Part 555

Lac"er*a*tive (?), a. Lacerating, or having the power to lacerate; as, lacerative humors. Harvey.

La"cert (?), n. [OE. lacerte. See Lacertus.] A muscle of the human body. [Obs.] Chaucer.

La*cer"ta (?), n. [L. lacertus the arm.] A fathom. [Obs.] Domesday Book.

La*cer"ta, n. [L. a lizard. See Lizard.] 1. (Zoöl.) A genus of lizards. See Lizard.

Formerly it included nearly all the known lizards. It is now restricted to certain diurnal Old World species, like the green lizard (Lacerta viridis) and the sand lizard (L. agilis), of Europe.

2. (Astron.) The Lizard, a northern constellation.

La*cer"tian (?), a. [Cf. F. lacertien.] (Zoöl.) Like a lizard; of or pertaining to the Lacertilia. -- n. One of the Lacertilia.

||Lac`er*til"i*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L. lacertus a lizard.] (Zoöl.) ||An order of Reptilia, which includes the lizards. || They are closely related to the snakes, and like the latter, usually have the body covered with scales or granules. They usually have eyelids, and most of then have well-formed legs; but in some groups (amphisbæna, glass-snake, etc.) the legs are wanting and the body is serpentlike. None are venomous, unless Heloderma be an exception. The order includes the chameleons, the Cionocrania, or typical lizards, and the amphisbænas. See Amphisbæna, Gecko, Gila monster, and Lizard.

Lac`er*til"i*an (-an), a. & n. Same as Lacertian.

La*cer"ti*loid (?), a. [Lacertilia + -oid.] (Zoöl.) Like or belonging to the Lacertilia.

La*cer"tine (?), a. (Zoöl.) Lacertian.

||La*cer"tus (l*sr"ts), n.; pl. Lacerti (- t). [L., the upper arm.] ||(Anat.) A bundle or fascicle of muscular fibers. || Lace"wing` (ls"wng`), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of neuropterous insects of the genus Chrysopa and allied genera. They have delicate, lacelike wings and brilliant eyes. Their larvæ are useful in destroying aphids. Called also lace-winged fly, and goldeneyed fly.

Lace"-winged`, a. (Zoöl.) Having thin, transparent, reticulated wings; as, the lace- winged flies.

{ Lach"es (?), Lache (?), } n. [OF. lachesse, fr. lache lax, indolent, F. lâche, ultimately fr. L. laxus loose, lax. See Lax.] (Law) Neglect; negligence; remissness; neglect to do a thing at the proper time; delay to assert a claim.

It ill became him to take advantage of such a laches with the eagerness of a shrewd attorney.

Macaulay.

Lach"ry*ma*ble (?), a. [L. lacrimabilis, fr. lacrima a tear.] Lamentable. Martin Parker.

||Lach"ry*mæ Chris"ti (?). [L., lit., Christ's tears.] A rich, sweet, ||red Neapolitan wine. || Lach"ry*mal (&?;), a. [Cf. F. lacrymal. See Lachrymose.] 1. Of or pertaining to tears; as, lachrymal effusions.

2. (Anat.) (a) Pertaining to, or secreting, tears; as, the lachrymal gland. (b) Pertaining to the lachrymal organs; as, lachrymal bone; lachrymal duct.

{ Lach"ry*mal, Lac"ry*mal } (?), n. See Lachrymatory.

Lach"ry*ma*ry (?), a. Containing, or intended to contain, tears; lachrymal. Addison.

Lach"ry*mate (-mt), v. i. To weep. [R.] Blount.

Lach`ry*ma"tion (?), n. [L. lacrimatio, from lacrimare to shed tears, fr. lacrima tear.] The act of shedding tears; weeping.

Lach"ry*ma*to*ry (?), n.; pl. - ries (#). [Cf. F. lacrymatoire.] (Antiq.) A "tear-bottle;" a narrow-necked vessel found in sepulchers of the ancient Romans; -- so called from a former notion that the tears of the deceased person's friends were collected in it. Called also lachrymal or lacrymal.

Lach"ry*mi*form (?), a., [L. lacrima tear + -form; cf. F. lacrymiforme.] Having the form of a tear; tear-shaped.

Lach"ry*mose` (?), a. [L. lacrymosus, better lacrimosus, fr. lacrima, lacruma (also badly spelt lachryma) a tear, for older dacrima, akin to E. tear. See Tear the secretion.] Generating or shedding tears; given to shedding tears; suffused with tears; tearful.

You should have seen his lachrymose visnomy.

Lamb.