Part 563

6. A wife; -- not now in approved usage. Goldsmith.

7. (Zoöl.) The triturating apparatus in the stomach of a lobster; -- so called from a fancied resemblance to a seated female figure. It consists of calcareous plates.

Ladies' man, a man who affects the society of ladies. -- Lady altar, an altar in a lady chapel. Shipley. -- Lady chapel, a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. -- Lady court, the court of a lady of the manor. -- Lady crab (Zoöl.), a handsomely spotted swimming crab (Platyonichus ocellatus) very common on the sandy shores of the Atlantic coast of the United States. -- Lady fern. (Bot.) See Female fern, under Female, and Illust. of Fern. -- Lady in waiting, a lady of the queen's household, appointed to wait upon or attend the queen. -- Lady Mass, a Mass said in honor of the Virgin Mary. Shipley. Lady of the manor, a lady having jurisdiction of a manor; also, the wife of a manor lord. Lady's maid, a maidservant who dresses and waits upon a lady. Thackeray. -- Our Lady, the Virgin Mary.

La"dy, a. Belonging or becoming to a lady; ladylike.

"Some lady trifles." Shak.

La"dy*bird` (?), n. [Equiv. to, bird of Our Lady.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small beetles of the genus Coccinella and allied genera (family Coccinellidæ); -- called also ladybug, ladyclock, lady cow, lady fly, and lady beetle. Coccinella seplempunctata in one of the common European species. See Coccinella.

The ladybirds are usually more or less hemispherical in form, with a smooth, polished surface, and often colored red, brown, or black, with small spots of brighter colors. Both the larvæ and the adult beetles of most species feed on aphids, and for this reason they are very beneficial to agriculture and horticulture.

La"dy*bug` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Same as Ladybird.

La"dy*clock` (?), n. (Zoöl.) See Ladybird.

La"dy` Day` (d). The day of the annunciation of the Virgin Mary, March 25. See Annunciation.

La"dy*fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.) (a) A large, handsome oceanic fish (Albula vulpes), found both in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans; -- called also bonefish, grubber, French mullet, and macabé. (b) A labroid fish (Harpe rufa) of Florida and the West Indies.

La"dy*hood (?), n. The state or quality of being a lady; the personality of a lady.

La"dy-kill`er (?), n. A gallant who captivates the hearts of women. "A renowned dandy and lady-killer." Blackw. Mag.

La"dy-kill`ing, n. The art or practice of captivating the hearts of women.

Better for the sake of womankind that this dangerous dog should leave off lady-killing.

Thackeray.

La"dy*kin (?), n. [Lady + - kin.] A little lady; -- applied by the writers of Queen Elizabeth's time, in the abbreviated form Lakin, to the Virgin Mary.

The diminutive does not refer to size, but is equivalent to "dear." Brewer.

La"dy*like` (?), a. 1. Like a lady in appearance or manners; well-bred.

She was ladylike, too, after the manner of the feminine gentility of those days.

Hawthorne.

2. Becoming or suitable to a lady; as, ladylike manners. "With fingers ladylike." Warner.

3. Delicate; tender; feeble; effeminate.

Too ladylike a long fatigue to bear.

Dryden.

La"dy*like`ness (?), n. The quality or state of being ladylike.

La"dy*love` (?), n. A sweetheart or mistress.

La"dy's bed"straw` (?), (Bot.) The common bedstraw (Galium verum); also, a slender-leaved East Indian shrub (Pharnaceum Mollugo), with white flowers in umbels.