Word Meanings - LIFE - Book Publishers vocabulary database

The potential principle, or force, by which the organs of animals and plants are started and continued in the performance of their several and coöperative functions; the vital force, whether regarded as physical or spiritual. 4. Figuratively: The

Additional info about word: LIFE

The potential principle, or force, by which the organs of animals and plants are started and continued in the performance of their several and coöperative functions; the vital force, whether regarded as physical or spiritual. 4. Figuratively: The potential or animating principle, also, the period of duration, of anything that is conceived of as resembling a natural organism in structure or functions; as, the life of a state, a machine, or a book; authority is the life of government. 5. A certain way or manner of living with respect to conditions, circumstances, character, conduct, occupation, etc.; hence, human affairs; also, lives, considered collectively, as a distinct class or type; as, low life; a good or evil life; the life of Indians, or of miners. That which before us lies in daily life. Milton. By experience of life abroad in the world. Ascham. Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime. Longfellow. 'T is from high life high characters are drawn. Pope 6. Animation; spirit; vivacity; vigor; energy. No notion of life and fire in fancy and in words. Felton. That gives thy gestures grace and life. Wordsworth. 7. That which imparts or excites spirit or vigor; that upon which enjoyment or success depends; as, he was the life of the company, or of the enterprise. 8. The living or actual form, person, thing, or state; as, a picture or a description from, the life. 9. A person; a living being, usually a human being; as, many lives were sacrificed. 10. The system of animal nature; animals in general, or considered collectively. Full nature swarms with life. Thomson. 11. An essential constituent of life, esp: the blood. The words that I speak unto you . . . they are life. John vi. 63. The warm life came issuing through the wound. Pope 12. A history of the acts and events of a life; a biography; as, Johnson wrote the life of Milton. 13. Enjoyment in the right use of the powers; especially, a spiritual existence; happiness in the favor of God; heavenly felicity. 14. Something dear to one as one's existence; a darling; -- used as a term of endearment. Note: Life forms the first part of many compounds, for the most part of obvious meaning; as, life-giving, life-sustaining, etc. Life annuity, an annuity payable during one's life. -- Life arrow, Life rocket, Life shot, an arrow, rocket, or shot, for carrying an attached line to a vessel in distress in order to save life. -- Life assurance. See Life insurance, below. -- Life buoy. See Buoy. -- Life car, a water-tight boat or box, traveling on a line from a wrecked vessel to the shore. In it person are hauled through the waves and surf. -- Life drop, a drop of vital blood. Byron. -- Life estate , an estate which is held during the term of some certain person's life, but does not pass by inheritance. -- Life everlasting , a plant with white or yellow persistent scales about the heads of the flowers, as Antennaria, and Gnaphalium; cudweed. -- Life of an execution , the period when an execution is in force, or before it expires. -- Life guard. See under Guard. -- Life insurance, the act or system of insuring against death; a contract by which the insurer undertakes, in consideration of the payment of a premium , to pay a stipulated sum in the event of the death of the insured or of a third person in whose life the insured has an interest. -- Life interest, an estate or interest which lasts during one's life, or the life of another person, but does not pass by inheritance. -- Life land , land held by lease for the term of a life or lives. -- Life line. A line along any part of a vessel for the security of sailors. A line attached to a life boat, or to any life saving apparatus, to be grasped by a person in the water. -- Life rate, rate of premium for insuring a life. -- Life rent, the rent of a life estate; rent or property to which one is entitled during one's life. -- Life school, a school for artists in which they model, paint, or draw from living models. -- Lifetable, a table showing the probability of life at different ages. -- To lose one's life, to die. -- To seek the life of, to seek to kill. -- To the life, so as closely to resemble the living person or the subject; as, the portrait was drawn to the life. (more info) body, MHG. l life, body, OHG. l life, Icel. l, life, body, Sw. lif, 1. The state of being which begins with generation, birth, or germination, and ends with death; also, the time during which this state continues; that state of an animal or plant in which all or any of its organs are capable of performing all or any of their functions; -- used of all animal and vegetable organisms. 2. Of human being: The union of the soul and body; also, the duration of their union; sometimes, the deathless quality or existence of the soul; as, man is a creature having an immortal life. She shows a body rather than a life. Shak.

Possible synonyms: (Same meaning words of LIFE)

• Animation
• Life
• vivacity
• liveliness
• airlines
• cheerfulness
• briskness
• alacrity
• buoyancy
• spirit
• exhilaration
• sprightliness
• promptitude
• alertness
• activity
• Essence
• Being
• life
• entity
• nature
• substance
• Heart
• Core
• nucleus
• kernel
• interior
• center
• character
• disposition
• courage
• hardihood
• feeling
• benevolence
• Marrow
• Pith
• gist
• essence
• cream
• Memoir
• narrative
• chronicle
• record
• register
• journal

Possible antonyms: (opposite words of LIFE)

• Obliviate
• silentiate
• suppress

Related words: (words related to LIFE)

• BELLMAN
  A man who rings a bell, especially to give notice of anything in the streets. Formerly, also, a night watchman who called the hours. Milton.
• BESCRATCH
  To tear with the nails; to cover with scratches.
• CREAM-FACED
  White or pale, as the effect of fear, or as the natural complexion. Thou cream-faced loon. Shak.
• BELIAL
  An evil spirit; a wicked and unprincipled person; the personification of evil. What concord hath Christ with Belia 2 Cor. vi. 15. A son of Belial, a worthless, wicked, or thoroughly depraved person. 1 Sam. ii. 12.
• BEASTLIHEAD
  Beastliness. Spenser.
• BEWRAP
  To wrap up; to cover. Fairfax.
• BERGOMASK
  A rustic dance, so called in ridicule of the people of Bergamo, in Italy, once noted for their clownishness.
• BELEAVE
  To leave or to be left. May.
• BEVELMENT
  The replacement of an edge by two similar planes, equally inclined to the including faces or adjacent planes.
• BESCATTER
  1. To scatter over. 2. To cover sparsely by scattering ; to strew. "With flowers bescattered." Spenser.
• BETSO
  A small brass Venetian coin.
• CHARACTERISTIC
  Pertaining to, or serving to constitute, the character; showing the character, or distinctive qualities or traits, of a person or thing; peculiar; distinctive. Characteristic clearness of temper. Macaulay.
• BESCORN
  To treat with scorn. "Then was he bescorned." Chaucer.
• SPIRITUOUS
  1. Having the quality of spirit; tenuous in substance, and having active powers or properties; ethereal; immaterial; spiritual; pure. 2. Containing, or of the nature of, alcoholic spirit; consisting of refined spirit; alcoholic; ardent;
• BETOKEN
  1. To signify by some visible object; to show by signs or tokens. A dewy cloud, and in the cloud a bow . . . Betokening peace from God, and covenant new. Milton. 2. To foreshow by present signs; to indicate something future by that which is seen
• BECHE DE MER
  The trepang.
• BELLADONNA
  An herbaceous European plant with reddish bell-shaped flowers and shining black berries. The whole plant and its fruit are very poisonous, and the root and leaves are used as powerful medicinal agents. Its properties are largely due
• BETROTHAL
  The act of betrothing, or the fact of being betrothed; a mutual promise, engagement, or contract for a future marriage between the persons betrothed; betrothment; affiance. "The feast of betrothal." Longfellow.
• HARDIHOOD
  Boldness, united with firmness and constancy of mind; bravery; intrepidity; also, audaciousness; impudence. A bound of graceful hardihood. Wordsworth. It is the society of numbers which gives hardihood to iniquity. Buckminster. Syn. -- Intrepidity;
• CHRONICLE
  The two canonical books of the Old Testament in which immediately follow 2 Kings. Syn. - Register; record; annals. See History. (more info) 1. An historical register or account of facts or events disposed in the order of time. 2. A narrative of
• COMBER
  1. One who combs; one whose occupation it is to comb wool, flax, etc. Also, a machine for combing wool, flax, etc. 2. A long, curling wave.
• GABBER
  1. A liar; a deceiver. 2. One addicted to idle talk.
• HOLLOW-HEARTED
  Insincere; deceitful; not sound and true; having a cavity or decayed spot within. Syn. -- Faithless; dishonest; false; treacherous.
• HAIRBELL
  See HAREBELL
• ORBED
  Having the form of an orb; round. The orbèd eyelids are let down. Trench.
• PUBLIC-SPIRITED
  1. Having, or exercising, a disposition to advance the interest of the community or public; as, public-spirited men. 2. Dictated by a regard to public good; as, a public-spirited project or measure. Addison. -- Pub"lic-spir`it*ed*ly,
• LAMBERT PINE
  The gigantic sugar pine of California and Oregon (Pinus Lambertiana). It has the leaves in fives, and cones a foot long. The timber is soft, and like that of the white pine of the Eastern States.
• GERBE
  A kind of ornamental firework. Farrow.
• WATER-BEARER
  The constellation Aquarius.
• GABELER
  A collector of gabels or taxes.
• CORYMBED
  Corymbose.
• ABERRATE
  To go astray; to diverge. Their own defective and aberrating vision. De Quincey.