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• lake
  lake

  noun

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

  noun

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

lake

¹ American  

[layk] / leɪk /

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.

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idioms

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

lake ² American  

[layk] / leɪk /

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.

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Lake ³ American  

[layk] / leɪk /

noun

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

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lake ¹ British  

/ 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

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lake ² British  

/ 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

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lake Scientific  

/ lāk /

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.

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Etymology

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; see leach ¹)

Origin of lake²

First recorded in 1610–20; variant of lac ¹

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Explanation

A lake is a large body of water that is surrounded by land. The lake's water can be fresh (like Lake Michigan) or, more rarely, salty (like the Great Salt Lake). A lake is generally accepted as being bigger than a "pond." Lake is also a type of pigment or dye that is made when a dye that can dissolve is mixed with a metallic salt or other binder that is incapable of being dissolved, rendering an insoluble pigment. Indigo lake, for example, is a blue pigment that was originally made from the woad plant but later from the indigo plant. Carmine or crimson lake, on the other hand, is made from crushed cochineal insects and is a red pigment.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lake Lake

Once at the lake, it didn’t take long to spot their targets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

Mountains surround a charming town next to a lake so big its Chinese name is “ear-shaped sea.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

In “Roughing It,” Mark Twain describes his visit to the lake, where he found “nothing but solitude, ashes, and heartbreaking silence.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

"This river can flood if the glacier collapses or if the glacial lake bursts out and we are living in constant fear."

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

There was a rough trail around the edge of the lake and I was running a fresh eight-dog team so the small loop, which added five or so miles, presented no great difficulty.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

Justin Herbert said he was unaware of comments by Rams safety Quentin Lake, who said on a podcast that the Chargers quarterback was “throwing deli meat” during the teams’ game on Sunday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

During an appearance on the “St. Brown Podcast” this week, Lake mentioned that Herbert “was throwing deli meat” and “seeing ghosts” during the game.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

San tay was already common at Hoan Kiem Lake when Hieu’s mother was in college, but she never participated because she didn’t know any English.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

“Bro, he’s seeing ghosts,” Lake told his former Mater Dei teammate as all three men started laughing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

The tournament was held at a resort at Lake Mohegan, north of New York City, in Westchester County.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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Related Words

• basin
• lagoon
• pond
• pool
• reservoir

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