n. & v.
--n.
1. an intense feeling of deep affection or fondness for a person or thing; great liking.
2 sexual passion.
3 sexual relations.
4 a a beloved one; a sweetheart (often as a form of address). b Brit. colloq. a form of address regardless of affection.
5 colloq. a person of whom one is fond.
6 affectionate greetings (give him my love).
7 (often Love) a representation of Cupid.
8 (in some games) no score; nil.
--v.tr.
1. (also absol.) feel love or deep fondness for.
2 delight in; admire; greatly cherish.
3 colloq. like very much (loves books).
4 (foll. by verbal noun, or to + infin.) be inclined, esp. as a habit; greatly enjoy; find pleasure in (children love dressing up; loves to find fault).
Phrases and idioms:
fall in love (often foll. by with) develop a great (esp. sexual) love (for). for love for pleasure not profit. for the love of for the sake of. in love (often foll. by with) deeply enamoured (of). love affair a romantic or sexual relationship between two people in love. love-apple archaic a tomato. love-bird any of various African and Madagascan parrots, esp. Agapornis personata. love-child an illegitimate child. love-feast
1. a meal affirming brotherly love among early Christians.
2 a religious service of Methodists, etc., imitating this. love game a game in which the loser makes no score. love-hate relationship an intensely emotional relationship in which one or each party has ambivalent feelings of love and hate for the other. love-in-a-mist a blue-flowered garden plant, Nigella damascena, with many delicate green bracts. love-letter a letter expressing feelings of sexual love. love-lies-bleeding a garden plant, Amaranthus caudatus, with drooping spikes of purple-red blooms. love-match a marriage made for love's sake. love-nest a place of intimate lovemaking. love-seat an armchair or small sofa for two. make love (often foll.
by to)
1. have sexual intercourse (with).
2 archaic pay amorous attention (to). not for love or money colloq. not in any circumstances. out of love no longer in love.
Derivatives:
loveworthy adj.
Etymology: OE lufu f. Gmc