Words that start with L

Loud leopards leap from limb to limb in Louisiana.

Lis forLean

Something is leaning if it has tilted from being vertical. The gravestone in the picture is leaning quite badly. You might also lean on something if you put some of your weight on it, for example when you lean up against a lamp post.

Lis forLeap

Leap is another word for jump, particularly a big jump. The cat in the picture is leaping off a building.

Lis forLeash

A leash is a long, thin piece of rope or cord that is used to lead an animal around. Leashes are usually attached to a collar around the animal's neck. Leashes are most often used to take a dog on a walk.

Lis forLeather

Leather is a substance made from tanned animal skins, usually cow skins. The tanning process makes skin stronger, harder and means it will last a lot longer. Leather is used to make shoes, belts, bags, saddles and other horse related gear, some furniture and many other things.

Lis forLeave

To leave is to go away. The man in the picture is about to get into a car to leave.

Lis forLeaves

The plural of leaf is leaves.

Lis forLed

Led is the past tense of lead. The man in the picture has led the camel along.

Lis forLedge

A ledge is similar to a shelf, being fairly narrow and horizontal. Ledges are generally built into a building, either for decoration or for practical reasons, like a windowledge.

Lis forLeech

Scientific name: phylum: annelida, subclass: hirudinea
Leeches are in the same family as earthworms. Not all leeches are bloodsuckers, but the ones people are most familiar with are. They grow to around 2-5cm long but some species reach 30cm. Leeches live in damp, swampy areas. Leeches have adapted one end of them into a sucker, so they can attach to a host. They inject anaesthetic in as they bite, so the host cannot feel them, and then an anti-clotting agent so the host's blood flows freely. Leeches stay stuck to their host until they are full, then they drop off.

Lis forLeek

Scientific name: allium ampeloprasum var. porrum
Leeks are members of the onion family. They grow a tight bundle of leaves above the ground rather than a round bulb like an onion. Leeks are used mainly in soups and stews. They have a much milder flavour than onions do.