lake

1 of 3

noun (1)

often attributive
: a considerable inland body of standing water
also : a pool of other liquid (such as lava, oil, or pitch)
lakelike adjective

lake

2 of 3

noun (2)

1
a
: a purplish red pigment prepared from lac or cochineal
b
: any of numerous usually bright translucent organic pigments composed essentially of a soluble dye absorbed on or combined with an inorganic carrier
2
laky adjective

lake

3 of 3

verb

laked; laking

transitive verb

: to cause (blood) to undergo a physiological change in which the hemoglobin becomes dissolved in the plasma

intransitive verb

of blood : to undergo the process by which hemoglobin becomes dissolved in the plasma

Examples of lake in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Developers cut down the forests and built around its lakes as the city of about 4 million exploded to house more than three times that. Rhea Mogul, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 Four dams and lakes in Gladwin and Midland counties were damaged by record flooding of the Tittawabassee and Tobacco rivers in May 2020. Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024 Paved paths wind through the trees and partially around the 4½ acre lake, which draws geese, ducks and turtles. Barbara Ruben, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 This amoeba can be found naturally all over the environment — in lakes, rivers, seawater and soil. CBS News, 13 Mar. 2024 The lake was calm, disturbed only by the sound of small animals jumping into the water. Jared Lemus, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2024 Jane Austen’s 1813 novel does not include Darcy jumping into a lake. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 At the Captains Trail junction, across from a scenic view of the lake, the route heads inland and is quickly absorbed into stony corridors. Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024 Ludlow Historic Society presents program about the park, which had an 85-acre lake, clubhouse, dance hall, motorcycle racing and modern rides. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2024
Verb
So, businesses intent on deploying a successful AI strategy must make the quality and scope of their data lake the highest priority. Ingram Micro, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2024 That’s simply how things spread these days—leaping from one social media network to the next like some kind of aquatic disease jumping from lake to lake on the backs of an invasive species. Matt Novak, Forbes, 16 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lake.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English, Anglo-French, & Latin; Old English lacu stream, pool, from Latin lacus lake, pool, pit & Anglo-French lac pit, from Latin lacus; akin to Old English lagu sea, Greek lakkos pond

Noun (2)

French laque lac, from Old Occitan laca, from Arabic lakk — more at lacquer

First Known Use

Noun (1)

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1903, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of lake was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near lake

Cite this Entry

“Lake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lake. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lake

noun
ˈlāk
: a large inland body of standing water
also : a pool of liquid (as oil or pitch)

Medical Definition

lake

verb
laked; laking

transitive verb

: to cause (blood) to undergo a physiological change in which the hemoglobin becomes dissolved in the plasma

intransitive verb

of blood : to undergo the process by which hemoglobin becomes dissolved in the plasma
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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