l

1 of 4

noun

ˈel How to pronounce l (audio)
plural l's or ls ˈelz How to pronounce l (audio)
often capitalized, often attributive
1
a
: the 12th letter of the English alphabet
b
: a graphic representation of this letter
c
: a speech counterpart of orthographic l
2
: fifty see Table of Numbers
3
: a graphic device for reproducing the letter l
4
: one designated l especially as the 12th in order or class
5
: something shaped like the letter L
specifically : ell entry 2 sense 1
6
: el entry 2

l

2 of 4

abbreviation (1)

1
lady
2
lake
3
lambert
4
land
5
large
6
late
7
left
8
length
9
[Latin libra] pound
10
line
11
liquid
12
lira
13
liter
14
little
15
low

L

3 of 4

abbreviation (2)

1
Lagrangian
2
long
3
loss; losses

l-

4 of 4

prefix

1
ˌlē-(ˌ)vō,
ˌel,
ˈel
 : levorotatory
l-tartaric acid
2
ˌel,
ˈel
 : having a similar configuration at a selected carbon atom to the configuration of levorotatory glyceraldehyde
—usually printed as a small capital
l-fructose

Example Sentences

Noun a word that starts with an l a word that starts with l Abbreviation (1) The area of a rectangle is L x W.

Word History

Etymology

Prefix

International Scientific Vocabulary, from lev-

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of l was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near l

Kyzyl Kum

l

L

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“L.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/l. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.

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Kids Definition

l

noun
ˈel
often capitalized
1
: the 12th letter of the English alphabet
2
: fifty in Roman numerals

Medical Definition

L

1 of 3 abbreviation
1
left
2
levorotatory
3
light
4
liquid
5
liter
6
lumbar
—used especially with a number from 1 to 5 to indicate a vertebra or segment of the spinal cord in the lumbar region

L

2 of 3 symbol
lithium

l-

3 of 3 prefix
1
ˌlē-(ˌ)vō, ˌel, ˈel
 : levorotatory
—usually printed in italic
l-tartaric acid
2
ˌel, ˈel
 : having a similar configuration at a selected carbon atom to the configuration of levorotatory glyceraldehyde
—usually printed as a small capital
L-fructose
L-tryptophan

More from Merriam-Webster on l

Nglish: Translation of l for Spanish Speakers

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