Words that start with L

Land is any part of the world that isn't covered with water. The opposite of land is the sea.
Land may also be used to describe the countryside or farming areas, as in "He works on the land". In this case, the opposite of the land is the city.

Landmines are explosive devices that are triggered when someone stands on them or a vehicle drives on them. An area that is studded with landmines is called a minefield. The mines are usually buried just under the ground so that people can't see them. They are used to keep people from going through an area during a war.
The problem with landmines is, after a war is over there may be thousands of landmines still left in the ground, and noone knows exactly where they are. So they kill people when they go to start a farm, or children who are exploring. Even the process of removing them is extremely dangerous as they can explode at the slightest touch.

A lane is a narrow street.

Sometimes lanes run behind houses and there are only back doors opening onto the lane, not front doors.

A lantern is a protective or decorative case for a light of some kind, often a candle or oil lamp. Lanterns can be made of glass and metal like in the picture, or made of paper in interesting shapes.

Lapels are the folded parts of the collar of a jacket that sit on the front of the jacket.
Lapels are often used to pin flowers or other decorations to.

Laptops are small, portable computers that you can use on your lap (although many of them get too hot to use near your skin). They are handy for travelling with.

Large is another word for big. The cat in the picture is large.

Some insects go through stages in their life, and the early stage is the larval stage. Larvae of creatures like butterflies tend to be crawling things with no wings that spend all their time eating and growing. When they are big enough, they change into flying insects.
Many different creatures have a larval stage that is so different to the adult form that you would never know they were the same creature unless you saw it change.

Larynx is the technical word for the voice box in your throat. It is part of the air way, and it helps you make sounds when you talk or sing.

The larynx has vocal cords that vibrate when you breathe out. It also helps protect your windpipe by closing when you swallow. The larynx is found in the front of the neck, between the mouth and the trachea. In some people, it makes a visible bump called the Adam's apple.

A laser is a light source that either emits or converts emitted light to coherent light. This means that the light from the laser is all going in the one direction, with the light waves in synch.
Lasers have many, many uses in science and medicine. Less powerful lasers are also commonly used in laser pointers for pointing out words on a screen or whiteboard, and used to make light shows in nightclubs, as seen in the picture.