li|queur /l I kjʊə r , [AM ] -kɜː r/ (liqueurs ) N‑VAR A liqueur is a strong alcoholic drink with a sweet taste. You drink it after a meal. □ …liqueurs such as Grand Marnier and Kirsch. □ …small glasses of liqueur. ● N‑COUNT A liqueur is a glass of liqueur. □ [+ with ] 'What about a liqueur with your coffee?' suggested the waitress.
liq|uid /l I kw I d/ (liquids )
1 N‑VAR A liquid is a substance which is not solid but which flows and can be poured, for example water. □ Drink plenty of liquid. □ Boil for 20 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half. □ Solids turn to liquids at certain temperatures.
2 ADJ A liquid substance is in the form of a liquid rather than being solid or a gas. □ Wash in warm water with liquid detergent. □ …liquid nitrogen. □ Fats are solid at room temperature, and oil is liquid at room temperature.
3 ADJ Liquid assets are the things that a person or company owns which can be quickly turned into cash if necessary. [BUSINESS ] □ The bank had sufficient liquid assets to continue operations.
liq|ui|date /l I kw I de I t/ (liquidates , liquidating , liquidated )
1 VERB To liquidate a company is to close it down and sell all its assets, usually because it is in debt. [BUSINESS ] □ [V n] A unanimous vote was taken to liquidate the company. ● liq|ui|da|tion /l I kw I de I ʃ ə n/ (liquidations ) N‑VAR □ The company went into liquidation. □ The number of company liquidations rose 11 per cent.
2 VERB If a company liquidates its assets, its property such as buildings or machinery is sold in order to get money. [BUSINESS ] □ [V n] The company closed down operations and began liquidating its assets in January.
3 VERB If someone in a position of power liquidates people who are causing problems, they get rid of them, usually by killing them. □ [V n] They have not hesitated in the past to liquidate their rivals.
liq|ui|da|tor /l I kw I de I tə r / (liquidators ) N‑COUNT A liquidator is a person who is responsible for settling the affairs of a company that is being liquidated. [BUSINESS ]
li q|uid crys|tal (liquid crystals ) N‑COUNT A liquid crystal is a liquid that has some of the qualities of crystals, for example reflecting light from different directions in different ways.
li q|uid crys|tal dis|pla y (liquid crystal displays ) also liquid-crystal display N‑COUNT A liquid crystal display is a display of information on a screen, which uses liquid crystals that become visible when electricity is passed through them.
li|quid|ity /l I kw I d I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] In finance, a company's liquidity is the amount of cash or liquid assets it has easily available. [BUSINESS ] □ The company maintains a high degree of liquidity.
liq|uid|ize /l I kw I da I z/ (liquidizes , liquidizing , liquidized ) in BRIT, also use liquidise VERB If you liquidize food, you process it using an electrical appliance in order to make it liquid.
liq|uid|iz|er /l I kw I da I zə r / (liquidizers ) in BRIT, also use liquidiser N‑COUNT A liquidizer is an electric machine that you use to liquidize food. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use blender
liq|uor /l I kə r / (liquors ) N‑VAR Strong alcoholic drinks such as whisky, vodka, and gin can be referred to as liquor . [AM ] □ The room was filled with cases of liquor. □ …intoxicating liquors. in BRIT, use spirits
liquo|rice /l I kər I ʃ, - I s/ → see licorice
li q|uor store (liquor stores ) N‑COUNT A liquor store is a store which sells beer, wine, and other alcoholic drinks. [AM ] in BRIT, use off-licence
lira /l I ə rə/ (lire /l I ə rə/) N‑COUNT The lira was the unit of money that was used in Italy. Turkey and Syria also have a unit of money called a lira . In 2002 it was replaced by the euro in Italy. □ It only cost me 400,000 lire. □ Coin-operated telephones took 100, 200 and 500 lire coins. ● N‑SING The lira was also used to refer to the Italian currency system, and it also sometimes refers to the currency system of other countries which use the lira. □ The franc had been under no pressure compared with the lira.
lisp /l I sp/ (lisps , lisping , lisped )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If someone has a lisp , they pronounce the sounds 's' and 'z' as if they were 'th'. For example, they say 'thing' instead of 'sing'. □ He has a slight lisp.
2 VERB If someone lisps , they say something with a lisp or speak with a lisp. □ [V ] The little man, upset, was lisping badly. □ [V n] Bochmann lisped his congratulations. □ [V -ing] …her low, lisping voice.
list ◆◆◆ /l I st/ (lists , listing , listed )
1 N‑COUNT A list of things such as names or addresses is a set of them which all belong to a particular category, written down one below the other. □ [+ of ] We are making a list of the top ten men we would not want to be married to. □ There were six names on the list. □ …fine wine from the hotel's exhaustive wine list.
2 → see also Civil List , hit list , honours list , laundry list , mailing list , shopping list , waiting list
3 N‑COUNT A list of things is a set of them that you think of as being in a particular order. □ [+ of ] High on the list of public demands is to end military control of broadcasting. □ I would have thought if they were looking for redundancies I would be last on the list. □ [+ of ] The company joined a long list of failed banks.