Part 649

Length"ful (-fl), a. Long. [Obs.] Pope.

Length"i*ly (-*l), adv. In a lengthy manner; at great length or extent.

Length"i*ness, n. The state or quality of being lengthy; prolixity.

{ Length"ways` (-wz`), Length"wise` (- wz`), } adv. In the direction of the length; in a longitudinal direction.

Length"y (-), a. [Compar. Lengthier (-*r); superl. Lengthiest.] Having length; rather long or too long; prolix; not brief; -- said chiefly of discourses, writings, and the like. "Lengthy periods." Washington. "Some lengthy additions." Byron. "These would be details too lengthy." Jefferson. "To cut short lengthy explanations." Trench.

{ Le"ni*ence (l"n*ens or ln"yens; 106), Le"ni*en*cy (l"n*en*s or ln"yen*s), } n. The quality or state of being lenient; lenity; clemency.

Le"ni*ent (l"n*ent or ln"yent), a. [L. leniens, - entis, p. pr. of lenire to soften, fr. lenis soft, mild. Cf. Lithe.]

1. Relaxing; emollient; softening; assuasive; -- sometimes followed by of. "Lenient of grief." Milton.

Of relax the fibers, are lenient, balsamic.

Arbuthnot.

Time, that on all things lays his lenient hand.

Pope.

2. Mild; clement; merciful; not rigorous or severe; as, a lenient disposition; a lenient judge or sentence.

Le"ni*ent, n. (Med.) A lenitive; an emollient.

Le"ni*ent*ly, adv. In a lenient manner.

Len"i*fy (ln"*f), v. t. [L. lenis soft, mild + -fy: cf. F. lénifier.] To assuage; to soften; to mitigate; to alleviate. Bacon. Dryden.

Len"i*ment (-ment), n. [L. lenimentum: cf. OF. leniment. See Lenient.] An assuasive. [Obs.]

Len"i*tive (-tv), a. [Cf. F. lénitif. See Lenient.] Having the quality of softening or mitigating, as pain or acrimony; assuasive; emollient.

Len"i*tive, n. [Cf. F. lénitif.] 1. (Med.) (a) A medicine or application that has the quality of easing pain or protecting from the action of irritants. (b) A mild purgative; a laxative.

2. That which softens or mitigates; that which tends to allay passion, excitement, or pain; a palliative.

There is one sweet lenitive at least for evils, which Nature holds out; so I took it kindly at her hands, and fell asleep.

Sterne.

Len"i*tive*ness, n. The quality of being lenitive.

Len"i*tude (-td), n. [L. lenitudo.] The quality or habit of being lenient; lenity. [Obs.] Blount.

Len"i*ty (-t), n. [L. lenitas, fr. lenis soft, mild: cf. OF. lenité. See Lenient.] The state or quality of being lenient; mildness of temper or disposition; gentleness of treatment; softness; tenderness; clemency; -- opposed to severity and rigor.

His exceeding lenity disposes us to be somewhat too severe.

Macaulay.

Syn. -- Gentleness; kindness; tenderness; softness; humanity; clemency; mercy.