limn(LIM) vt. 1. to paint or draw; 2. to describe (paint a picture) in words- The expression “I’m limninga picture” is not one you hear every day.
- A good radio sportscaster limnsthe action of the game so that listeners feel
as if they are there.
[-ed, -ing]
literati(LIT oer AH tee) n. scholarly or learned persons; men or women of
letters - The literatiare likely to have read the works of William Shakespeare.
- As a general rule, engineers learn their craft but are not counted among
theliterati.
lithium(LITH ee uhm) n. a grayish white metallic chemical element; the light-
est metallic element - One of the latest uses of lithiumis in power cells for watches and cameras.
- Lithiumbatteries, which power laptop computers, are quite expensive.
liturgy(LIT oer jee) n. a prescribed ritual for worship in any religious group - The service in a church, mosque, or synagogue follows a prescribed liturgy.
- Needless to say, the liturgyin every religion is unique to that religion.
lofty(LAWF tee) adj. 1. very high in rank; 2. elevated, like a mountaintop - The rank of general is a loftyone.
- Wanting to be a doctor or other professional is a loftyaspiration.
- Theloftiestpeaks in the world are in the Himalayas.
[loftier, loftiest adj., loftily adv.]
loquacity(loh KWA si tee) n. talkativeness, especially excessive talkativeness - Siamese cats are known for their loquacity,even though what they say is
not said in words. - A group of hens exhibits loquacityby almost constant clucking.
lucidity(loo SID i tee) n. 1. clarity of mind; 2. the ability to be easily under-
stood; 3. a period of sanity in a mental disorder - Lucidityshould be a requirement for driving a car.
- An author’s luciditygoverns the reader’s enjoyment of his or her work.
- Sometimes those in mental institutions experience periods of lucidity.
lustrous(LUS tris) adj. shining brightly; glorious - Polished silver has a lustrousfinish.
- Gold is lustrouseven without being polished because, unlike silver, it
doesn’t oxidize.
[-ly adv., -ness n.] [Syn. bright]
304 Essential Vocabulary