tr. 1. a. To put (something) into or onto a structure, device, or conveyance: loading grain onto a train. b. To put something into or onto (a structure, device, or conveyance): loaded the tanker with crude oil. 2. To provide or fill nearly to overflowing; heap: loaded the table with food. 3. To weigh down; burden: was loaded with worries. 4. To charge (a firearm) with ammunition. 5. To insert a necessary material into: loaded tape into the recorder. 6. Games To make (dice) heavier on one side by adding weight. 7. To charge with additional meanings, implications, or emotional import: loaded the question to trick the witness. 8. To dilute, adulterate, or doctor. See note at adulterate . 9. To raise the power demand in (an electrical circuit), as by adding resistance. 10. To increase (an insurance premium or a mutual fund share price) by adding expenses or sale costs. 11. Baseball To have or put runners on (all three bases). 12. Computer Science a. To transfer (data) from a storage device into a computer's memory. b. To mount (a diskette) onto a floppy disk drive. c. To mount (a magnetic tape) onto a tape drive. v. intr. 1. To receive a load: Container ships can load rapidly. 2. To charge a firearm with ammunition. 3. To put or place a load into or onto a structure, device, or conveyance. [Middle English lode alteration( influenced by laden to load) ;See lade of lade course, way from Old English l³d;See leit- in Indo-European Roots.]

lord·ing ( lôr"d¹ng) n. 1. Archaic Used as a form of address for a lord. 2. Obsolete A lordling.

lord ( lôrd) n. 1. A man of high rank in a feudal society or in one that retains feudal forms and institutions, especially: a. A king. b. A territorial magnate. c. The proprietor of a manor. 2. Lords See House of Lords . 3. Lord Abbr. Ld. Chiefly British The general masculine title of nobility and other rank: a. Used as a form of address for a marquis, an earl, or a viscount. b. Used as the usual style for a baron. c. Used as a courtesy title for a younger son of a duke or marquis. d. Used as a title for certain high officials and dignitaries. e. Used as a title for a bishop. 4. Lord a. God. b. Jesus. c. A man of renowned power or authority. d. A man who has mastery in a given field or activity. e. Archaic The male head of a household. f. Archaic A husband. v. intr. lord·ed lord·ing lords 1. To act like a lord; domineer. Often used with the indefinite it : lorded it over their subordinates. [Middle English from Old English hl³fordhl³f bread weard guardian; See wer- 3 in Indo-European Roots.]