Part 158

Leak (?), n. (Elec.) A loss of electricity through imperfect insulation; also, the point at which such loss occurs.

Leak"age (?), n. (Elec.) A leak; also; the quantity of electricity thus wasted.

{ Lee"an`gle, Li"an`gle } (?), n. [From native name.] A heavy weapon of the Australian aborigines with a sharp-pointed end, about nine inches in length, projecting at right angles from the main part.

Left, a. Situated so that the left side of the body is toward it; as, the left side of a deliberative meeting is that to the left of the presiding officer; the left wing of an army is that to the left of the center to one facing an enemy.

Leg, n. 1. (Math.) Either side of a triangle of a triangle as distinguished from the base or, in a right triangle, from the hypotenuse; also, an indefinitely extending branch of a curve, as of a hyperbola.

2. (Telephony) A branch or lateral circuit connecting an instrument with the main line.

3. (Elec.) A branch circuit; one phase of a polyphase system.

Leg bridge. A type of bridge for small spans in which the floor girders are rigidly secured at their extremities to supporting steel legs, driven into the round as piling, or resting on mudsills.

Legislature, n. -- The legislatures of some of the more important states having constitutional government are as follows, the general name (or a translation of it) of the legislative body collectively being given under the heading legislature, or parliament:

---------------------------------------------------------------- *In the self-governing colonies of Great Britain the legislative body usually consists of two chambers, the names of the legislature and the chambers varying. Thus in Australia the Federal Parliament is composed of the Senate and the House of Commons, in New Zealand the General Assembly is composed of the Legislative Council and the House of Representatives, etc.

#Members of the Storthing are chosen for three years by direct election by manhood suffrage, forty-one being elected from the towns and eighty-two from the rural districts. The Storthing on assembling divides into the Lagthing including one fourth and the Odelsthing including three fourths of the total membership of the Storthing. All new laws are laid first before the Odelsthing. If the two houses do not agree they vote in joint session, a majority of two thirds of those voting being necessary to a decision.

§ While theoretically general, the suffrage is so classified as often practically to disfranchise those who are not property holders.

Leg"-of-mut"ton (?), a. Having the general shape or outline of a leg of mutton; as, a leg-of- mutton, or shoulder-of-mutton, sail.

Le*nard" rays (?). (Physics.) Rays emanating from the outer surface of a plate composed of any material permeable by cathode rays, as aluminium, which forms a portion of a wall of a vacuum tube, or which is mounted within the tube and exposed to radiation from the cathode. Lenard rays are similar in all their known properties to cathode rays. So called from the German physicist Philipp Lenard (b. 1862), who first described them.

Lenard tube. (Elec.) A tube for producing Lenard rays.

Les"bi*an, a. Amatory; erotic; -- in allusion to the reputed sensuality of the Lesbian people and literature; as, Lesbian novels.

Les"bi*an*ism (?), n. (Med.) Unnatural sexual relations between women.

Lesbian love. See Lesbianism.

||Les"ter (?), n. [Pg., prob. fr. Fr. l'est the east.] (Meteor.) A dry sirocco in the Madeira Islands.

Let"ter, n. (Teleg.) A telegram longer than an ordinary message sent at rates lower than the standard message rate in consideration of its being sent and delivered subject to priority in service of regular messages. Such telegrams are called by the Western Union Company day, or night, letters according to the time of sending, and by The Postal Telegraph Company day, or night, lettergrams.

Let"ter*gram (?), n. See Letter, above.

||Le*ve"che (?), n. [Sp. Cf. Lebeccio.] (Meteor.) A dry sirocco of Spain.

Le`vo*ro*ta"tion (?), n. [Written also lævorotation.] [Levo- + rotation.] (Physics & Chem.) Rotation in the direction of an outgoing right-handed screw; counter-clockwise rotation; -- applied chiefly to the turning of the plane of polarization of light.

Li`bel*lee" (?), n. (Law) (a) The party against whom a libel has been filed; -- corresponding to defendant in a common law action. (b) The defendant in an action of libel.

||Lie"der*kranz, n. [G. See Lied, and Grants.] (Mus.) Lit., wreath of songs; -- used as the title of a group of songs, and esp. as the common name for German vocal clubs of men.

Light"*struck`, a. (Photog.) Damaged by accidental exposure to light; light-fogged; -- said of plates or films.

Light"weight` (?), n. One of less than average weight; specif.: (a) In boxing, wrestling, etc., one weighingnot more than 133 pounds (U. S. amateur rules 135 pounds, Eng. 140 pounds). (b) A person of small impotance or mental ability. [Colloq., Chiefly U. S.]

Light"weight`, a. Light in weight, as a coin; specif., applied to a man or animal who is a lightweight.