Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Love

Love

(lŭv)
,
Noun.
[OE.
love
,
luve
, AS.
lufe
,
lufu
; akin to E.
lief
,
believe
, L.
lubet
,
libet
, it pleases, Skr.
lubh
to be lustful. See
Lief
.]
1.
A feeling of strong attachment induced by that which delights or commands admiration; preëminent kindness or devotion to another; affection; tenderness;
as, the
love
of brothers and sisters
.
Of all the dearest bonds we prove
Thou countest sons’ and mothers'
love

Most sacred, most Thine own.
Keble.
2.
Especially, devoted attachment to, or tender or passionate affection for, one of the opposite sex.
He on his side
Leaning half-raised, with looks of cordial
love

Hung over her enamored.
Milton.
3.
Courtship; – chiefly in the phrase to make love, i. e., to court, to woo, to solicit union in marriage.
Demetrius . . .
Made
love
to Nedar's daughter, Helena,
And won her soul.
Shakespeare
4.
Affection; kind feeling; friendship; strong liking or desire; fondness; good will; – opposed to
hate
; often with of and an object.
Love
, and health to all.
Shakespeare
Smit with the
love
of sacred song.
Milton.
The
love
of science faintly warmed his breast.
Fenton.
5.
Due gratitude and reverence to God.
Keep yourselves in the
love
of God.
Jude 21.
6.
The object of affection; – often employed in endearing address;
as, he held his
love
in his arms; his greatest
love
was reading
.
“Trust me, love.”
Dryden.
Open the temple gates unto my
love
.
Spenser.
7.
Cupid, the god of love; sometimes, Venus.
Such was his form as painters, when they show
Their utmost art, on naked
Lores
bestow.
Dryden.
Therefore do nimble-pinioned doves draw
Love
.
Shakespeare
8.
A thin silk stuff.
[Obs.]
Boyle.
9.
(Bot.)
A climbing species of C
lematis
(
Clematis Vitalba
).
10.
Nothing; no points scored on one side; – used in counting score at tennis, etc.
He won the match by three sets to
love
.
The Field.
☞ Love is often used in the formation of compounds, in most of which the meaning is very obvious; as, love-cracked, love-darting, love-killing, love-linked, love-taught, etc.
A labor of love
,
a labor undertaken on account of regard for some person, or through pleasure in the work itself, without expectation of reward.
–
Free love
,
the doctrine or practice of consorting with one of the opposite sex, at pleasure, without marriage. See
Free love
.
–
Free lover
,
one who avows or practices free love.
–
In love
,
in the act of loving; – said esp. of the love of the sexes;
as, to be
in love
; to fall
in love
.
–
Love apple
(Bot.)
,
the tomato.
–
Love bird
(Zool.)
,
any one of several species of small, short-tailed parrots, or parrakeets, of the genus
Agapornis
, and allied genera. They are mostly from Africa. Some species are often kept as cage birds, and are celebrated for the affection which they show for their mates.
–
Love broker
,
a person who for pay acts as agent between lovers, or as a go-between in a sexual intrigue.
Shak.
–
Love charm
,
a charm for exciting love.
Ld. Lytton.
–
Love child
.
an illegitimate child.
Jane Austen.
–
Love day
,
a day formerly appointed for an amicable adjustment of differences.
[Obs.]
Piers Plowman.
Chaucer.
–
Love drink
,
a love potion; a philter.
Chaucer.
–
Love favor
,
something given to be worn in token of love.
–
Love feast
,
a religious festival, held quarterly by some religious denominations, as the Moravians and Methodists, in imitation of the agapæ of the early Christians.
–
Love feat
,
the gallant act of a lover.
Shak.
–
Love game
,
a game, as in tennis, in which the vanquished person or party does not score a point.
–
Love grass
.
[G.
liebesgras
.]
(Bot.)
Any grass of the genus
Eragrostis
.
–
Love-in-a-mist
.
(Bot.)
(a)
An herb of the Buttercup family (
Nigella Damascena
) having the flowers hidden in a maze of finely cut bracts.
(b)
The West Indian
Passiflora fœtida
, which has similar bracts.
–
Love-in-idleness
(Bot.)
,
a kind of violet; the small pansy.

Syn. – Affection; friendship; kindness; tenderness; fondness; delight.

Love

(lŭv)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Loved
(lŭvd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Loving
.]
[AS.
lufian
. √124. See
Love
,
Noun.
]
1.
To have a feeling of love for; to regard with affection or good will;
as, to
love
one's children and friends; to
love
one's country; to
love
one's God.
Thou shalt
love
the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Matt. xxii. 37.
Thou shalt
love
thy neighbor as thy self.
Matt. xxii. 39.
2.
To regard with passionate and devoted affection, as that of one sex for the other.
3.
To take delight or pleasure in; to have a strong liking or desire for, or interest in; to be pleased with; to like;
as, to
love
books; to
love
adventures.
Wit, eloquence, and poetry.
Arts which I
loved
.
Cowley.

Love

,
Verb.
I.
To have the feeling of love; to be in love.

Webster 1828 Edition

Love

LOVE

,
Verb.
T.
luv.
[L. libeo, lubeo. See Lief. The sense is probably to be prompt, free, willing, from leaning, advancing, or drawing forward.]
1.
In a general sense to be pleased with; to regard with affection, on account of some qualities which excite pleasing sensations or desire of gratification. We love a friend, on account of some qualities which give us pleasure in his society. We love a man who has done us a favor; in which case, gratitude enters into the composition of our affection. We love our parents and our children, on account of their connection with us, and on account of many qualities which please us. We love to retire to a cool shade in summer. We love a warm room in winter. we love to hear an eloquent advocate. The christian loves his Bible. In short, we love whatever gives us pleasure and delight, whether animal or intellectual; and if our hearts are right, we love God above all things, as the sum of all excellence and all the attributes which can communicate happiness to intelligent beings. In other words, the christian loves God with the love of complacency in his attributes, the love of benevolence towards the interest of his kingdom, and the love of gratitude for favors received.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind -
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Matt. 22.
2.
To have benevolence or good will for. John 3.

LOVE

,
Noun.
1.
An affection of the mind excited by beauty and worth of any kind, or by the qualities of an object which communicate pleasure, sensual or intellectual. It is opposed to hatred. Love between the sexes, is a compound affection, consisting of esteem, benevolence, and animal desire. Love is excited by pleasing qualities of any kind, as by kindness, benevolence, charity, and by the qualities which render social intercourse agreeable. In the latter case, love is ardent friendship, or a strong attachment springing from good will and esteem, and the pleasure derived from the company, civilities and kindness of others.
Between certain natural relatives, love seems to be in some cases instinctive. Such is the love of a mother for her child, which manifests itself toward an infant, before any particular qualities in the child are unfolded. This affection is apparently as strong in irrational animals as in human beings.
We speak of the love of amusements, the love of books, the love of money, and the love of whatever contributes to our pleasure or supposed profit.
The love of God is the first duty of man, and this springs from just views of his attributes or excellencies of character, which afford the highest delight to the sanctified heart. Esteem and reverence constitute ingredients in this affection, and a fear of offending him is its inseparable effect.
2.
Courtship; chiefly in the phrase, to make love, that is, to court; to woo; to solicit union in marriage.
3.
Patriotism; the attachment one has to his native land; as the love of country.
4.
Benevolence; good will.
God is love. 1John 4.
5.
The object beloved.
The lover and the love of human kind.
6.
A word of endearment.
Trust me, love.
7.
Picturesque representation of love.
Such was his form as painters, when they show their utmost art, on naked loves bestow.
8.
Lewdness.
He is not lolling on a lewd love-bed.
9.
A thin silk stuff. Obs.
Love in idleness, a kind of violet.
Free of love, a plant of the genus Cercis.

Definition 2024

Love

Love

See also: love, lové, lóve, løve, and lóvé

English

Proper noun

Love

  1. A surname​.
  2. An unincorporated community in Kentucky.
  3. A male given name
  4. A female given name

Anagrams

Swedish

Proper noun

Love

  1. A male given name, variant of Ludvig ( =Louis).


love

love

See also: Love, lové, lóve, løve, and lóvé

English

Noun

love ‎(countable and uncountable, plural loves)

  1. Rungus: Samod, (banal ko asamod=caring and loving)
  2. (uncountable) Strong affection.
    1. A profound and caring affection towards someone.
      A mother’s love is not easily shaken.‎
      My husband’s love is the most important thing in my life.‎
      • John Milton (1608-1674)
        He on his side / Leaning half-raised, with looks of cordial love / Hung over her enamoured.
    2. A feeling of intense attraction towards someone.
      I have never been in love as much as I have with you.‎
      • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 8, in The Celebrity:
        The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; for, even after she had conquered her love for the Celebrity, the mortification of having been jilted by him remained.
    3. A profound feeling of trust and security towards a person or a deity.
    4. A feeling of care and mercy towards people or living beings in general.
    5. A deep or abiding liking for something.
      My love of cricket knows no bounds.‎
  3. (countable) The object of one’s romantic feelings; a darling or sweetheart.
    I met my love by the gasworks wall.‎
  4. (colloquial, Britain) A term of friendly address, regardless of feelings.
    Hello love, how can I help you?‎
  5. (euphemistic) A sexual desire; sexual activity.
  6. Used as the closing, before the signature, of a letter, especially between good friends or family members, or by the young.
  7. (obsolete) A thin silk material.
    • 1664, Robert Boyle, Experiments and Considerations Touching Colours, […]
      Such a kind of transparency, as that of a Sive, a piece of Cyprus, or a Love-Hood.
  8. A climbing plant, Clematis vitalba.
  9. (colloquial, Yorkshire) friend, mate; an informal and friendly term of address to a stranger, regardless of gender.
    Cheers love.‎
Synonyms
Antonyms
Translations

Verb

love ‎(third-person singular simple present loves, present participle loving, simple past and past participle loved)

  1. (usually transitive, sometimes intransitive) To have a strong affection for (someone or something).
    • 1918, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Land That Time Forgot Chapter VI
      I wanted to take her in my arms and tell her how I loved her, and had taken her hand from the rail and started to draw her toward me when Olson came blundering up on deck with his bedding.
    • 2013 February 26, Pink and Nate Ruess, Just Give Me a Reason:
      Just give me a reason, / just a little bit's enough, / just a second we're not broken, just bent / and we can learn to love again.
    I love my spouse.   I love you!‎
  2. (transitive) To need, thrive on.
    Mold loves moist, dark places.‎
  3. (transitive, colloquial) To be strongly inclined towards something; an emphatic form of like.
    I love walking barefoot on wet grass;  I'd love to join the team;  I love what you've done with your hair‎
  4. (usually transitive, sometimes intransitive) To care deeply about, to be dedicated to (someone or something).
    • John 3:16
      For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
    • Matthew: 37-38
      You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and your whole mind, and your whole soul; you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
    • 2013 June 21, Oliver Burkeman, “The tao of tech”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 27:
      The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about […], or offering services that let you […] "share the things you love with the world" and so on. But the real way to build a successful online business is to be better than your rivals at undermining people's control of their own attention.
  5. (transitive) To derive delight from a fact or situation.
    I love the fact that the coffee shop now offers fat-free chai latte.‎
  6. (transitive) To lust for.
  7. (transitive, euphemistic) To have sex with, (perhaps from make love.)
    I wish I could love her all night long.‎
Conjugation
Antonyms
Translations
Derived terms
Related terms

See also

Etymology 2

From Middle English loven, lovien, from Old English lofian ‎(“to praise, exalt, appraise, value”), from Proto-Germanic *lubōną ‎(“to praise, vow”), from *lubą ‎(“praise”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- ‎(“to like, love, desire”), *lewbʰ-. Cognate with Scots love, lofe ‎(“to praise, honour, esteem”), Dutch loven ‎(“to praise”), German loben ‎(“to praise”), Swedish lova ‎(“to promise, pledge”), Icelandic lofa ‎(“to promise”). See also lofe.

Verb

love ‎(third-person singular simple present loves, present participle loving, simple past and past participle loved)

  1. (transitive, obsolete or Britain dialectal) To praise; commend.
  2. (transitive, obsolete or Britain dialectal) To praise as of value; prize; set a price on.

Etymology 3

From the phrase Neither for love nor for money, meaning "nothing".

The previously held belief that it originated from the French term l’œuf ‎(“the egg”), due to its shape, is no longer widely accepted, though cf the use of duck (reputed to be short for duck's egg) for a zero score at cricket.

Noun

love ‎(uncountable)

  1. (racquet sports) Zero, no score.
    So that’s fifteen-love to Kournikova.
    • The Field
      He won the match by three sets to love.
    • John Betjeman, A Subaltern's Love Song
      Love-thirty, love-forty, oh! weakness of joy, / The speed of a swallow, the grace of a boy, / With carefullest carelessness, gaily you won, / I am weak from your loveliness, Joan Hunter Dunn.
Translations

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: because · few · whom · #179: love · far · seemed · house

Anagrams

Czech

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈlɔvɛ/

Noun

love f pl

  1. (slang) money

Synonyms

Danish

Etymology 1

See lov

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /lɔːvə/, [ˈlɔːwə]

Noun

love c

  1. plural indefinite of lov

Etymology 2

From Middle Low German lōve.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /lɔːvə/, [ˈlɔːwə]

Noun

love c

  1. trust, faith
Related terms
  • på tro og love

Etymology 3

From Old Norse lofa.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /lɔːvə/, [ˈlɔːwə]

Verb

love ‎(imperative lov, infinitive at love, present tense lover, past tense lovede, perfect tense har lovet)

  1. praise
  2. promise

Dutch

Pronunciation

Verb

love

  1. (archaic) singular present subjunctive of loven

Anagrams

French

Verb

love

  1. first-person singular present indicative of lover
  2. third-person singular present indicative of lover
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of lover
  4. first-person singular present subjunctive of lover
  5. second-person singular imperative of lover

Anagrams

Friulian

Etymology

From Latin lupa, feminine of lupus. Compare Venetian lova, French louve.

Noun

love f ‎(plural lovis)

  1. she-wolf

Related terms

Middle English

Noun

love (plural loves)

  1. love

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse lofa.

Verb

love ‎(imperative lov, present tense lover, simple past and past participle lova or lovet, present participle lovende)

  1. to praise

Verb

love ‎(imperative lov, present tense lover, simple past lova or lovet or lovte or lovde, past participle lova or lovet or lovt or lovd, present participle lovende)

  1. to promise
    (as an adjective) det lovede land - the Promised Land

Related terms

References

Romani

Noun

love

  1. plural of lovo
  2. money

Descendants

Etymology

From Middle English love, luve, from Old English lufu ‎(“love, affection, desire”), from Proto-Germanic *lubō ‎(“love”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- ‎(“love, care, desire”). Cognate with Old Frisian luve ‎(“love”), Old High German luba ‎(“love”). Related to Old English lēof ‎(“dear, beloved”), līefan ‎(“to allow, approve of”), Icelandic ljúfur ‎(“dear; beloved; sweet; gentle”), Saterland Frisian Ljoowe ‎(“love”), Latin libet, lubō ‎(“to please”) and Albanian lyp ‎(“to beg, ask insistently”), lips ‎(“to be demanded, needed”), Serbo-Croatian ljubiti, ljubav, Russian любо́вь ‎(ljubóvʹ), люби́ть ‎(ljubítʹ).

The closing-of-a-letter sense is presumably a truncation of With love or the like.

The verb is from Middle English loven, lovien, from Old English lufian ‎(“to love, cherish, sow love to; fondle, caress; delight in, approve, practice”), from the noun lufu ‎(“love”). See above. Compare West Frisian leavje ‎(“to love”), German lieben ‎(“to love”), Icelandic lofa ‎(“to prize”) and loforð ‎(“a promise”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /lʌv/, [lɐv]
  • (US) IPA(key): /lʌv/
  • (Ireland) IPA(key): [lʊv]
  • Rhymes: -ʌv

Similar Results