variants
often L
plural l's or ls
ˈelz
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
: fifty see Table of Numbers
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
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
1
Lagrangian
2
long
3
loss; losses
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 capitall-fructose
Cite this Entry
“L.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/l. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
