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• list
  list

  noun

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

  noun

  Friedrich 1789–1846, U.S. political economist and journalist, born in Germany.

list

¹ American  

[list] / lɪst /

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.

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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 American  

[list] / lɪst /

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.

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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 American  

[list] / lɪst /

noun

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

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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 American  

[list] / lɪst /

verb (used with object)

1. to please.

2. to like or desire.

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verb (used without object)

1. to like; wish; choose.

list ⁵ American  

[list] / lɪst /

verb (used without object)

1. to listen.

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verb (used with object)

1. to listen to.

List ⁶ American  

[list] / lɪst /

noun

1. Friedrich 1789–1846, U.S. political economist and journalist, born in Germany.

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list ¹ British  

/ 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

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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 ² British  

/ 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. to be in a critical medical or physical condition

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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

list ³ British  

/ lɪst /

verb

1. to be pleasing to (a person)

2. (tr) to desire or choose

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noun

1. a liking or desire

list ⁴ British  

/ lɪst /

verb

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

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noun

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

list ⁵ British  

/ lɪst /

verb

1. an archaic or poetic word for listen

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list Idioms  

1. see black list; enter the lists; sucker list.

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Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• listable
  adjective

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Etymology

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”; see 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”; see also listen

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Explanation

To make a list is to put things in order or to name them, like a grocery list or a wish list. Listing is also leaning over, creating a slant called a list. List can also be a verb used to describe what you do when you make a list. You could list all the state capitals, people's names, your favorite movies, or pretty much anything. Listing can be done numerically, alphabetically, or randomly. Also, a line or surface that leans or tilts has a list, like a sagging bookcase that's overloaded. To lean in this way is to list: the Leaning Tower of Pisa is listing.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

list List

With no storms on the horizon any time soon, it is likely to be a while before we see the arrival of Chloe, the next name on this year's storm list.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

CEO Durrett said he could not rule out that his hospital might end up on the list.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

Some MCA funders offer only MCAs; others list several products on their websites.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

But Stewart brought more to the role than a physical resemblance and a voice that could make a grocery list sound like a royal decree.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

The matron consulted a list in her hand, then called the name of a lady I didn’t even know, one of those who had been at Willem’s prayer meeting.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

The results from the Central Elections Committee also cemented the emergence as potential kingmakers of the Arab party groupings Raam and the Joint List, with the two winning a combined 19 seats.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

Another prominent figure on the Student List, is Radomir Saičić, a professor of organic chemistry at the University of Belgrade.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

The other Arab party, the Joint List, is an alliance of left-wing, communist, and secular Palestinian-nationalist movements.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Here, she’s also running the campaign for the Joint List, an alliance of Arab parties that could have some determining influence in the overall election outcome.

From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026

List song titles to cross out or erase as they’re completed.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

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Related Words

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

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