| Li | Symbol for lithium. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| Li, Frederick | <person> 20th century epidemiologist. See: Li-Fraumeni cancer syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Li-Fraumeni cancer syndrome | <syndrome> Familial breast cancer in young women, with soft-tissue sarcomas in children and other cancers in close relatives. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Li-Fraumeni syndrome | <syndrome> An inherited family trait carrying an increased risk of cancer during childhood and early adulthood. (13 Nov 1997) |
| liability, legal | Accountability and responsibility to another, enforceable by civil or criminal sanctions. (12 Dec 1998) |
| liable | 1. Bound or obliged in law or equity; responsible; answerable; as, the surety is liable for the debt of his principal. 2. Exposed to a certain contingency or casualty, more or less probable; with to and an infinitive or noun; as, liable to slip; liable to accident. Synonym: Accountable, responsible, answerable, bound, subject, obnoxious, exposed. Liable, Subject. Liable refers to a future possible or probable happening which may not actually occur; as, horses are liable to slip; even the sagacious are liable to make mistakes. Subject refers to any actual state or condition belonging to the nature or circumstances of the person or thing spoken of, or to that which often befalls one. One whose father was subject to attacks of the gout is himself liable to have that disease. Men are constantly subject to the law, but liable to suffer by its infraction. "Proudly secure, yet liable to fall." (Milton) "All human things are subject to decay." (Dryden) Origin: From F. Lier to bind, L. Ligare. Cf. Ally, Ligature. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| lialson | A union, or bond of union; an intimacy; especially, an illicit intimacy between a man and a woman. Origin: F, fr. L. Ligatio, fr. Ligare to bind. See Ligature, and cf. Ligation. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| liana | <botany> A luxuriant woody plant, climbing high trees and having ropelike stems. The grapevine often has the habit of a liane. Lianes are abundant in the forests of the Amazon region. Origin: F. Liane; prob. Akin to lien a band, fr. L. Ligamen, fr. Ligare to bind. Cf. Lien. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| liane | <botany> A climbing or twining plant (usually refers to woody climbers). (14 Oct 1997) |
| lias | <geology> The lowest of the three divisions of the Jurassic period; a name given in England and Europe to a series of marine limestones underlying the Oolite. Origin: Cf. F. Lias, fr. Liais sort of limestone, OF. Also liois; perh. Of Celtic origin, cf. Armor. Liach, leach, a stone, Gael. Leac, W. Llech. Cf. Cromlech. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| liassic | <geology> Of the age of the Lias; pertaining to the Lias Formation. Same as Lias. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| libel | 1. A brief writing of any kind, especially. A declaration, bill, certificate, request, supplication, etc. "A libel of forsaking [divorcement]" (Wyclif (Matt. V. 31)) 2. Any defamatory writing; a lampoon; a satire. 3. A malicious publication expressed either in print or in writing, or by pictures, effigies, or other signs, tending to expose another to public hatred, contempt, or ridicule. Such publication is indictable at common law. The term, in a more extended sense, includes the publication of such writings, pictures, and the like, as are of a blasphemous, treasonable, seditious, or obscene character. These also are indictable at common law. 4. The crime of issuing a malicious defamatory publication. 5. A written declaration or statement by the plaintiff of his cause of action, and of the relief he seeks. Origin: L. Libellus a little book, pamphlet, libel, lampoon, dim. Of liber the liber or inner bark of a tree; also (because the ancients wrote on this bark), paper, parchment, or a roll of any material used to write upon, and hence, a book or treatise: cf. F. Libelle. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| libellulid | <zoology> A dragon fly. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| libelluloid | <zoology> Like or pertaining to the dragon fies. Origin: NL. Libellula, the name of the typical genus. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| liber | <botany> The inner bark of plants, lying next to the wood. It usually contains a large proportion of woody, fibrous cells, and is, therefore, the part from which the fibre of the plant is obtained, as that of hemp, etc. Liber cells, elongated woody cells found in the liber. Origin: L. See Libel. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |