Part 658

Leth"al (lth"l), n. [Lauric + ether + alcohol.] (Chem.) One of the higher alcohols of the paraffine series obtained from spermaceti as a white crystalline solid. It is so called because it occurs in the ethereal salt of lauric acid.

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Le"thal (l"thal), a. [L. lethalis, letalis, fr. lethum, letum, death: cf. F. léthal.] Deadly; mortal; fatal. "The lethal blow." W. Richardson. -- Le"thal*ly, adv.

Le*thal"i*ty (l*thl"*t), n. [Cf. F. léthalité.] The quality of being lethal; mortality.

{ Le*thar"gic (l*thär"jk), Le*thar"gic*al (-j*kal), } a. [L. lethargicus, Gr. lhqargiko`s: cf. F. léthargique. See Lethargy.] Pertaining to, affected with, or resembling, lethargy; morbidly drowsy; dull; heavy. -- Le*thar"gic*al*ly, adv. -- Le*thar"gic*al*ness, n. -- Le*thar"gic*ness, n.

Leth"ar*gize (lth"r*jz), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Lethargized (- jzd); p. pr. & vb. n. Lethargizing (- j`zng).] To make lethargic.

All bitters are poison, and act by stilling, and depressing, and lethargizing the irritability.

Coleridge.

Leth"ar*gy (-j), n.; pl. -gies (-jz). [F. léthargie, L. lethargia, Gr. lhqargi`a, fr. lh`qargos forgetful, fr. lh`qh forgetfulness. See Lethe.] 1. Morbid drowsiness; continued or profound sleep, from which a person can scarcely be awaked.

2. A state of inaction or indifference.

Europe lay then under a deep lethargy.

Atterbury.

Leth"ar*gy, v. t. To lethargize. [Obs.] Shak.

Le"the (l"th or lth), n. [See Lethal.] Death.[Obs.] Shak.

Le"the (l"th), n. [L., fr. Gr. lh`qh, prop., forgetfulness; akin to lanqa`nesqai to forget, lanqa`nein to escape notice.] 1. (Class. Myth.) A river of Hades whose waters when drunk caused forgetfulness of the past.

2. Oblivion; a draught of oblivion; forgetfulness.

Le*the"an (l*th"an), a. [L. Lethaeus, Gr. lh`qaios or lhqai^os.] Of or pertaining to Lethe; resembling in effect the water of Lethe. Milton. Barrow.

Le"theed (l"thd), a. Caused by Lethe. " Letheed dullness." [Obs.] Shak.

Le"the*on (l"th*n), n. [NL., fr. Gr. lh`qh.] (Med.) Sulphuric ether used as an anæsthetic agent. [R.]

Le"the*on*ize (-z), v. t. To subject to the influence of letheon. [R. or Obs.]

Le*thif"er*ous (l*thf"r*s), a. [L. lethifer, letifer, fr. lethum, letum, death + ferre to bear, to bring: cf. F. léthifère.] Deadly; bringing death or destruction.

Le"thy (l"th), a. Lethean. [Obs.] Marston.

Let"-off` (lt"f`; 115), n. (Mach.) A device for letting off, releasing, or giving forth, as the warp from the cylinder of a loom.

Let"te (lt"te), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Letted.] To let; to hinder. See Let, to hinder. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Let"ter (lt"tr), n. [From Let to permit.] One who lets or permits; one who lets anything for hire.

Let"ter, n. [From Let to hinder.] One who retards or hinders. [Archaic.]

Let"ter, n. [OE. lettre, F. lettre, OF. letre, fr. L. littera, litera, a letter; pl., an epistle, a writing, literature, fr. linere, litum, to besmear, to spread or rub over; because one of the earliest modes of writing was by graving the characters upon tablets smeared over or covered with wax. Pliny, xiii. 11. See Liniment, and cf. Literal.] 1. A mark or character used as the representative of a sound, or of an articulation of the human organs of speech; a first element of written language.

And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew.