lightning bug See firefly
lignin Vlig-nonN Complex oxygen-containing organic compound, a mix¬ ture of polymers of poorly known structure. After cellulose, it is the most abundant organic material on Earth, making up one-fourth to one-third of the dry weight of wood, where it is concentrated in the cell walls. Removed from wood pulp in the manufacture of paper, it is used as a binder in particleboard and similar products and as a soil conditioner, filler in certain plastics, adhesive ingredient, and raw material for chemicals including dimethyl sulfoxide and vanillin (synthetic vanilla flavouring).
lignite Yellow to dark brown, rarely black, coal that has been formed from PEAT under moderate pressure; it is one of the first products of coal- ification and is intermediate between peat and subbituminous coal. Dry lig¬ nite contains about 60-70% carbon. Almost half of the world’s total coal reserves contain lignite and subbituminous coal, but lignite has not been exploited to any great extent because lignite is inferior to higher-rank coals (e.g., bituminous coal) in heating value, ease of handling, and stor¬ age stability. In some areas, however, the scarcity of fuel has led to exten¬ sive developments.
Liguria Region (pop., 2001 prelim.: 1,560,748), northwestern Italy. Cov¬ ering 2,092 sq mi (5,418 sq km) and located on the Ligurian Sea between France and Tuscany, it has its capital at Genoa. Under Roman rule from the 1 st century bc, the region was briefly controlled by the Lombards and Franks during the Middle Ages. The city of Genoa emerged as a leading power as early as the 11th century, and by 1400 the entire region ben¬ efited from its maritime and commercial powers. In 1815 the Congress of Vienna gave Liguria to the kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. It contrib¬ uted significantly to the union of Italy in 1861. Its economy is based on agriculture, tourism, and industries centred on its major cities, including Genoa. La Spezia is a major naval base.
likelihood or chance In mathematics, a subjective assessment of pos¬ sibility that, when assigned a numerical value on a scale between impos¬ sibility (0) and absolute certainty (1), becomes a probability (see probability theory). Thus, the numerical assignment of a probability depends on the notion of likelihood. If, for example, an experiment (e.g., a die toss) can result in six equally likely possible outcomes, the probability of each is V6.
Likud \li-'kud\ Coalition of Israeli right-wing political parties. It was created by the 1973 merger of the Herut Party (1948) and the Liberal Party (1961), which itself was a merger of the General Zionists and the Pro¬ gressives. From the late 1970s Likud alternated in power with the Israel Labour Party. Likud generally was considered more skeptical than Labour of the peace process with the Palestinians and Israel’s Arab neighbours, but when in power some Likud prime ministers made dramatic conces¬ sions on both fronts. Party leaders have included Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir, and Ariel Sharon. See also Arab-Israeli wars; Irgun Zvai Leumi; Vladimir Jabotinsky.
lilac Any of about 30 species of fragrant northern spring-flowering gar¬ den shrubs and small trees that make up the genus Syringa in the olive family, native to eastern Europe and temperate Asia. Lilacs have deep green leaves and large, oval clusters of compound blooms coloured deep purple, lavender, blue, red, pink, white, or creamy yellow; they are often highly fragrant. The common lilac (S. vulgaris ) reaches 20 ft (6 m) in height and produces many suckers (shoots from the stem or root). The name syringa was formerly used for the mock orange of the saxifrage family, and the butterfly bush (see buddleia) is commonly called “summer lilac.”
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© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
1114 I Lilburne > limbo
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Lilburne, John (b. 1614?, Greenwich, near London, Eng.—d. Aug. 29, 1657, Eltham, Kent) English revolutionary. A Separatist, he joined the Puritan opposition to Charles I and helped smuggle Puritan pamphlets into England, for which he was imprisoned (1638-40). He became an officer in the Parliamentary army but resigned in 1645 rather than subscribe to the Solemn League and Covenant. He became a master propagandist for the Levelers and criticized Parliament for failing to meet their demands. He was imprisoned (1645^47) but remained very popular with London¬ ers and was twice acquitted of treason.
Lilith In Jewish folklore, a female demon. In rabbinic literature she is depicted either as Adam’s first wife or as the mother of his demonic off¬ spring after he separated from Eve outside Paradise (see Adam and Eve). The evil that Lilith directed against children could be counteracted by wearing an amulet bearing the names of the three angels who opposed her. A cult associated with Lilith survived into the 7th century ad.
Liliuokalani Mi-.le-o-wo-ko-'la-neX orig. Lydia Kamakaeha (b.
Sept. 2, 1838, Honolulu, Hawaii—d.
Nov. 11, 1917, Honolulu) Hawaiian queen, the last Hawaiian monarch to govern the islands (1891-93). She succeeded her brother, David Kalakaua, to the throne and tried to restore the traditional monarchy. She opposed the reciprocity treaty that gave commercial concessions to the U.S. In 1893 she was declared deposed by Sanford B. Dole and the Missionary Party, which favoured U.S. annexation. An uprising in her name was suppressed and the rebels jailed. To win pardons for her sup¬ porters, she formally abdicated in 1895. A talented musician, she com¬ posed the song “Aloha Oe.”
Lille \'lel\ City (pop., 1999: city,
184,493; metro area, 1,000,900), northern France, situated on the Deule River. Fortified in the 11th century, it changed hands several times during the Middle Ages. Louis XIV besieged and captured the city in 1667. It was taken by the duke of Marlborough in 1708 and ceded to France in 1713. It was occupied by the Germans during both World War I and World War II. It is traditionally France’s textile centre; other indus¬ tries include machinery manufacturing and chemical plants. Its museum has a rich art collection.
Lillie, Beatrice (Gladys) (b. May 29, 1894, Toronto, Ont., Can.—d. Jan. 20, 1989, Henley-on-Thames,
Oxfordshire, Eng.) Canadian-born British comedienne. She made her London stage debut as a singer in 1914 and developed her comic genius in revues produced by Andre Chariot. She made her New York City debut in 1924, establishing an international reputation as a high- spirited star of sophisticated comedy.
She appeared in various revues until 1939; after World War II she starred in the revue Inside U.S.A. (1948-50) and toured worldwide in An Evening with Beatrice Lillie (1952-56). Her last stage performances were in Aun¬ tie Mame (1958) and High Spirits
(1964).
Lilongwe \li-'l6q-gwa\ Capital and second largest city (pop., 2003 est.: 597,619), Maiawi. Lilongwe is located on an inland plain 50 mi (80 km) west of the southern end of Lake Malawi. An agricultural market centre for the fertile Central Region Plateau, it replaced Zomba as the national capital in 1975. The old part of the city
functions as a service and commercial centre, while the newer district of Capital Hill houses government buildings and embassies, except for the country’s judiciary, which is housed in the city of Blantyre.
Lily, William (b. 1468?, Odiham, Hampshire, Eng.—d. Feb. 25, 1522, London) English Renaissance scholar and classical grammarian. Having made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and visited Greece and Italy, he became a pioneer of Greek learning in England and was appointed master of the school of St. Paul’s in 1510. His grammar, which actually consisted of two books, one in English and the other in Latin, first appeared about 18 years after his death. Its use by royal order in all English grammar schools won it the name “the King’s Grammar.” With corrections and revisions, it continued to be used as late as the 19th century and influenced genera¬ tions of English people’s views of all languages, including English.