1. v.
1. intr. have (esp. animal) life; be or remain alive.
2 intr. (foll. by on) subsist or feed (lives on fruit).
3 intr. (foll. by on, off) depend for subsistence (lives off the family; lives on income from investments).
4 intr. (foll. by on, by) sustain one's position or repute (live on their reputation; lives by his wits).
5 tr. a (with compl.) spend, pass, experience (lived a happy life). b express in one's life (was living a lie).
6 intr. conduct oneself in a specified way (live quietly).
7 intr. arrange one's habits, expenditure, feeding, etc. (live modestly).
8 intr. make or have one's abode.
9 intr. (foll. by in) spend the daytime (the room does not seem to be lived in).
10 intr. (of a person or thing) survive.
11 intr. (of a ship) escape destruction.
12 intr. enjoy life intensely or to the full (you haven't lived till you've drunk champagne).
Phrases and idioms:
live and let live condone others' failings so as to be similarly tolerated. live down (usu. with neg.) cause (past guilt, embarrassment, etc.) to be forgotten by different conduct over a period of time (you'll never live that down!). live in Brit. (of a domestic employee) reside on the premises of one's work. live-in attrib.adj. (of a sexual partner) cohabiting. live it up colloq. live gaily and extravagantly. live out
1. survive (a danger, difficulty, etc.).
2 (of a domestic employee) reside away from one's place of work. live through survive; remain alive at the end of. live to survive and reach (lived to a great age). live to oneself live in isolation. live together (esp. of a man and woman not married to each other) share a home and have a sexual relationship. live up to honour or fulfil; put into practice (principles etc.).
live with
1. share a home with.
2 tolerate; find congenial. long live ...! an exclamation of loyalty (to a person etc. specified).
Etymology: OE libban, lifian, f. Gmc 2. adj.1 (attrib.) that is alive; living.
2 (of a broadcast) heard or seen at the time of its performance, not from a recording.
3 full of power, energy, or importance; not obsolete or exhausted (disarmament is still a live issue).
4 expending or still able to expend energy in various forms, esp.: a (of coals) glowing, burning. b (of a shell) unexploded. c (of a match) unkindled. d (of a wire etc.) connected to a source of electrical power.
5 (of rock) not detached, seeming to form part of the earth's frame.
6 (of a wheel or axle etc. in machinery) moving or imparting motion.
Phrases and idioms:
live bait small fish used to entice prey. live load the weight of persons or goods in a building or vehicle. live oak an American evergreen tree, Quercus virginiana. live wire an energetic and forceful person.
Etymology: aphetic form of ALIVE