lake

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈlāk 

often attributive

: a considerable inland body of standing water

also : a pool of other liquid (such as lava, oil, or pitch)

lakelike

ˈlāk-ˌlīk 

adjective

lake

2 of 4

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

: carmine sense 2

laky

ˈlā-kē 

adjective

lake

3 of 4

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

lakin

4 of 4

noun (3)

lak·​in

ˈlākə̇n

variants or laking

-kə̇n, 

-kiŋ

plural -s

dialectal, British

: toy, plaything

Examples of lake in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This case is small enough for spontaneous games by the lake, in an airport lounge, or after a long lunch that stretches into sunset cocktails—even the simplest games deserve first-class treatment. — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 8 Aug. 2026

Even Chicago’s great museums seem claustrophobic when there are blue skies and a nice lake breeze. — Mary Wisniewski, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026

Launched in 2008, the effort includes both a new low-level water intake closer to the lake’s bottom and a pumping station to lift that water back up 500 feet. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026

For years, organizations have invested millions in building data lakes. — Crispin Beale, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

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

Noun (3)

of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse leika toy, doll, from leika to play

First Known Use

Noun (1)

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1898, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing lake

• (go) jump in a/the lake
• lake dwelling
• lake effect
• lake herring
• lake trout
• salt lake

Rhymes for lake

• ache
• ake
• bake
• brake
• break
• cake
• craik
• crake
• fake
• flake
• hake
• jake

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

ˈlāk 

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