| lancewood | <botany> A tough, elastic wood, often used for the shafts of gigs, archery bows, fishing rods, and the like. Also, the tree which produces this wood, Duguetia Quitarensis (a native of Guiana and Cuba), and several other trees of the same family (Anonaseae). Australian lancewood, a myrtaceous tree (Backhousia Australis). Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| lancinating | <symptom> Characterised by piercing or stabbing sensations. (16 Dec 1997) |
| Lancisi | Giovanni M., Italian physician, 1654-1720. See: Lancisi's sign, striae lancisi. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Lancisi's sign | <clinical sign> A large systolic jugular venous wave caused by tricuspid regurgitation replacing the normal negative systolic trough ("x" descent). (05 Mar 2000) |
| land | 1. To set or put on shore from a ship or other water craft; to disembark; to debark. "I 'll undertake top land them on our coast." (Shak) 2. To catch and bring to shore; to capture; as, to land a fish. 3. To set down after conveying; to cause to fall, alight, or reach; to bring to the end of a course; as, he landed the quoit near the stake; to be thrown from a horse and landed in the mud; to land one in difficulties or mistakes. Origin: Landed; Landing. 1. The solid part of the surface of the earth; opposed to water as constituting a part of such surface, especially to oceans and seas; as, to sight land after a long voyage. "They turn their heads to sea, their sterns to land." (Dryden) 2. Any portion, large or small, of the surface of the earth, considered by itself, or as belonging to an individual or a people, as a country, estate, farm, or tract. "Go view the land, even Jericho." (Josh. Ii. 1) "Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates and men decay." (Goldsmith) See also, Goldsmith: Where wealth and freedom reign contentment fails, And honor sinks where commerce long prevails. (THe captivity, an Oratorio. Act II line 91) In the expressions "to be, or dwell, upon land," "to go, or fare, on land," as used by Chaucer, land denotes the country as distinguished from the town. "A poor parson dwelling upon land [i.e, in the country]" (Chaucer) 3. Ground, in respect to its nature or quality; soil; as, wet land; good or bad land. 4. The inhabitants of a nation or people. "These answers, in the silent night received, The kind himself divulged, the land believed." (Dryden) 5. The mainland, in distinction from islands. 6. The ground or floor. "Herself upon the land she did prostrate." (Spenser) 7. <agriculture> The ground left unplowed between furrows; any one of several portions into which a field is divided for convenience in plowing. 8. Any ground, soil, or earth whatsoever, as meadows, pastures, woods, etc, and everything annexed to it, whether by nature, as trees, water, etc, or by the hand of man, as buildings, fences, etc.; real estate. 9. The lap of the strakes in a clinker-built boat; the lap of plates in an iron vessel; called also landing. 10. In any surface prepared with indentations, perforations, or grooves, that part of the surface which is not so treated, as the level part of a millstone between the furrows, or the surface of the bore of a rifled gun between the grooves. Land agent, a person employed to sell or let land, to collect rents, and to attend to other money matters connected with land. Land boat, a vehicle on wheels propelled by sails. Land blink, a peculiar atmospheric brightness seen from sea over distant snow-covered land in arctic regions. See Ice blink. Land breeze. See Breeze. Land chain. See Gunter's chain. Land crab, to sight land. To set the land, to see by the compass how the land bears from the ship. To shut in the land, to hide the land, as when fog, or an intervening island, obstructs the view. Origin: AS. Land, lond; akin to D, G, Icel, Sw, Dan, and Goth. Land. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| land conservation and development commission | (LCDC) A commission appointed to determine land use policy in Oregon. (05 Dec 1998) |
| land use board of appeals | (LUBA) A seven-member board appointed to adjudicate land use disputes in Oregon. (05 Dec 1998) |
| landau damping | <radiobiology> Damping of a wave propagating in a hot plasma, due to the interaction of the wave with particles whose velocity is close to the phase velocity of the wave. Depends on the shape of the velocity-space distribution function at the phase velocity of the wave. The phenomenon is very similar to surfing on water waves at the beach. If a particle's speed is just slightly lower than the wave, then the particle can catch the wave and surf along at the wave speed. In so doing, the particle will gain some energy, which will be at the expense of the wave. This is called Landau Damping, since the loss of energy tends to damp the wave. At the same time, if a particle moves just slightly faster than the wave, then it will also be caught on the wave. However, in this case, it will slow down, giving the wave some extra energy. In this case particles transfer energy to the wave, this is called inverse Landau damping. Which effect dominates depends on whether there are more particles moving faster than the wave or more particles moving slower. Thus it depends on the derivative of the distribution function with respect to velocity, evaluated at the wave's phase velocity. Landau dmaping can lead to the decay of waves. Inverse Landau damping can be a mechanism for some kinetic instabilities. (09 Oct 1997) |
| landau-kleffner syndrome | <syndrome> Acquired epileptic aphasia. The typical history is that of a child whose development is normal for several years and then, either suddenly or in a fluctuating manner, loses comprehension of speech and the ability to use speech to communicate. The seizures are of no specific type, and are mostly mild and infrequent partial or atypical absences. (12 Dec 1998) |
| lander | 1. One who lands, or makes a landing. "The lander in a lonely isle." 2. <chemical> A person who waits at the mouth of the shaft to receive the kibble of ore. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| landfill gas | Gas that is generated by decomposition of organic material at landfill disposal sites. Landfill gas is approximately 50 percent methane. (05 Dec 1998) |
| landing | Of, pertaining to or used for, setting, bringing, or going, on shore. Landing charges, charges or fees paid on goods unloaded from a vessel. Landing net, a small, bag-shaped net, used in fishing to take the fish from the water after being hooked. Landing stage, a floating platform attached at one end to a wharf in such a manner as to rise and fall with the tide, and thus facilitate passage between the wharf and a vessel lying beside the stage. Landing waiter, a customhouse officer who oversees the landing of goods, etc, from vessels; a landwaiter. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| landlady | Origin: Cf. Landlord. 1. A woman having real estate which she leases to a tenant or tenants. 2. The mistress of an inn or lodging house. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| landlocked | 1. Inclosed, or nearly inclosed, by land. 2. <zoology> Confined to a fresh water lake by reason of waterfalls or dams; said of fishes that would naturally seek the sea, after spawning; as, the landlocked salmon. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| landlubber | One who passes his life on land; so called among seamen in contempt or ridicule. Origin: Prop. Fr. Land + lubber, or possibly corrupted fr. Laudlouper. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |