I .
/ lɪv; NAmE / verb
—see also live (II)
IN A PLACE
1.
[ v + adv. / prep. ] to have your home in a particular place :
to live in a house
Where do you live?
She needs to find somewhere to live .
We used to live in London.
Both her children still live at home.
( BrE , informal )
Where do these plates live (= where are they usually kept) ?
BE ALIVE
2.
to remain alive :
[ v ]
The doctors said he only had six months to live.
Spiders can live for several days without food.
[ v to inf ]
She lived to see her first grandchild.
3.
[ v ] to be alive, especially at a particular time :
When did Handel live?
He's the greatest player who ever lived.
TYPE OF LIFE
4.
to spend your life in a particular way :
[ vn ]
She lived a very peaceful life.
[ v ]
He lived in poverty most of his life.
[ v - n ]
She lived and died a single woman.
BE REMEMBERED
5.
[ v ] to continue to exist or be remembered
SYN remain :
This moment will live in our memory for many years to come.
Her words have lived with me all my life.
HAVE EXCITEMENT
6.
[ v ] to have a full and exciting life :
I don't want to be stuck in an office all my life—I want to live!
•
IDIOMS
- live and breathe sth
- live and let live
- live by your wits
- live (from) hand to mouth
- live in the past
- live in sin
- live it up
- live a lie
- live off the fat of the land
- live off the land
- live to fight another day
- you haven't lived
- you live and learn
—more at borrow , clover , half noun , land noun , long adverb , people noun , pocket noun , rough adverb
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- live by sth
- live by doing sth
- live sth down
- live for sb/sth
- live in
- live off sb/sth
- live off sth
- live on
- live on sth
- live out
- live out sth
- live through sth
- live together
- live up to sth
- live with sb
- live with sth
II .
/ laɪv; NAmE / adjective , adverb
—see also live (I)
■ adjective
[ usually before noun ]
NOT DEAD
1.
living; not dead :
live animals
the number of live births (= babies born alive)
We saw a real live rattlesnake!
NOT RECORDED
2.
( of a broadcast ) sent out while the event is actually happening, not recorded first and broadcast later :
live coverage of the World Cup
3.
( of a performance ) given or made when people are watching, not recorded :
The club has live music most nights.
a live recording made at Wembley Arena
the band's new live album
It was the first interview I'd done in front of a live audience (= with people watching) .
ELECTRICITY
4.
( of a wire or device ) connected to a source of electrical power :
That terminal is live.
BULLETS / MATCHES
5.
still able to explode or light; ready for use :
live ammunition
COALS
6.
live coals are burning or are still hot and red
YOGURT
7.
live yogurt still contains the bacteria needed to turn milk into yogurt
QUESTION / SUBJECT
8.
of interest or importance at the present time :
Pollution is still very much a live issue.
INTERNET
9.
( of an electronic link ) functioning correctly, so that it is connected to another document or page on the Internet :
Here are some live links to other aviation-related web pages.
•
IDIOMS
- a live wire
■ adverb
broadcast at the time of an actual event; played or recorded at an actual performance :
The show is going out live.
•
IDIOMS
- go live
••
WORD ORIGIN
I . Old English libban , lifian , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch leven and German leben , also to life and leave (verb).
II . mid 16th cent.: shortening of alive .