list

¹

[ list ]

noun

1. a series of names or other items written or printed together in a meaningful grouping or sequence so as to constitute a record:

   a list of members.

   Synonyms: register

2. list price.
3. Computers. a series of records in a file.
4. a complete record of stocks handled by a stock exchange.
5. all of the books of a publisher that are available for sale.
6. Digital Technology. listserv:

   Please unsubscribe me from the list.

verb (used with object)

1. to set down together in a list; make a list of:

   to list the membership of a club.

   Synonyms: catalog, record

2. to enter in a list, directory, catalog, etc.:

   to list him among the members.

   Synonyms: enroll

3. to place on a list of persons to be watched, excluded, restricted, etc.
4. Computers. to print or display in a list:

   Let's list the whole program and see where the bug is.

5. to register (a security) on a stock exchange so that it may be traded there.
6. Archaic. to enlist.

verb (used without object)

1. to be offered for sale, as in a catalog, at a specified price:

   This radio lists at $49.95.

2. Archaic. enlist.

list

²

[ list ]

noun

1. a border or bordering strip, usually of cloth.
2. a selvage.
3. selvages collectively.
4. a strip of cloth or other material.
5. a strip or band of any kind.
6. a stripe of color.
7. a division of the hair or beard.
8. one of the ridges or furrows of earth made by a lister.
9. a strip of material, as bark or sapwood, to be trimmed from a board.
10. fillet ( def 6a ).

adjective

1. made of selvages or strips of cloth.

verb (used with object)

1. to produce furrows and ridges on (land) with a lister.
2. to prepare (ground) for planting by making ridges and furrows.
3. to cut away a narrow strip of wood from the edge of (a stave, plank, etc.).
4. Obsolete. to apply a border or edge to.

list

³

[ list ]

noun

1. a careening, or leaning to one side, as of a ship.

verb (used without object)

1. (of a ship or boat) to incline to one side; careen:

   The ship listed to starboard.

   Synonyms: heel, slant, tilt

verb (used with object)

1. to cause (a vessel) to incline to one side:

   The shifting of the cargo listed the ship to starboard.

   Synonyms: heel, slant, tilt

list

⁴

[ list ]

verb (used with object)

1. to please.
2. to like or desire.

verb (used without object)

1. to like; wish; choose.

list

⁵

[ list ]

verb (used without object)

1. to listen.

verb (used with object)

1. to listen to.

List

⁶

[ list ]

noun

1. Frie·drich [free, -drik], 1789–1846, U.S. political economist and journalist, born in Germany.

list

¹

/ lɪst /

verb

1. to be pleasing to (a person)
2. tr to desire or choose

noun

1. a liking or desire

list

²

/ lɪst /

verb

1. an archaic or poetic word for listen

list

³

/ lɪst /

verb

1. (esp of ships) to lean over or cause to lean over to one side

noun

1. the act or an instance of leaning to one side

list

⁴

/ lɪst /

noun

1. a border or edging strip, esp of cloth
2. a less common word for selvage
3. a strip of bark, sapwood, etc, trimmed from a board or plank
4. another word for fillet
5. a strip, band, ridge or furrow
6. agriculture a ridge in ploughed land formed by throwing two furrows together

verb

1. to border with or as if with a list or lists
2. agriculture to plough (land) so as to form lists
3. to cut a list from (a board, plank, etc)

list

⁵

/ lɪst /

noun

1. an item-by-item record of names or things, usually written or printed one under the other
2. computing a linearly ordered data structure
3. be on the danger list
   to be in a critical medical or physical condition

verb

1. tr to make a list of
2. tr to include in a list
3. tr to declare to be a listed building
4. tr stock exchange to obtain an official quotation for (a security) so that it may be traded on the recognized market
5. an archaic word for enlist

Derived Forms

• ˈlistable, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of list¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; special use of list ² (in the sense “roll of names,” perhaps originally of contestants in the lists ); compare French liste, from Italian lista “roll of names,” earlier, “band, strip (e.g., of paper), border,” from Old High German līsta ( German Leiste )

Origin of list²

First recorded before 900; Middle English list(e), Old English līste “border”; cognate with Dutch lijst, German Leiste ( Old High German līsta )

Origin of list³

First recorded in 1620–30; origin uncertain

Origin of list⁴

First recorded before 900; Middle English listen, lusten, Old English (ge)lystan “to please”; cognate with German gelüsten, Old Norse lysta “to desire,” akin to Gothic lustōn “to desire,” Latin lascīvus “playful, frivolous, extravagant, wanton,” Greek lilaíesthai “to desire, long for,” Irish lainn “avid, greedy,” Czech láska “love, affection”; lust

Origin of list⁵

First recorded before 900; Middle English listen, Old English hlystan “to listen, listen to, hear,” derivative of hlyst “ear”; cognate with Swedish lysta; akin to Old Norse hlusta “to listen,” Old Church Slavonic slyšati, Lithuanian klausýti, Tocharian B klyauṣ-, all meaning “to hear”; listen

Word History and Origins

Origin of list¹

Old English lystan; related to Old High German lusten and Gothic lūston to desire

Origin of list²

Old English hlystan; related to Old Norse hlusta

Origin of list³

C17: origin unknown

Origin of list⁴

Old English līst; related to Old High German līsta

Origin of list⁵

C17: from French, ultimately related to list ²; compare Italian lista list of names (earlier: border, strip, as of paper), Old High German līsta border

Idioms and Phrases

see black list ; enter the lists ; sucker list .

Synonym Study

List, catalog, inventory, roll, schedule imply a definite arrangement of items. List denotes a series of names, items, or figures arranged in a row or rows: a list of groceries. Catalog adds the idea of alphabetical or other orderly arrangement, and, often, descriptive particulars and details: a library catalog. An inventory is a detailed descriptive list of property, stock, goods, or the like made for legal or business purposes: a store inventory. A roll is a list of names of members of some defined group often used to ascertain their presence or absence: a class roll. A schedule is a methodical (especially official) list, often indicating the time or sequence of certain events: a train schedule.

Example Sentences

It’s a mark of a complete passer to threaten both sides of the 3-point line, and Gilgeous-Alexander joins an elite list.

From FiveThirtyEight

Badminton is a zero-sum game, with exactly the same number of winners as losers, so it’s notable that “I’m going to lose” is the top of the list while “I’m going to win” doesn’t even show up.

From Outside Online

About 70 percent of the students on that list were also considered chronically absent before the pandemic.

From Washington Post

Those lists include providers at hospitals, clinics, public health centers, doctor's offices, drug stores, and grocery store pharmacies.

From Ars Technica

With that, you can add stew to the list of dishes that are rocketed by “put a salad on it,” a list that I’d say is long enough to get that hashtag trending, too.

From Washington Post

As this list shows, punishments typically run to a short-ish jail sentence and/or a moderately hefty fine.

From The Daily Beast

“Gronkowski” itself never manages to sound more erotic than the name of a hearty Polish stew or a D-list WWE performer.

From The Daily Beast

With all due respect to his athletic skill, Gronkowski is not high on the list of NFL players that elicit carnal thoughts.

From The Daily Beast

In fact, he's not even high on the list of NFL players one jerks off too during halftime at Gillette Stadium.

From The Daily Beast

There is a larger reason, beyond the airlines themselves, why Lion Air and 61 other Indonesian airlines are on this black list.

From The Daily Beast

He gives a list of the sponsors of the baptized Indians, who included many of the French nobility and clergy.

From Project Gutenberg

The great Mr. Abrahams had an unlimited commission to secure at any price, a long list of great works.

From Project Gutenberg

The Gentleman's Magazine contains a long list of the bridges and churches which attest his reputation and skill.

From Project Gutenberg

Throughout the German States the custom of smoking is universal and tobacco enters largely into their list of expenditures.

From Project Gutenberg

The result of this stock-taking shows that eleven volumes were unaccounted-for, a list of which is appended.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• account
• agenda
• archive
• ballot
• bill
• calendar
• catalog
• checklist
• dictionary
• directory
• draft
• file
• index
• inventory
• lineup
• listing
• menu
• poll
• program
• schedule