l

1 of 4

noun

ˈel 

plural l's or ls ˈelz 

often capitalized, 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

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

In all cases the patients have been given l-DOPA and other medications to cover their needs while out of the hospital. —Oliver Sacks, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024

According to a report by Grand View Research, the global poly-l-lactic acid filler market size was valued at $393.8 million in 2023, and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.1% from 2024 to 2030. —Dahvi Shira, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024

Drink plenty of water: Drink 2 to 4 liters (l) of water daily to stay hydrated. —Joni Sweet, Health, 1 June 2024

Your nose and sinuses make 1 liter (l) of snot per day.1 What Is Snot? —Maggie O'Neill, Health, 7 Apr. 2024

In Aptos, the lowercase ‘l’ has a tiny curve at the bottom. —Victor Mather, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024

Black tea also contains the amino acid l-theanine, though other teas contain higher amounts of it. —Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024

With goodies like Sisley-Paris’s nourishing hair spray currently on sale for $89 from $105; its l) or Dr. Lara Devgan’s lash-boosting serum (discounted to $128 from $150), its easier than ever to load your cart. —Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2023

Apparel includes the new Universa (that’s right, no l) Leggings and Alate and Swoosh sports bras. —Maria Halkias, Dallas News, 4 Aug. 2023

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