Love

Love, luv, n. fondness: an affection of the mind caused by that which delights: pre-eminent kindness: benevolence: reverential regard: devoted attachment to one of the opposite sex: the object of affection: the god of love, Cupid: (Shak.) a kindness, a favour done: nothing, in billiards, tennis, and some other games.—v.t. to be fond of: to regard with affection: to delight in with exclusive affection: to regard with benevolence.—v.i. to have the feeling of love.—adj. Lov′able, worthy of love: amiable.—ns. Love′-app′le, the fruit of the tomato; Love′bird, a genus of small birds of the parrot tribe, so called from their attachment to each other; Love′-brok′er (Shak.), a third person who carries messages and makes assignations between lovers; Love′-charm, a philtre; Love′-child, a bastard; Love′-day (Shak.), a day for settling disputes; Love′-fā′vour, something given to be worn in token of love; Love′-feast, a religious feast held periodically by certain sects of Christians in imitation of the love-feasts celebrated by the early Christians in connection with the Lord's-supper; Love′-feat, the gallant act of a lover; Love′-in-ī′dleness, the heart's-ease; Love′-juice, a concoction used to excite love; Love′-knot, an intricate knot, used as a token of love.—adj. Love′less, without love, tenderness, or kindness.—ns. Love′-lett′er, a letter of courtship; Love′-lies-bleed′ing, a species of the plant Amaranthus; Love′liness; Love′lock, a lock of hair hanging at the ear, worn by men of fashion in the reigns of Elizabeth and James I.—adj. Love′lorn, forsaken by one's love.—n. Love′lornness.—adj. Love′ly, exciting love or admiration: amiable: pleasing: delightful.—adv. beautifully, delightfully.—ns. Love′-match, a marriage for love, not money; Love′-mong′ėr, one who deals in affairs of love; Love′-pō′tion, a philtre; Lov′er, one who loves, esp. one in love with person of the opposite sex, in the singular almost exclusively of the man: one who is fond of anything: (B.) a friend.—adjs. Lov′ered (Shak.), having a lover; Lov′erly, like a lover.—n. Love′-shaft, a dart of love from Cupid's bow.—adjs. Love′-sick, languishing with amorous desire; Love′some, lovely.—ns. Love′-suit (Shak.), courtship; Love′-tō′ken, a gift in evidence of love.—adj. Lov′ing, having love or kindness: affectionate: fond: expressing love.—ns. Lov′ing-cup (see under Cup); Lov′ing-kind′ness, kindness full of love: tender regard: mercy: favour.—adv. Lov′ingly.—n. Lov′ingness.—For love or money, in some way or another; In love, enamoured; Make love to, to try to gain the affections of; Play for love, to play without stakes; There's no love lost between them, they have no regard for each other. [A.S. lufu, love; Ger. liebe; cf. L. libet, lubet.]