I. ˈlist verb
( listed or list ; listed or list ; listing ; lists )
Etymology: Middle English lusten, lysten, listen, from Old English lystan; akin to Old Saxon lustian to desire, long for, Old High German lusten, Old Norse lysta; causative-denominatives from the root of English lust (I)
transitive verb
: to give pleasure to : gratify , suit
could have my being while it listed me — W.J.Locke
intransitive verb
: to have a desire or inclination : choose , wish
allowed that mind of mine to stray thereafter as it listed — Rafael Sabatini
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, probably from listen, v.
1. archaic : inclination , craving , desire
which I have neither list nor leisure to recount — Thomas Fuller
2. archaic : personal inclination : will
by the law of the land, and not the arbitrary list … of any man living — Edmund Hickeringill
III. verb
( listed or list ; listed or list ; listing ; lists )
Etymology: Middle English listen, from Old English hlystan — more at listen
intransitive verb
: to give ear : listen
she talks and I am fain to list — Robert Frost
transitive verb
archaic : to listen to : hear
teach your ears to list me with more heed — Shakespeare
IV. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English liste, list, from Old English līste; akin to Middle Low German līste edge, border, Old High German līsta, Albanian leth edge, bank, border
1.
a. obsolete : a strip of cloth
gartered with a red and blue list — Shakespeare
b. : a band or strip of any material ; especially : a narrow strip of wood cut from the edge of a plank or board
c. : listel
d. archaic : lister ridge
e.
(1) : the first thin coat of tin applied in the manufacture of tin plate
(2) : a rim of tin left on an edge of tin plate after it is coated
2. lists plural but singular or plural in construction
[influenced in meaning by Middle French lice lists, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German līsta edge, border]
a. : a tilting arena or the palisade enclosing it
give proof of your knightly worth in the lists tomorrow — Rafael Sabatini
b. : an arena for any kind of combat
entered the lists against the bull — Frank Yerby
c. : a controversy or field of competition
enter the lists … for or against practical programs of population resettlement — Ethel Albert
a thick skin and a ready wit make him a good candidate for the political lists
one of Ireland's major industries … has now entered the dollar-earning lists — E.M.Woolf
3. obsolete
a. : a line marking a limit or extent : boundary
the very list , the very utmost bound of all our purposes — Shakespeare
b. : a railing or railed enclosure especially used as an exercising ground
a list to ride horses in, much frequented by the gallants in summer — John Evelyn
4.
a. chiefly Britain : a strip forming the edge of a woven fabric : selvage
pieces having tightly woven lists which curl badly should be sewn together … and dyed in tubular form — C.M.Whittaker & C.C.Wilcock
b. archaic : a material resembling selvage
have had list nailed round my doors, and stopping every crack — Mary Delany
5. : a streak of color : stripe
a hackle with a blue or dun list — J.E.Leisenring
specifically : a dark strip along the midline of a horse's back
V. transitive verb
( listed or list ; listed or list ; listing ; lists )
Etymology: Middle English listen, from liste, list, n.
1. obsolete : to put a border around : edge
2. : to cut away a narrow strip (as sapwood) from the edge of
staves, air-dried and listed — F.P.Hankerson
3.
a. : to prepare (land) for a crop or check (soil) from blowing by making ridges and furrows with a lister — compare listing 2
b. : to plant (a field) with a lister
VI. noun
( -s )
Etymology: French liste, from Middle French, group of people, roster, from Old Italian lista band, stripe, row, group, roster, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German līsta edge, border — more at list IV
1.
a. : a simple series of words or numerals (as the names of persons or objects)
guest list
grocery list
there were 109 publications … but the casualty list was long, too — American Guide Series: Washington
specifically : an official roster : roll
drawing up a list for … party nomination — Richard Scammon
— compare active list , blacklist , retired list
b. : index , catalog , checklist
the card catalog in a library … is used mainly as a finding list — Saul Herner
the … disc jumped to the top of the hit list in ten days — R.G.Hubler
the publisher added the book to his fall list
put eggs on the shopping list
check the list of qualifications for a job
c. : the total number to be considered or included
among the essentials of true democracy, responsible citizenship comes high on the list
added spelling reform to the list of his interests — W.B.Shaw & E.S.Bates
2. : a record of individual holdings of real and personal property subject to taxation
tax the grand list a definite percentage … for school revenue — American Guide Series: Vermont
3. : the total register of securities admitted to trading on a stock exchange
there were many … strong individual stocks in the list — Springfield (Massachusetts) Union
4. : list price
set your own list , take a big markup and still undersell the field — Office Appliances
VII. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
1.
a. : to make a list of : enumerate
list five reasons why you enjoyed the book
it is now possible … to list all the amino acids necessary — Americana Annual
list the specialized agencies of the United Nations
b. : to include on a list : register , record : as
(1) : to enter (taxable property) on an official list
(2) : to enter (a stock or other security) in the list of those officially admitted to dealings on the exchange
(3) : to place (property) in the hands of a real-estate agent for sale or rent
(4) : to enter in a price list
c. : to declare to be : give
increased confidence … was listed as a reason for the increase in spending — Dun's Review
twenty-four books … two of them listed as essential library acquisitions — Anthony Boucher
d. : to put in writing : show
the only membership he lists is in a professional society
2.
a. obsolete : to put into a category : classify
virtues are listed in the rank of invisible things — Thomas Traherne
b. : to put (oneself) down — used with as
lists himself as a political liberal
3. archaic : to recruit or appoint into or as if into military service
will list you for my soldier — Sir Walter Scott
intransitive verb
1. archaic : to enlist in or as if in the armed forces
he is going to list with us, and be our clergyman — George Borrow
2. : to become entered in a catalog with a selling price
the wrench alone lists at $3 — Industrial Equipment News
VIII. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: origin unknown
intransitive verb
: to lean to one side : cant , tilt
she lists steeply to port — H.W.Baldwin
the trees … all listed to leeward — Frances G. Patton
transitive verb
: to cause to list
shift tanks and bulldozers in transport's holds, listing the ships — K.M.Dodson
IX. noun
( -s )
1. : a deviation from the vertical : cant , tilt
water flooding into the hold gave the ship a heavy list to starboard
there was a faint forward list to his body as he walked — Lawrence Williams
2. : a tendency to incline : leaning
a … political list to the left — Paul Woodring