2 COLOUR Something that is lilac is pale pinkish-purple in colour. □ All shades of mauve, lilac, lavender and purple were fashionable.
lilt /l I lt/ N‑SING If someone's voice has a lilt in it, the pitch of their voice rises and falls in a pleasant way, as if they were singing. □ Her voice is child-like, with a West Country lilt.
lilt|ing /l I lt I ŋ/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A lilting voice or song rises and falls in pitch in a pleasant way. □ He had a pleasant, lilting northern accent.
lily /l I li/ (lilies ) N‑VAR A lily is a plant with large flowers. Lily flowers are often white.
li ly of the va l|ley (lilies of the valley or lily of the valley ) N‑VAR Lily of the valley are small plants with large leaves and small, white, bell-shaped flowers.
lima bean /liː mə biːn/ (lima beans ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Lima beans are flat round beans that are light green in colour and are eaten as a vegetable. They are the seeds of a plant that grows in tropical parts of America.
limb /l I m/ (limbs )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Your limbs are your arms and legs. □ She would be able to stretch out her cramped limbs and rest for a few hours.
2 N‑COUNT The limbs of a tree are its branches. [LITERARY ] □ [+ of ] This entire rickety structure was hanging from the limb of an enormous leafy tree.
3 PHRASE If someone goes out on a limb , they do something they strongly believe in even though it is risky or extreme, and is likely to fail or be criticized by other people. □ They can see themselves going out on a limb, voting for a very controversial energy bill.
4 to risk life and limb → see life
-limbed /-l I md/ COMB -limbed combines with adjectives to form other adjectives which indicate that a person or animal has limbs of a particular type or appearance. □ He was long-limbed and dark-eyed.
lim|ber /l I mbə r / (limbers , limbering , limbered )
▸ limber up PHRASAL VERB If you limber up , you prepare for an energetic physical activity such as a sport by moving and stretching your body. □ [V P ] Next door, 200 girls are limbering up for their ballet exams. □ [V P n] A short walk will limber up the legs.
lim|bo /l I mboʊ/ N‑UNCOUNT [usu in/into N ] If you say that someone or something is in limbo , you mean that they are in a situation where they seem to be caught between two stages and it is unclear what will happen next. □ The negotiations have been in limbo since mid-December.
lime /la I m/ (limes )
1 N‑VAR A lime is a green fruit that tastes like a lemon. Limes grow on trees in tropical countries. □ …peeled slices of lime. □ Add a few drops of lime juice.
2 N‑VAR A lime or a lime tree is a large tree with pale green leaves. It is often planted in parks in towns and cities. □ …dilapidated avenues of limes.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Lime is a substance containing calcium. It is found in soil and water. □ If your soil is very acid, add lime. ● COMB Lime is also a combining form. □ …lime-rich sand. □ …old lime-stained baths.
li me gree n also lime-green COLOUR Something that is lime green is light yellowish-green in colour.
lime|light /la I mla I t/ N‑UNCOUNT If someone is in the limelight , a lot of attention is being paid to them, because they are famous or because they have done something very unusual or exciting. □ Tony has now been thrust into the limelight, with a high-profile job.
lim|er|ick /l I mər I k/ (limericks ) N‑COUNT A limerick is a humorous poem which has five lines.
lime|stone /la I mstoʊn/ (limestones ) N‑VAR [oft N n] Limestone is a whitish-coloured rock which is used for building and for making cement. □ …high limestone cliffs. □ The local limestone is very porous.
lim|ey /la I mi/ (limeys ) N‑COUNT Some Americans refer to British people as limeys . Some people consider this use offensive. [INFORMAL ]
lim|it ◆◆◇ /l I m I t/ (limits , limiting , limited )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A limit is the greatest amount, extent, or degree of something that is possible. □ Her love for him was being tested to its limits. □ [+ to ] There is no limit to how much fresh fruit you can eat in a day.
2 N‑COUNT A limit of a particular kind is the largest or smallest amount of something such as time or money that is allowed because of a rule, law, or decision. □ The three month time limit will be up in mid-June. □ [+ on ] The economic affairs minister announced limits on petrol sales.
3 N‑COUNT The limit of an area is its boundary or edge. □ [+ of ] …the city limits of Baghdad.
4 N‑PLURAL The limits of a situation are the facts involved in it which make only some actions or results possible. □ [+ of ] She has to work within the limits of a fairly tight budget. □ [+ of ] He outlined the limits of British power.
5 VERB If you limit something, you prevent it from becoming greater than a particular amount or degree. □ [V n] He limited payments on the country's foreign debt. □ [V n + to ] Place numbers are limited to 25 on both tours, so please book early.
6 VERB If you limit yourself to something, or if someone or something limits you, the number of things that you have or do is reduced. □ [V pron-refl + to ] It is now accepted that men should limit themselves to 20 units of alcohol a week. □ [V n + to ] Voters cut councillors' pay and limited them to one staff member each. [Also V pron-refl] ● lim|it|ing ADJ □ The conditions laid down to me were not too limiting.