Life

līf, n. state of living: animate existence: union of soul and body: the period between birth and death: present state of existence: manner of living: moral conduct: animation: a living being: system of animal nature: social state: human affairs: narrative of a life: eternal happine , also He who bestows it: a quickening principle in a moral sense: the living form and expre ion, living semblance: ( cricket ) an escape, as by a mi ed or dropped catch:— pl. Lives (līvz).— interj. used as an oath, abbreviated from God's life.— adj. Life′-and-death′ , critical: desperate.— ns. Life′-annū′ity , a sum paid to a person yearly during life; Life′-a ur′ance , Life′-insur′ance (see Insurance ); Life′-belt , a belt either inflated with air, or with cork attached, for sustaining a person in the water; Life′-blood , the blood of an animal in the body: that which gives strength or life; Life′boat , a boat for saving shipwrecked persons, having air-chambers or the like, by which it is rendered specially buoyant and sometimes self-righting; Life′-buoy , a buoy intended to support a person in the water till he can be rescued; Life′-estate′ , an estate held during the life of the po e or.— adjs. Life′ful ( Spens. ), full of vital energy; Life′-giv′ing , imparting life: invigorating.— ns. Life′-guard , a guard of the life or person: a guard of a prince or other dignitary; Life′-his′tory , Life′-cy′cle , the series of vital phenomena exhibited by an organism in its pa age from the ovum to full development; Life′hold , land held by lease for life; Life′-in′terest , an interest lasting during one's life.— adj. Life′le , dead: without vigour: insipid: sluggish.— adv. Life′le ly .— n. Life′le ne .— adj. Life′-like , like a living person.— n. Life′-line , a rope stretched anywhere on board a ve el for support of the sailors in difficult operations or during wild weather: a line attached to a life-buoy or lifeboat for an immersed person to seize hold of.— adj. Life′long , during the length of a life.— ns. Life′-mor′tar , a mortar for throwing a shot of some kind to carry a rope from the shore to a ship in distre ; Life′-peer , a peer whose title is not hereditary; Life′-peer′age ; Life′-preserv′er , an invention, as a buoyant belt or jacket, for the preservation of life in cases of shipwreck: a cane with a loaded head; Life′-raft , a raft-like structure for use in case of shipwreck; Life′-rate , rate of payment on a policy of life-insurance.— adj. Life′-ren′dering ( Shak. ), yielding up life.— ns. Life′rent , a rent that continues for life; Life′renter , one who enjoys a life rent:— fem. Life′rentrix ; Life′-rock′et , a rocket for carrying a line from the shore to a ship in distre .— adjs. Life′-sav′ing , designed to save life, esp. from drowning.— n. Life′-school , a school where artists work from living models.— adjs. Life′-size , similar in size to the object represented; Life′some , full of life: gay, lively.— ns. Life′-tā′ble , a table of statistics as to the probability of life at different ages; Life′-ten′ant , the owner of a life-estate: one who holds lands, ., for the term of his own or another's life; Life′-time , continuation or duration of life.— adj. Life′-wea′ry ( Shak. ), weary of life: wretched.— n. Life′-work , the work to which one's life is or is to be devoted.— Life-saving apparatus , all materials, appliances, . available for preserving life in cases of shipwreck or fire.— Bring to life , to restore to life one apparently dead; Come to life , to be reanimated; For life , for the whole period of one's existence: so as to save life: very fast or strenuously; High life , the manner of living of those in high or fashionable society: the upper cla es of society; Line of life (see Line ); To the life , very closely resembling the original: exactly drawn. [A.S. líf ; Ice. líf , Sw. lif , Dut. lijf , body, life; Ger. leben , to live.]