I. noun
or ley ˈlē, ˈlā
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English lee, leye, from Old English lēah; akin to Old High German lōh thicket of shrubs, Latin lucus grove, Sanskrit loka open space, world, Latin lux light — more at light
1. : grassland , pasture
the lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea — Thomas Gray
2. usually ley
[Middle English leye, from leye, adjective]
a. : arable land sown to grasses or clover for hay or grazing and usually plowed and planted with other crops after two or more years
b. : a crop of grass or clover raised on cultivated land — called also layer
II. ˈlē adjective
Etymology: Middle English leye, from Old English lǣg- (in lǣghrycg lea rig); akin to Old English licgan to lie — more at lie
: lying under grass : fallow , unplowed
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English lee, perhaps back-formation from lees unit of measure of thread, leash (taken as a plural) — more at leash
1. : a unit of 300 yards used in counting linen yarns — compare count 8 a
2. : a unit of 120 yards of a yarn used for testing
IV. “, ˈlā noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English ley, from Old Norse lē; akin to Middle Low German lē sickle, Old English losian to get lost, perish — more at lose
dialect England : scythe
V. ˈlē
chiefly Scotland
variant of leave
VI. abbreviation
1. league
2. leather
3. leave