Webster's English Dictionary

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life

Cross references:
  1. half-life             
 
1. life \'li-f\ \'li-vz\ n or lives [ME lif, fr. OE li-f; akin to OE libban 
   to live - more a] pl t LIVE 1a: the quality that distinguishes a vital and 
   functional being from a dead  body or purely chemical matter 1b1: the state 
   of a material complex or individual characterized by the cap acity to 
   perform certain functional activities including metabolism, growth, and 
   reproduction 1b2: a specific aspect of the process of living {sex ~}  2: 
   the sequence of physical and mental experiences that make up the existen ce 
   of an individual 3: BIOGRAPHY  4: spiritual existence transcending physical 
   death  5a: the duration of an earthly existence  5b: a specific phase of 
   earthly existence {adult ~}  5c: a sentence of imprisonment for the 
   remaining portion of a convict's exi stence 6: a way or manner of living  
   7: LIVELIHOOD  8: a vital or living being; specif : PERSON  9: an animating 
   and shaping force or principle  10: ANIMATION, SPIRIT {eyes full of ~}  11: 
   the form or pattern of something existing in reality {painted from R@} 12: 
   the period of usefulness of something {~ of a car}  13: the period of 
   existence (as of a subatomic particle)  14: a property of an inanimate 
   substance or object resembling the animate q uality of a living being {~ of 
   a bow} 15: living beings (as of a particular kind or environment) {forest 
   ~R} 16a: human activities  16b: animate activity and movement {stirrings of 
   ~}  18: another chance given to one likely to lose  cap, Christian Science  
   19: GOD 
2. life aj 1: of or relating to animate being  2: LIFELONG {~ tenure}  3: 
   using a living model {a ~ class}  4: of, relating to, or provided by life 
   insurance {a ~ policy}