l

1 of 4

noun

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
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

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

Examples of l in a Sentence

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
In all cases the patients have been given l-DOPA and other medications to cover their needs while out of the hospital. Oliver Sacks, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024 According to a report by Grand View Research, the global poly-l-lactic acid filler market size was valued at $393.8 million in 2023, and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.1% from 2024 to 2030. Dahvi Shira, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024 Drink plenty of water: Drink 2 to 4 liters (l) of water daily to stay hydrated. Joni Sweet, Health, 1 June 2024 Your nose and sinuses make 1 liter (l) of snot per day.1 What Is Snot? Maggie O'Neill, Health, 7 Apr. 2024 In Aptos, the lowercase ‘l’ has a tiny curve at the bottom. Victor Mather, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 Black tea also contains the amino acid l-theanine, though other teas contain higher amounts of it. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024 With goodies like Sisley-Paris’s nourishing hair spray currently on sale for $89 from $105; its l) or Dr. Lara Devgan’s lash-boosting serum (discounted to $128 from $150), its easier than ever to load your cart. Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2023 Apparel includes the new Universa (that’s right, no l) Leggings and Alate and Swoosh sports bras. Maria Halkias, Dallas News, 4 Aug. 2023

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

Cite this Entry

“L.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/l. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

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

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