l

1 of 4

noun

ˈel 

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

: el entry 2

l

2 of 4

abbreviation (1)

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

L

3 of 4

abbreviation (2)

1

Lagrangian

2

long

3

loss; losses

l-

4 of 4

prefix

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 capital

l-fructose

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Words Starting With L

Browse 11,988 words and phrases that start with the letter L, from la to lytic.

Examples of l in a Sentence

Noun

a word that starts with an l

a word that starts with l

Abbreviation (1)

The area of a rectangle is L x W.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

After back-to-back blowout wins, Illinois closed the month with two straight L’s — at UCLA and then at home to Michigan, which clinched the Big Ten regular-season title with the easy win. —Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026

The mix uses a 90 L tilting drum mixer. —Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026

On the plus side, the kitchen block includes a 68-L refrigerator on its front wall, making for easy access from both outside and in. —New Atlas, 30 Mar. 2026

But Gosling wasn’t taking the L that easily. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026

The layout includes a fold-away kitchen gallery with a wine rack, am entertainment area with an L-shape sofa that converts to a bed, a spacious bathroom with a stand-up shower, and a main sleeping area with a zero-gravity bed (a schematics image suggests the vehicle comfortably sleeps four). —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2026

A level greater than 250 nmnol/L roughly equates to a two-fold increase in heart disease risk, while a level above 430 nmol/L indicates a four-fold risk. —Lindsey Leake, NBC news, 13 Mar. 2026

French medical aesthetics brand Vivacy will introduce its Stylage L product line through the platform, while Daning Group has signed a strategic agreement with Shanghai Pharmaceutical Group to support global logistics services for beauty companies expanding internationally. —Johannes Neubacher, Footwear News, 13 Mar. 2026

Popular forms include magnesium glycinate, magnesium citrate, magnesium malate, magnesium oxide and magnesium L-threonate. —Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Prefix

International Scientific Vocabulary, from lev-

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

l

noun

ˈel

often capitalized

1

: the 12th letter of the English alphabet

2

: fifty in Roman numerals

Medical Definition

L

1 of 3 abbreviation

1

left

2

levorotatory

3

light

4

liquid

5

liter

6

lumbar

—used especially with a number from 1 to 5 to indicate a vertebra or segment of the spinal cord in the lumbar region

L

2 of 3 symbol

lithium

l-

3 of 3 prefix

1

ˌlē-(ˌ)vō, ˌel, ˈel

: levorotatory

—usually printed in italic

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 capital

L-fructose

L-tryptophan