Lübeck
Lübeck (pop. 215,200), city in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany, on the Trave River near its mouth at the Baltic Sea.
21st Century Webster's Family Encyclopedia - Liliuokalani, Lydia Kamekeha to Lyon
Lódz
Lódz (pop. 838,400), city in central Poland, the country's second largest.
Friedrich Löffler
Löffler, Friedrich (1852–1915), German bacteriologist who co-discovered the diphtheria bacillus in 1884.
Antonio López de Santa Anna
López de Santa Anna, Antonio See: Santa Anna, Antonio López de.
José López Portillo
López Portillo, José (1920– ), president of Mexico (1976–82), during a period of rapid economic growth, especially in the energy field.
Li Peng
Li Peng (1928– ), Chinese premier (1988–98).
Li Po
Li Po See: Li Bo.
Li Yuan
Li Yuan (A.D. 566–636), first emperor (618–627) and founder of the Tang dynasty (618–907), one of the greatest periods in China's history.
Lydia Kamekeha Liliuokalani
Liliuokalani, Lydia Kamekeha (1838–1917), last queen of Hawaii, who reigned 1891–93.
Lille
Lille (pop. 178,300), city in northern France.
Lilongwe
Lilongwe (pop. 234,000), capital, since 1975, of Malawi in southeast Africa.
Lily
Lily, common name for plants of the family Liliaceae, which have prominent flowers and grasslike leaves.
Lily of the valley
Lily of the valley, any of several species of woodland plants (genus Convallaria) widely grown in gardens and indoor pots.
Lima
Lima (pop. 5,330,000), capital and largest city of Peru, about 8 mi (13 km) inland from the Pacific port of Callao.
Lima bean
Lima bean, any of several highly nutritious beans of the pea family, rich in protein.
Pol de Limbourg
Limbourg, Pol de (d.1416), Flemish manuscript illuminator, one of three brothers who after 1404 worked for the Burgundian duke of Berry.
Lime
Lime, shrublike citrus tree (Citrus aurantifolia) that grows a green fruit smaller and more acidic than the lemon.
Lime
Lime, quicklime, or calcium oxide, a caustic industrial chemical (CaO).
Lime tree
Lime tree See: Linden.
Limerick
Limerick, humorous verse form consisting of 5 lines, named for the Irish city of Limerick but of unknown origin.
Limestone
Limestone, sedimentary rock consisting mainly of calcium carbonate.
José Limon
Limon, José (1908–72), Mexican-U.S. dancer and choreographer.
Limonite
Limonite, or brown hematite, mineral formed by the decomposition of other minerals that contain iron, found in France, Cuba, and Canada.
Limpet
Limpet, mollusk, related to the pond snail, with a conical instead of a spiral shell and a muscular foot that can cling to rocks.
Limpopo River
Limpopo River, or Crocodile River, river dividing South Africa from Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Lin Piao
Lin Piao (1908–71), Chinese communist general and politician.
Lincoln
Lincoln (pop. 213,641), capital and second-largest city of Nebraska, 56 mi (90 km) southwest of Omaha.
Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln, Abraham (1809–65), 16th president of the United States. Lincoln led the North during the Civil War, the nation's greatest crisis. He was determined to restore the Union at any cost—and prevailed. Besides his preservation of the Union and the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln is remembered for his eloquent oratory, particularly his Gettysburg Address and inaugural spe…
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, in New York City, complex of buildings (constructed 1959–72) designed by leading modern architects including Eero Saarinen and Philip Johnson, to accommodate a number of vital performing arts institutions, which today include the Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the New York City Opera, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Mary Todd Lincoln
Lincoln, Mary Todd (1818–1882), wife of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln from 1842 until his death.
Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial, marble monument to Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C., dedicated in 1922.
Robert Todd Lincoln
Lincoln, Robert Todd (1843–1926), only son of Abraham Lincoln to reach adulthood.
Jenny Lind
Lind, Jenny (1820–87), Swedish soprano who had brilliant success in opera, concert singing, and oratorio.
Charles Augustus Lindbergh
Lindbergh, Charles Augustus (1902–74), U.S. aviator who made the first solo, nonstop flight across the Atlantic, in 33 1/2 hours, on May 21, 1927, in The Spirit of St.
Linden
Linden, any of a family (Tiliaceae) of shade trees native to temperate regions.
Vachel Lindsay
Lindsay, Vachel (1879–1931), U.S. poet of rhythmic, ballad-like verse designed to be read out loud.
Line of Demarcation
Line of Demarcation, line decreed by Pope Alexander VI in 1494 to divide Spanish and Portuguese colonial possessions on a world scale.
Line Islands
Line Islands, string of 11 coral islands in the west and southwest Pacific Ocean.
Linear accelerator
Linear accelerator, device that produces beams of electrons, protons, and other charged particles and directs them against various atomic targets in order to study the structure of atomic nuclei.
Linear electric motor
Linear electric motor, automatic device used to move vehicles without wheels.
Lingonberry
Lingonberry, small fruit of an evergreen shrub (Vaccinium vitisidaea), related to the cranberry.
Linguistics
Linguistics, scientific study of language in all its aspects.
Linn
Linn See: Linden.
Carolus Linnaeus
Linnaeus, Carolus (Karl von Linné; 1707–78), Swedish botanist and physician, founder of taxonomy, the scientific classification of plants and animals.
Linnet
Linnet, small, seed-eating bird (Carduelis cannabina) of the finch family, characterized by light tan and brown feathers with darker patches on the back and shoulders.
Linotype
Linotype, mechanical typesetting machine that revolutionized printing and made possible the publication of low-priced books and newspapers.
Ralph Linton
Linton, Ralph (1893–1953), U.S. anthropologist best known for his studies in cultural anthropology in Africa, the Americas, and the South Pacific.
Lion
Lion, largest member of the cat family (Panthera leo), now found only in Africa, Asia, and zoos. Lions once lived in Europe, India, and the Middle East, but the expanding human population has eliminated lions from these regions. Lions live in family groups called prides. There may be as many as 30 lions in one pride, and they usually spend their time playing, resting, sleeping (a lion can sleep al…
Jacques Lipchitz
Lipchitz, Jacques (1891–1973), Lithuanian-born French sculptor whose early works consisted of spaces and volumes in a cubist style.
Lipid
Lipid, any of a group of organic compounds found in plants, animals, and micro-organisms that are insoluble in water but dissolve in fat solvents such as ether, chloroform, and alcohol.
Lippi
Lippi, name of 2 Italian Renaissance painters in Florence.
Walter Lippmann
Lippmann, Walter (1889–1974), influential U.S. political columnist and foreign affairs analyst.
Lisbon
Lisbon (pop. 827,800), capital and largest city of Portugal, on the Tagus River estuary near the Atlantic Ocean.
Sir Joseph Lister
Lister, Sir Joseph (1827–1912), English surgeon who pioneered antiseptic surgery.
Franz Liszt
Liszt, Franz (1811–86), Hungarian composer and virtuoso pianist who revolutionized keyboard technique.
Litchfield
Litchfield (pop. 7,605), village in western Connecticut declared a National Historic Landmark in 1978.
Litchi
Litchi, or lichee, evergreen Chinese tree (Litchi chinensis) grown in warm climates, a member of the soapberry family.
Literature for children
During the 1800s, publishing and writing for children became a distinct branch of literature. Also at that time, illustration developed as a major feature of books for children, as exemplified by John Tenniel's illustrations for Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. It was the 20th century that saw an explosive growth in children's books. The picture book, a book where i…
Litharge
Litharge, poisonous compound (PbO) of lead and oxygen, also called lead monoxide.
Lithium
Lithium, chemical element, symbol Li; for physical constants see Periodic Table.
Lithography
Lithography, form of printing used in both fine art and in commercial printing, invented by Aloys Senefelder in Germany c.1798.
Lithuania
Lithuania (Republic of), independent country bordering on the Baltic Sea, surrounded by Poland (south), Russia (exclave Kaliningrad), Byelorussia (east), and Latvia (north). The country exists of a low-lying plain, with numerous rivers and lakes. The east has a continental climate, the west has a more moderate climate. Roman Catholicism is the traditional religion. Lithuanian, a member of the Balt…
Battle of Little Bighorn
Little Bighorn, Battle of, battle in southeastern Montana, near the Little Bighorn River, June 25–26, 1876, in which Colonel George A.
Little Dipper
Little Dipper See: Big and Little Dippers.
Little Rock
Little Rock (pop. 158,500), state capital and principal commercial center of Arkansas, on the Arkansas River.
Liu Bang
Liu Bang (248?–195 B.C.), Chinese emperor who founded the western Han dynasty, which ruled from 202 B.C. to A.D. 220 Liu Bang (r.202–195 B.C.) is known for furthering unification by establishing regional kingdoms presided over by a central government.
Liu Pang
Liu Pang See: Liu Bang.
Liu Shao-Ch'i
Liu Shao-Ch'i (1893–1969), Chinese communist leader who succeeded Mao Tse-Tung as chair of the Chinese People's Republic (1959–68).
Live oak
Live oak, any of several species of North American evergreen trees (genus Quercus) of the beech family.
Liver
Liver, in anatomy, the largest glandular organ in the human body, lying on the right of the abdomen beneath the diaphragm.
Liverleaf
Liverleaf See: Hepatica.
Liverpool
Liverpool (pop. 479,000), industrial city in northwestern England, one of its major ports, on the Mersey River, 3 mi (5 km) from the Irish Sea.
Liverwort
Liverwort, primitive plant that lives in moist places.
Livestock
Livestock, general term for animals raised to be sources of meat, milk, wool, leather, or labor.
Philip Livingston
Livingston, Philip (1716–78), U.S. political leader, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Robert R. Livingston
Livingston, Robert R. (1746–1813), U.S. politician.
David Livingstone
Livingstone, David See: Stanley and Livingstone.
Livy
Livy (Titus Livius; c.59 B.C.–A.D. 17), Roman historian.
Lizard
Lizard, any of many reptiles of the order Squamata, which also includes snakes.
Llama
Llama, domesticated South American hoofed mammal (Lama glama) of the camel family.
David Lloyd George
Lloyd George, David (1863–1945), Welsh political leader, British prime minister 1916–22.
Harold Clayton Lloyd
Lloyd, Harold Clayton (1894–1971), U.S. comedian of the silent screen, famous as the disaster-prone naive young man in glasses and straw hat.
Henry Demarest Lloyd
Lloyd, Henry Demarest (1847–1903), U.S. reforming journalist.
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lloyd Webber, Andrew (1948– ), popular British composer whose first success was the musical Jesus Christ Superstar (1971).
Loadstone
Loadstone, hard black mineral (Fe304) with magnetic properties, also called lodestone and magnetite.
Lobbying
Lobbying, attempting to influence legislators' votes by an agent of a particular political pressure group.
Lobelia
Lobelia, any of several species of annual or biannual plants (genus Lobelia) found in pastures, meadows, and cultivated fields.
Lobster
Lobster, large marine crustacean with 5 pairs of jointed legs, the first bearing enormous claws.
Lobworm
Lobworm, also called lugworm or lugbait, seaworm (class Polychaeta) much used as bait for deep-sea fishing.
Local government
Local government, in the United States embraces a wide variety of governmental units, such as cities, counties, townships, and school districts. The average citizen comes into contact with local government quite often because it provides a variety of functions and services important in his daily life. These include garbage collection, police protection, education, firefighting, traffic regulation,…
Locarno Treaties
Locarno Treaties, pacts drawn up in Locarno, Switzerland, in 1925 providing for the demilitarization of the Rhineland and specifying the borders of Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, and Czechoslovakia.
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond, largest lake in Scotland, located in the highlands about 20 mi (32 km) north of the city of Glasgow.
Lock
Lock, device that fastens shut and prevents the opening of doors, windows, lids, and other objects.
John Locke
Locke, John (1632–1704), English philosopher, founder of empiricism, whose writings helped initiate the European Enlightenment.
Lockjaw
Lockjaw See: Tetanus.
Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood
Lockwood, Belva Ann Bennett (1830–1917), attorney, suffragette, and Equal Rights Party nominee for president of the United States in 1884 and 1888.
Locomotive
Locomotive, power unit used to haul railroad trains.
Locomotor ataxia
Locomotor ataxia See: Ataxia.
Locoweed
Locoweed, any of several leguminous plants of the genera Astragalus and Oxytropis native to dry regions of the west and southwestern United States.
Locust
Locust, in zoology, name for about 50 species of tropical grasshoppers that have a swarming stage in their life cycle.
Locust
Locust, in botany, deciduous tree or shrub (genus Robinia) with large thorns.
Lodestone
Lodestone See: Loadstone.
Lodge
Lodge, name of 2 U.S. statesmen from Massachusetts.
Jacques Loeb
Loeb, Jacques (1859–1924), German-born U.S. biologist best known for his work on parthenogenesis, especially his induction of artificial parthenogenesis in the eggs of sea urchins and frogs.
Frank Loesser
Loesser, Frank (1910–1969), U.S. composer of music and lyrics.
Hugh Lofting
Lofting, Hugh (1886–1947), English-born U.S. author and illustrator of the famous Dr.
Log
Log, in nautical measurement, device used to measure a ship's speed.
Logan
Logan (1725?–80?), a leader of the Cayugas during the American colonial period.
Logan Act
Logan Act, U.S. law enacted in 1799 prohibiting private citizens from entering into negotiations with a foreign government involved in a dispute with the United States.
John Alexander Logan
Logan, John Alexander (1826–86), Union general during the Civil War.
Joshua Logan
Logan, Joshua (1908–1988), U.S. director and dramatist.
Loganberry
Loganberry, hybrid bramble produced from the dewberry and the raspberry.
Logarithm
Logarithm, power to which a fixed number, called the base, must be raised to produce a given number.
Logic
Logic, the science of dealing with formal principles of reasoning and thought.
Loire River
Loire River, longest river in France, rising in the Cévennes Mountains of central France and flowing north and west through the Massif Central about 650 mi (1,050 km) to the Atlantic.
Loki
Loki, in Norse mythology, the god who personified trouble and deceit.
Lollards
Lollards, name given to the 14th-century followers of the English religious reformer John Wycliffe (c. 1328–84).
Vince Lombardi
Lombardi, Vince (1913–70), U.S. football coach of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL).
Lombards
Lombards, Germanic people who moved from northwestern Germany toward Italy in the fourth century.
Lombardy
Lombardy, region of northern Italy, once part of the kingdom of the Lombards, for whom it is named.
Lon Nol
Lon Nol (1913–85), Cambodian general and head of state (1970–75).
London
London (pop. 381,500), manufacturing and commercial city on the Thames River in southeast Ontario, Canada.
London
London (pop. 6,904,000), capital of Great Britain. Divided into 33 boroughs, Greater London covers over 650 sq mi (1,684 sq km) along both banks of the Thames River in southeast England. The national center of government, trade, commerce, shipping, finance, and industry, it is also one of the cultural centers of the world. The Port of London handles over 33% of British trade. London is also…
London Bridge
London Bridge, historical succession of bridges over the Thames River in London, England.
Jack London
London, Jack (John Griffith London; 1876–1916), U.S. author of novels and short stories, many set during the Yukon Gold Rush and treating the struggles of men and animals to survive.
Londonderry
Londonderry (pop. 98,500), seaport in northwest Northern Ireland, on the Foyle River.
Lone Star State
Lone Star State See: Texas.
Long
Long, powerful political family in Louisiana history.
Long Beach
Long Beach (pop. 438,700), seaport, industrial center, and tourist area in southern California, on San Pedro Bay, about 20 mi (32 km) southeast of Los Angeles.
Crawford Williamson Long
Long, Crawford Williamson (1815–78), U.S. physician who first used diethyl ether as an anesthetic during surgery (1842).
Long Island
Long Island, island off the southeastern coast of New York, extending east for about 118 mi (190 km) from the mouth of the Hudson River.
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound, arm of the Atlantic Ocean separating the state of Connecticut from Long Island.
Long March
Long March, the 6,000-mi (9,656-km) march (1934–35) of the Chinese communists, from Jiangxi in the Southeast to Shaanxi in the extreme Northwest, which saved the movement from extermination by the Nationalist (Kuomintang) forces of Chiang Kai-shek.
Long Parliament
Long Parliament, English legislative assembly that met between 1640 and 1660.
Stephen Harriman Long
Long, Stephen Harriman (1748–1864), U.S. explorer, army engineer, and surveyor.
Longbow
Longbow See: Archery.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth (1807–82), U.S. poet, one of the most popular poets of his generation.
Longinus
Longinus (fl. 1st cent. ?A.D.), Greek writer to whom the ancient Greek essay on literary criticism On the Sublime has been attributed.
Longitude
Longitude, measure of the distance, in angular degrees, of any point on the earth's surface east or west of the prime meridian, which is 0° longitude.
James Longstreet
Longstreet, James (1821–1904), Confederate general in the U.S.
Loon
Loon, waterbird (family Gaviidae) of northern countries, known in England as the diver.
Loosestrife
Loosestrife, popular name of any of several species of primulaceous plants (genus Lysimachia) with leafy stems and yellow-white flowers.
Loquat
Loquat, subtropical evergreen tree (Eriobotrya japonica) of the rose family that bears an egg-shaped orange or yellow fruit.
Federico García Lorca
Lorca, Federico García See: García Lorca, Federico.
Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer, or Our Father, chief Christian prayer, taught by Christ to his disciples (Mat. 6.9–13; Luke 11.2–4) and prominent in all Christian worship.
Hendrik Antoon Lorentz
Lorentz, Hendrik Antoon (1853–1928), Dutch physicist awarded with Pieter Zeeman the 1902 Nobel Prize for physics for his prediction of the Zeeman effect (the effects of magnetism on light).
Konrad Zacharias Lorenz
Lorenz, Konrad Zacharias (1903–89), Austrian zoologist, founder of ethology, the study of animal behavior.
Carlo Lorenzini
Lorenzini, Carlo See: Collodi, Carlo.
Lorenzo the Magnificent
Lorenzo the Magnificent See: Medici.
Loris
Loris, any of several species of primates related to the lemurs.
Claude Lorrain
Lorrain, Claude See: Claude Lorrain.
Lorraine
Lorraine See: Alsace-Lorraine.
Los Alamos
Los Alamos, town in New Mexico, 25 mi (40 km) northwest of Santa Fe.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles (pop. 3,489,700), city in southern California, second-largest in the United States, a sprawling city of some 464 sq mi (1,201 sq km), the center of a metropolitan area with a population of over 8 million. Los Angeles is the third-largest industrial center in the United States, producing among other things aircraft, electrical equipment, canned fish, and refined oils. It is also a major…
Lost Colony
Lost Colony, English settlement on Roanoke Island off the coast of North Carolina that disappeared without trace.
Lot
Lot, in the Old Testament, son of Abraham's brother Haran.
Lotus
Lotus, any of several kinds of water lilies.
Lotus-eaters
Lotus-eaters, legendary inhabitants of the north coast of Africa mentioned in Homer's Odyssey.
Lou Gehrig's disease
Lou Gehrig's disease See: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Gregory Efhimios Louganis
Louganis, Gregory Efhimios (1960– ), U.S. diver.
Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh, lake in Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Louis
Louis, name of 18 kings of France. Louis I (778–840), Holy Roman Emperor 814–40, known as the Pious. The third son of Charlemagne, he divided the empire among his sons, thereby contributing to its fragmentation but laying the foundations of the state of France. Louis II (846–79), reigned 877–79. Louis III (c.863–82), reigned 879–82. Asking of northern Fran…
Joe Louis
Louis, Joe (Joseph Louis Barrow; 1914–81), U.S. boxer.
Louis Napoleon
Louis Napoleon See: Napoleon III.
Louis Philippe
Louis Philippe (1773–1850), king of France, 1830–48.
Louisbourg
Louisbourg (pop. 1,400), town in northeastern Nova Scotia, Canada, on the Atlantic.
Louisiana
Louisiana, state in the south-central United States; bordered by Arkansas to the north, Mississippi to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Texas to the west. Part of the lowland that lies along the entire Gulf coast of the U.S., Louisiana is divided into 3 natural regions: the East and West Gulf Coastal Plains and, between them, the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (often called “the D…
Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase, territory purchased by the United States from France in Apr. 1803.
Louisville
Louisville (pop. 300,000), largest city in Kentucky, on the Ohio River, whose falls provide hydroelectric power for the city.
Lourdes
Lourdes (pop. 17,300), town in southwestern France and site of Roman Catholic pilgrimage.
Louse
Louse, any of several wingless parasitic insects of 2 orders, Mallophaga (bird lice or biting lice) and Anoplura (mammalian or sucking lice).
Louvre
Louvre, historic palace in Paris, mostly built during the reign of Louis XIV, now one of the world's largest and most famous art museums.
Lovebird
Lovebird, any of various small gray or green parrots known for their close pair-bond and the frequency with which they preen their mate, particularly genus Agapornis of Africa.
Richard Lovelace
Lovelace, Richard (1618–57?), English Royalist soldier and Cavalier poet.
James Arthur Lovell Jr.
Lovell, James Arthur, Jr. (1928– ), U.S. astronaut who commanded Apollo 13, the spacecraft scheduled to land on the moon in Apr. of 1970.
Sir Bernard Lovell
Lovell, Sir Bernard (1913– ), British radio astronomer.
Juliette Gordon Low
Low, Juliette Gordon (1860–1927), founder of the U.S.
Lowell
Lowell, industrial city in northeastern Massachusetts, on the Merrimack and Concord rivers northwest of Boston.
Amy Lowell
Lowell, Amy (1874–1925), U.S. critic and poet of the imagist school.
James Russell Lowell
Lowell, James Russell (1819–91), U.S. poet, editor, essayist, and diplomat.
Percival Lowell
Lowell, Percival (1855–1916), U.S. astronomer.
Robert Lowell
Lowell, Robert (1917–77), U.S. poet and playwright.
Malcolm Lowry
Lowry, Malcolm (1909–57), English novelist.
Saint Ignatius Loyola
Loyola, Saint Ignatius (1491–1556), Spanish founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), a Roman Catholic order.
LPG
LPG See: Butane and propane.
LSD
LSD, or lysergic acid diethylamide, hallucinogenic drug that induces a state of excitation of the central nervous system and overactivity of the autonomic nervous system, manifested as changes in mood (usually euphoric, sometimes depressive) and perception. LSD was invented in 1938 by 2 Swiss chemists, Arthur Stoll and Albert Hofmann. No evidence of physical dependence can be detected when the dru…
Luanda
Luanda (pop. 1,400,000), capital and largest city of Angola.
Luba
Luba, African ethnic group comprised of Bantu-speaking tribes.
Lubbock
Lubbock (pop. 222,636), city in northwest Texas known for its production of cottonseed products.
Ernst Lubitsch
Lubitsch, Ernst (1892–1947), German film director, noted for the sophisticated comedies he made after his emigration to Hollywood in 1923.
Lucan
Lucan (Marcus Annaeus Lucanus; A.D. 39–65), Roman poet, nephew of Seneca, best known for his Bellum civile, an epic literary work on the clash between Julius Caesar and Pompey.
Clare Booth Luce
Luce, Clare Booth (1903–87), U.S. playwright, editor, and politician.
Henry Robinson Luce
Luce, Henry Robinson (1898–1967), U.S. editor and publisher.
Lucerne
Lucerne (pop. 59,100), city in central Switzerland, on the banks of the Reuss River and western shore of Lake Lucerne, capital of Lucerne canton.
Lucian
Lucian (A.D. 125–190), Syrian-Greek satirist.
Lucifer
Lucifer, the devil.
Lucknow
Lucknow (pop. 1,619,100), capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh in north-central India.
Lucretius
Lucretius (c.99-c.55 B.C.), Roman poet and philosopher.
Erich Ludendorff
Ludendorff, Erich (1865–1937), German general who with von Hindenburg did much to defeat the invading Russian armies in World War I.
Sybil Ludington
Ludington, Sybil (1761–83), American Revolutionary War hero.
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe, title of the German air force.
Luge
Luge, winter sport competition where one or two persons ride a sled feet first down an ice covered track.
Hank Luisetti
Luisetti, Hank (1916– ), U.S. basketball player.
Saint Luke
Luke, Saint (fl. 1st century A.D.), traditional author of the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles.
George Benjamin Luks
Luks, George Benjamin (1867–1933), U.S. realist painter, one of the Eight and the Ashcan School.
Jean-Baptiste Lully
Lully, Jean-Baptiste (1632–87), Italian-born French composer.
Lumbee
Lumbee, largest Native American tribe east of the Mississippi River.
Lumber
Lumber, cut wood, especially when prepared for use.
Lumen
Lumen See: Candela.
Auguste Lumière brothers
Lumière brothers, Auguste (1862–1954) and Louis Jean (1864–1948), French inventors noted for their “Cinématographe,” a motion-picture camera/projector.
Luminescence
Luminescence, nonthermal (heatless) emission (particularly light) caused by electron movement from more energetic states to less energetic states.
Lumpfish
Lumpfish, common name for various fishes of the Cyclopteridae family, that inhabit cold, northern ocean waters.
Luna
Luna, in Roman mythology, goddess of the moon, who drives across the night sky in a chariot.
Lunar eclipse
Lunar eclipse See: Eclipse.
Lunda
Lunda, indigenous people of Zaire, Angola, and Zambia.
Benjamin Lundy
Lundy, Benjamin (1789–1839), U.S. abolitionist.
Lung
Lung, major organs in the respiratory system of mammals, birds, reptiles, and most adult amphibians.
Lungfish
Lungfish, name for various fishes of Africa, Australia, and South America that can breathe through lungs.
Lungwort
Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis), perennial plant that grows in shady areas.
Alfred Lunt
Lunt, Alfred (1892–1977), U.S. stage actor generally regarded as one of the outstanding performers of his generation.
Lupercalia
Lupercalia, ancient Roman religious festival celebrated on Feb. 15, to enhance fertility for people, animals, and land.
Lupine
Lupine, plant (genus Lupus) found wild in North America and around the Mediterranean.
Lupus
Lupus, disease in which the immune system produces antibodies that attack healthy tissue.
Lusaka
Lusaka (pop. 870,000), capital and largest city of Zambia, in the south-central part of the country.
Lusitania
Lusitania, British passenger ship torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine during World War I, on May 7, 1915.
Lute
Lute, plucked string instrument with a pear-shaped body and a fretted neck, related to the guitar.
Lutetium
Lutetium, chemical element, symbol Lu; for physical constants see Periodic Table.
Martin Luther
Luther, Martin (1483–1546), German Reformation leader and founder of Lutheranism. Following a religious experience he became an Augustinian friar, was ordained in 1507, and visited Rome (1510), where he was shocked by the worldliness of the papal court. While professor of Scripture at the Univ. of Wittenberg (from 1512), he wrestled with the problem of personal salvation, concluding that it…
Lutheran Church in America
Lutheran Church in America See: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Lutherans
Lutherans, supporters of the Protestant church founded by Martin Luther (1483–1546), German leader of the Reformation.
Albert John Luthuli
Luthuli, Albert John (1898–1967), Zulu chief and political leader in South Africa.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg, small independent duchy in Europe, bordered by Germany, France, and Belgium, and without access to the sea. Under their hereditary ruler, the Grand Duke, the bilingual Luxembourgers (just over one-third of a million) show a strong sense of national pride. The majority live in compact village communities. Luxembourg is one of the Low Countries and a member of the European Community. The…
Luxembourg
Luxembourg (pop. 77,000), capital and largest city of the country of Luxembourg, located on a plateau above the Alzette and Petrusse rivers.
Rosa Luxemburg
Luxemburg, Rosa (1871–1919), Polish-born German Marxist revolutionary.
Luzern
Luzern See: Lucerne.
Lvov
Lvov (pop. 753,000), city in Ukraine, near the Polish border.
Lyceum
Lyceum, gymnasium in ancient Athens where male youth received physical and intellectual training.
Lychee
Lychee See: Litchi.
Lycopodium
Lycopodium See: Club moss.
Lycurgus
Lycurgus, ancient Greek political leader, possibly legendary, credited as founder of the legal institutions of the city-state of Sparta.
Lydia
Lydia, ancient kingdom of western Asia Minor, of legendary wealth.
Lye
Lye, strong alkali used in soap-making and cleaning.
Sir Charles Lyell
Lyell, Sir Charles (1797–1875), British geologist.
John Lyly
Lyly, John (c.1554–1606), English author best known for his Euphues (The Anatomy of Wit, 1578; Euphues and His England, 1580), a two-part prose romance in a highly artificial and suggestive style.
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted by ticks.
Lymphatic system
Lymphatic system, network of vessels and nodes that carry tissue fluid, or lymph, from the tissues to the veins of the circulatory system.
Thomas Lynch Jr.
Lynch, Thomas, Jr. (1749–79), colonial politician from South Carolina.
Lynx
Lynx, any of various ferocious cats with a short tail, long legs, and tufted ears, found in northern regions of North America, Europe, and Asia.
Lyon
Lyon (pop. 422,400), city in southeastern France.