lake

¹

[leyk]

noun

1. a body of fresh or salt water of considerable size, surrounded by land.

2. any similar body or pool of other liquid, as oil.

lake

²

[leyk]

noun

1. any of various pigments prepared from animal, vegetable, or coal-tar coloring matters by chemical or other union with metallic compounds.

2. a red pigment prepared from lac or cochineal by combination with a metallic compound.

Lake

³

[leyk]

noun

1. Simon, 1866–1945, U.S. engineer and naval architect.

lake

¹

/ leɪk /

noun

1. an expanse of water entirely surrounded by land and unconnected to the sea except by rivers or streams

2. anything resembling this

3. a surplus of a liquid commodity

   a wine lake

lake

²

/ leɪk /

noun

1. a bright pigment used in textile dyeing and printing inks, produced by the combination of an organic colouring matter with an inorganic compound, usually a metallic salt, oxide, or hydroxide See also mordant

2. a red dye obtained by combining a metallic compound with cochineal

lake

1. A large inland body of standing fresh or salt water. Lakes generally form in depressions, such as those created by glacial or volcanic action; they may also form when a section of a river becomes dammed or when a channel is isolated by a change in a river's course.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lake¹

before 1000; Middle English lak ( e ), lac ( e ), apparently a conflation of Old French lac, its source, Latin lacus (compare Greek lákkos, Old Irish loch, Old English, Old Saxon lagu sea, water) and Old English lacu stream, water course (compare leccan to moisten, modern dial. lake stream, channel; leach ¹ )

Origin of lake²

First recorded in 1610–20; variant of lac ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of lake¹

C13: lac, via Old French from Latin lacus basin

Origin of lake²

C17: variant of _lac ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. (go) jump in the lake, (used as an exclamation of dismissal or impatience.)

Example Sentences

Chicago has a magical feel — fantastic food, the river and lake to explore, and incredible people who call it home.

From Salon

The typhoon, which caused heavy flooding and landslides, killed 14 people in Taiwan after a barrier lake overflowed.

From BBC

The Glasgow tree narrowly beat the King of Limbs Oak that inspired a Radiohead album, and the photographic Lonely Tree, which sits on the edge of the Llyn Padarn lake in North Wales.

From BBC

About three-quarters of that water was suddenly released after the lake burst its banks on Tuesday, killing at least 14 people and injuring 32 others.

From BBC

James Orr from Friends of the Earth said the figures revealed "an epidemic in relation to how we're treating our rivers, lakes and sea loughs".

From BBC

Related Words

• basin 
• lagoon 
• pond 
• pool 
• reservoir