lists
- an enclosed arena for a tilting contest.
- the barriers enclosing this arena.
- any place or scene of combat, competition, controversy, etc.
- enter the lists, to involve oneself in a conflict or contest: to enter the lists against the protective tariff.
Origin of lists
list1
- 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.
- list price.
- Computers. a series of records in a file.
- a complete record of stocks handled by a stock exchange.
- all of the books of a publisher that are available for sale.
- Digital Technology. listserv: Please unsubscribe me from the list.
- to set down together in a list; make a list of: to list the membership of a club.
- to enter in a list, directory, catalog, etc.: to list him among the members.
- to place on a list of persons to be watched, excluded, restricted, etc.
- Computers. to print or display in a list: Let's list the whole program and see where the bug is.
- to register (a security) on a stock exchange so that it may be traded there.
- Archaic. enlist.
- to be offered for sale, as in a catalog, at a specified price: This radio lists at $49.95.
- Archaic. enlist.
Origin of list1
Synonyms
See more synonyms for list on Thesaurus.comlist2
- a border or bordering strip, usually of cloth.
- a selvage.
- selvages collectively.
- a strip of cloth or other material.
- a strip or band of any kind.
- a stripe of color.
- a division of the hair or beard.
- one of the ridges or furrows of earth made by a lister.
- a strip of material, as bark or sapwood, to be trimmed from a board.
- fillet(def 6a).
- made of selvages or strips of cloth.
- to produce furrows and ridges on (land) with a lister.
- to prepare (ground) for planting by making ridges and furrows.
- to cut away a narrow strip of wood from the edge of (a stave, plank, etc.).
- Obsolete. to apply a border or edge to.
Origin of list2
list3
- a careening, or leaning to one side, as of a ship.
- (of a ship or boat) to incline to one side; careen: The ship listed to starboard.
- to cause (a vessel) to incline to one side: The shifting of the cargo listed the ship to starboard.
Origin of list3
Synonyms
See more synonyms for list on Thesaurus.comlist4
- to please.
- to like or desire.
- to like; wish; choose.
Origin of list4
list5
- to listen.
- to listen to.
Origin of list5
Examples from the Web for lists
Contemporary Examples
The Amazon biography for an author named Papa Faal mentions both Gambia and lists a military record that matches the FBI report.
As the year winds to a close, film critics start to unveil their lists of the best films of the year.
He lists them starting with modern sniper rifles going all the way up to anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.
Instead of statues of generals, we put up monuments to ordinary soldiers, lists of names rather than men on horseback.
Commercial airline pilot is consistently placed near the top of “Most Stressful Jobs” lists.
Historical Examples
The holders of the lists occupied the end which was nearest to the city gate.
The White CompanyArthur Conan Doyle
"Your lists, unruly one," said the teacher—one of Napoleon's chief persecutors.
The Boy Life of NapoleonEugenie Foa
At the ends of the lists the squires caught the horses by the bridles and turned them.
Fair MargaretH. Rider Haggard
Then a truce for to-day; to-morrow, with your good leave, I enter the lists.
Tales And Novels, Volume 9 (of 10)Maria Edgeworth
He had taken these lists from the drawer of the prisoner's desk.
A Tale of Two CitiesCharles Dickens
lists
- history
- the enclosed field of combat at a tournament
- the barriers enclosing the field at a tournament
- any arena or scene of conflict, controversy, etc
- enter the lists to engage in a conflict, controversy, etc
Word Origin
list1
- an item-by-item record of names or things, usually written or printed one under the other
- computing a linearly ordered data structure
- be on the danger list to be in a critical medical or physical condition
- (tr) to make a list of
- (tr) to include in a list
- (tr) British to declare to be a listed building
- (tr) stock exchange to obtain an official quotation for (a security) so that it may be traded on the recognized market
- an archaic word for enlist
Word Origin
list2
- (esp of ships) to lean over or cause to lean over to one side
- the act or an instance of leaning to one side
Word Origin
list3
- a border or edging strip, esp of cloth
- a less common word for selvage
- a strip of bark, sapwood, etc, trimmed from a board or plank
- another word for fillet (def. 8)
- a strip, band, ridge or furrow
- agriculture a ridge in ploughed land formed by throwing two furrows together
- to border with or as if with a list or lists
- agriculture to plough (land) so as to form lists
- to cut a list from (a board, plank, etc)
Word Origin
list4
- to be pleasing to (a person)
- (tr) to desire or choose
- a liking or desire
Word Origin
list5
- an archaic or poetic word for listen
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for lists
list
n.1
"catalogue consisting of names in a row or series," c.1600, from Middle English liste "border, edging, stripe" (late 13c.), from Old French liste "border, band, row, group," also "strip of paper," or from Old Italian lista "border, strip of paper, list," both from a Germanic source (cf. Old High German lista "strip, border, list," Old Norse lista "border, selvage," Old English liste "border"), from Proto-Germanic *liston, from PIE *leizd- "border, band." The sense of "enumeration" is from strips of paper used as a sort of catalogue.
list
v.1
"tilt, lean," especially of a ship, 1880, earlier (1620s) lust, of unknown origin, perhaps an unexplained spelling variant of Middle English lysten "to please, desire, wish, like" (see list (v.4)) with a sense development from the notion of "leaning" toward what one desires (cf. incline). Related: Listed; listing. The noun in this sense is from 1630s.
list
v.2
"hear, hearken," now poetic or obsolete, from Old English hlystan "hear, hearken," from hlyst "hearing," from Proto-Germanic *khlustiz, from PIE *kleu- "to hear" (see listen). Related: Listed; listing.
list
list
v.4
"to be pleased, desire" (archaic), mid-12c., lusten, listen "to please, desire," from Old English lystan "to please, cause pleasure or desire, provoke longing," from Proto-Germanic *lustijan (cf. Old Saxon lustian, Dutch lusten "to like, fancy," Old High German lusten, German lüsten, Old Norse lysta); from the root of lust (n.). Related: Listed; listing. As a noun, c.1200, from the verb. Somehow English has lost listy (adj.) "pleasant, willing (to do something); ready, quick" (mid-15c.).
list
n.2
"a narrow strip," Old English liste "border, hem, edge, strip," from Proto-Germanic *liston (cf. Old High German lista "strip, border, list," Old Norse lista "border, selvage,"German leiste), from PIE *leizd- "border, band" (see list (n.1)). The Germanic root also is the source of French liste, Italian lista. This was the source of archaic lists "place of combat," originally at the boundary of fields.
Idioms and Phrases with lists
list
see black list; enter the lists; sucker list.