lid

American  

[lid] / lɪd /

noun

1. a removable or hinged cover for closing the opening, usually at the top, of a pot, jar, trunk, etc.; a movable cover.

2. an eyelid.

3. a restraint, ceiling, or curb, as on prices or news.

4. Slang. a hat, cap, or other head covering.

5. (in mosses)

   1. the cover of the capsule; operculum.

   2. the upper section of a pyxidium.

6. Slang. one ounce of marijuana.

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verb (used with object)

lidded, lidding

1. to supply or cover with a lid.

idioms

1. blow / flip one's lid, to lose control, especially to rage hysterically: Also flip one's wig.

   He nearly flipped his lid over the way they damaged his car.

2. blow the lid off, to expose to public view, especially to reveal something scandalous, illegal, etc.

lid British  

/ lɪd /

noun

1. a cover, usually removable or hinged, for a receptacle

   a saucepan lid

   a desk lid

2. short for eyelid

3. botany another name for operculum

4. slang short for skidlid

5. old-fashioned a quantity of marijuana, usually an ounce

6. informal to raise one's hat as a greeting, etc

7. slang to become crazy or angry

8. informal

   1. to be the final blow to

   2. to curb, prevent, or discourage

9. informal to make startling or spectacular revelations about

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lid More Idioms  

1. see blow the lid off; flip one's lid; put the lid on.

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Other Word Forms

• lidded adjective
• sublid noun
• underlid noun
• unlidded adjective

Etymology

Origin of lid

before 1000; Middle English; Old English hlid; cognate with Dutch, German lid, Old Norse hlith gate, gateway

Example Sentences

U.S. natural gas futures fell for a fifth consecutive session as warmer-than-usual January weather keeps a lid on heating demand.

From The Wall Street Journal

In its latest report on regional economic conditions, the Federal Reserve said a lower price outlook would “keep a lid” on oil-and-gas-related capital investment in Texas.

From The Wall Street Journal

South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung left for China on Sunday, eager to boost economic ties with Seoul's largest trading partner while keeping a lid on potentially explosive issues such as Taiwan.

From Barron's

On the counter sits the offending item: a plastic cup of cut fruit from the deli, the kind that comes with a sealed lid and a disposable spoon tucked inside.

From Salon

"I looked at my flat, slender belly in the mirror like a dear friend upon whom I was about to close a coffin lid," she later recalled.

From BBC

Related Words

• cap
• roof