lith
noun
an arm or leg; limb.
lith
1 American
[lith]
/ lɪθ /
noun
British Dialect.
-
an arm or leg; limb.
-
a joint, as of the finger.
-
a segment, as of an orange.
lith-
2
American
-lith
3
American
lith.
4
American
abbreviation
-
lithograph.
-
lithographic.
-
lithography.
Lith.
5
American
-lith
1
British
combining form
Lith.
2
British
abbreviation
Usage
Basic definitions of lith- and -lith Lith- and -lith are combining forms meaning “stone.” They come from the Greek líthos, meaning “stone.”What does lith- mean?Lith- is a combining form used like a prefix. It is used in medicine, especially in pathology, and in science, especially in geology. In pathology terms, lith- specifically refers to a calculus, "a stone, or concretion, formed in the gallbladder, kidneys, or other parts of the body." The word calculus itself literally means “little stone” in calculus. Lith- is a variant of litho-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use litho- article. What does -lith mean?The combining form -lith is used like a suffix meaning “stone.” It is used in scientific and medical terms, especially in geology and pathology. In pathology, it specifically refers to a calculus, "a stone, or concretion, formed in the gallbladder, kidneys, or other parts of the body." The word calculus itself literally means “little stone” in calculus. In geology, -lith is occasionally used as a variant of -lite and its variant -lyte, combining forms used to name minerals or fossils. The corresponding form of -lith combined to the beginning of words is litho- and lith-. Learn more about their specific applications in our Words That Use articles for the terms. Closely related to -lith is -lithic, as in Paleolithic.
Etymology
Origin of lith1
before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch, Old High German lid, Old Norse lithr, Gothic lithus limb, member; akin to German Glied
Origin of -lith3
see origin at litho-
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Now lith and lysten, gentylmen, And that of myrthes loveth to here; Two of them were single men, The third had a wedded fere.
From Ballads of Robin Hood and other Outlaws Popular Ballads of the Olden Times - Fourth Series by Sidgwick, Frank
Now lith and listen, gentlemen, And that of mirths love to hear: Two of them were single men, The third had a wedded fere.
From A Bundle of Ballads by Morley, Henry
Ageyn þe lith, 2141, opposed to the light, on which the light shines.
From The Lay of Havelok the Dane by Unknown
O nith saw she þer-inne a lith, 1252 A swiþe fayr, a swiþe bryth, Al so brith, al so shir, So it were a blase of fir.
From The Lay of Havelok the Dane by Unknown
He lep up on a stede lith, And with him mani a noble knith, 1944 And ferde forth un-to þe tun, He calls for Bernard Brown.
From The Lay of Havelok the Dane by Unknown
To the root ab or ap, water, place the Lith. and Lett. uppe, river, whence the following.
From The River-Names of Europe by Ferguson, Robert
Agni, fire, god of fire; Lat. ignis; Lith. ugnis; O.-S. ogni.
From History of Religion A Sketch of Primitive Religious Beliefs and Practices, and of the Origin and Character of the Great Systems by Menzies, Allan
Lith. of Ritchies & Dunnavant Richmond, Va. Tab: 2 Book: 3 Pag 129 Tab.
From The History of Virginia, in Four Parts by Beverley, Robert
Sw., and Dan. ”l, Lith. alus a kind of beer, OSlav. ol? beer.
From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Webster, Noah
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
