Lives

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Life \Life\ (l[imac]f), n.; pl. {Lives} (l[imac]vz). [AS.
     l[imac]f; akin to D. lijf body, G. leib body, MHG. l[imac]p
     life, body, OHG. l[imac]b life, Icel. l[imac]f, life, body,
     Sw. lif, Dan. liv, and E. live, v. [root]119. See {Live}, and
     cf. {Alive}.]
     1. The state of being which begins with generation, birth, or


        germination, and ends with death; also, the time during
        which this state continues; that state of an animal or
        plant in which all or any of its organs are capable of
        performing all or any of their functions; -- used of all
        animal and vegetable organisms.
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     2. Of human beings: The union of the soul and body; also, the
        duration of their union; sometimes, the deathless quality
        or existence of the soul; as, man is a creature having an
        immortal life.
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              She shows a body rather than a life.  --Shak.
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     3. (Philos.) The potential principle, or force, by which the
        organs of animals and plants are started and continued in
        the performance of their several and cooperative
        functions; the vital force, whether regarded as physical
        or spiritual.
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     4. Figuratively: The potential or animating principle, also,
        the period of duration, of anything that is conceived of
        as resembling a natural organism in structure or
        functions; as, the life of a state, a machine, or a book;
        authority is the life of government.
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     5. A certain way or manner of living with respect to
        conditions, circumstances, character, conduct, occupation,
        etc.; hence, human affairs; also, lives, considered
        collectively, as a distinct class or type; as, low life; a
        good or evil life; the life of Indians, or of miners.
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              That which before us lies in daily life. --Milton.
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              By experience of life abroad in the world. --Ascham.
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              Lives of great men all remind us
              We can make our lives sublime.        --Longfellow.
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              'T is from high life high characters are drawn.
                                                    --Pope
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     6. Animation; spirit; vivacity; vigor; energy.
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              No notion of life and fire in fancy and in words.
                                                    --Felton.
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              That gives thy gestures grace and life.
                                                    --Wordsworth.
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     7. That which imparts or excites spirit or vigor; that upon
        which enjoyment or success depends; as, he was the life of
        the company, or of the enterprise.
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     8. The living or actual form, person, thing, or state; as, a
        picture or a description from, the life.
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     9. A person; a living being, usually a human being; as, many
        lives were sacrificed.
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     10. The system of animal nature; animals in general, or
         considered collectively.
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               Full nature swarms with life.        --Thomson.
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     11. An essential constituent of life, esp: the blood.
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               The words that I speak unto you . . . they are
               life.                                --John vi. 63.
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               The warm life came issuing through the wound.
                                                    --Pope
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     12. A history of the acts and events of a life; a biography;
         as, Johnson wrote the life of Milton.
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     13. Enjoyment in the right use of the powers; especially, a
         spiritual existence; happiness in the favor of God;
         heavenly felicity.
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     14. Something dear to one as one's existence; a darling; --
         used as a term of endearment.
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     Note: Life forms the first part of many compounds, for the
           most part of obvious meaning; as, life-giving,
           life-sustaining, etc.
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     {Life annuity}, an annuity payable during one's life.
  
     {Life arrow}, {Life rocket}, {Life shot}, an arrow, rocket,
        or shot, for carrying an attached line to a vessel in
        distress in order to save life.
  
     {Life assurance}. See {Life insurance}, below.
  
     {Life buoy}. See {Buoy}.
  
     {Life car}, a water-tight boat or box, traveling on a line
        from a wrecked vessel to the shore. In it person are
        hauled through the waves and surf.
  
     {Life drop}, a drop of vital blood. --Byron.
  
     {Life estate} (Law), an estate which is held during the term
        of some certain person's life, but does not pass by
        inheritance.
  
     {Life everlasting} (Bot.), a plant with white or yellow
        persistent scales about the heads of the flowers, as
        {Antennaria}, and {Gnaphalium}; cudweed.
  
     {Life of an execution} (Law), the period when an execution is
        in force, or before it expires.
  
     {Life guard}. (Mil.) See under {Guard}.
  
     {Life insurance}, the act or system of insuring against
        death; a contract by which the insurer undertakes, in
        consideration of the payment of a premium (usually at
        stated periods), to pay a stipulated sum in the event of
        the death of the insured or of a third person in whose
        life the insured has an interest.
  
     {Life interest}, an estate or interest which lasts during
        one's life, or the life of another person, but does not
        pass by inheritance.
  
     {Life land} (Law), land held by lease for the term of a life
        or lives.
  
     {Life line}.
         (a) (Naut.) A line along any part of a vessel for the
             security of sailors.
         (b) A line attached to a life boat, or to any life saving
             apparatus, to be grasped by a person in the water.
  
     {Life rate}, rate of premium for insuring a life.
  
     {Life rent}, the rent of a life estate; rent or property to
        which one is entitled during one's life.
  
     {Life school}, a school for artists in which they model,
        paint, or draw from living models.
  
     {Lifetable}, a table showing the probability of life at
        different ages.
  
     {To lose one's life}, to die.
  
     {To seek the life of}, to seek to kill.
  
     {To the life}, so as closely to resemble the living person or
        the subject; as, the portrait was drawn to the life.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Lives \Lives\ (l[imac]vz), n.;
     pl. of {Life}.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Lives \Lives\ (l[imac]vz), a. & adv. [Orig. a genitive sing. of
     life.]
     Alive; living; with life. [Obs.] " Any lives creature."
     --Chaucer.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  life
       n 1: a characteristic state or mode of living; "social life";
            "city life"; "real life"
       2: the course of existence of an individual; the actions and
          events that occur in living; "he hoped for a new life in
          Australia"; "he wanted to live his own life without
          interference from others"
       3: the experience of living; the course of human events and
          activities; "he could no longer cope with the complexities
          of life" [syn: {living}]
       4: the condition of living or the state of being alive; "while
          there's life there's hope"; "life depends on many chemical
          and physical processes" [syn: {animation}, {living}, {aliveness}]
       5: the period during which something is functional (as between
          birth and death); "the battery had a short life"; "he
          lived a long and happy life" [syn: {lifetime}, {lifespan}]
       6: the period between birth and the present time; "I have known
          him all his life"
       7: animation and energy in action or expression; "it was a
          heavy play and the actors tried in vain to give life to
          it" [syn: {liveliness}, {spirit}, {sprightliness}]
       8: an account of the series of events making up a person's life
          [syn: {biography}, {life story}, {life history}]
       9: the period from the present until death; "he appointed
          himself emperor for life"
       10: a living person; "his heroism saved a life"
       11: living things collectively; "the oceans are teeming with
           life"
       12: a motive for living; "pottery was his life"
       13: the organic phenomenon that distinguishes living organisms
           from nonliving ones; "there is no life on the moon"
       14: a prison term lasting as long as the prisoner lives; "he got
           life for killing the guard" [syn: {life sentence}]
       [also: {lives} (pl)]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  lives
       See {life}