| libertarianism | (noun) an ideological belief in freedom of thought, speech and action | - |
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| libertinism | (noun) A lifestyle or pattern of behavior characterized by self-indulgence and lack of restraint, especially one involving sexual promiscuity and rejection of religious or other moral authority. | - |
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| lignum | (noun) woody tissue | - |
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| lingam | (noun) the Hindu phallic symbol of Siva | - |
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| linoleum | (noun) a floor covering | Synonyms: lino |
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| lipogram | (noun) a text that excludes a particular letter or particular letters of the alphabet | - |
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| lissom | (adjective) gracefully thin and bending and moving with ease | Synonyms: lissome, lithe, lithesome, sinuous, supple |
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| literalism | (noun) the doctrine of realistic (literal) portrayal in art or literature | - |
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| (noun) a disposition to interpret statements in their literal sense | - |
| literatim | (adverb) letter for letter | - |
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| lithium | (noun) a soft silver-white univalent element of the alkali metal group; the lightest metal known; occurs in several minerals | Synonyms: atomic number 3, Li |
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| lm | (noun) a unit of luminous flux equal to the amount of light given out through a solid angle of 1 steradian by a point source of 1 candela intensity radiating uniformly in all directions | Synonyms: lumen |
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| loam | (noun) a rich soil consisting of a mixture of sand and clay and decaying organic materials | - |
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| lobbyism | (noun) the practice of lobbying; the activities of a lobbyist | - |
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| lobworm | (noun) marine worms having a row of tufted gills along each side of the back; often used for fishing bait | Synonyms: lug, lugworm |
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| localism | (noun) a partiality for some particular place | Synonyms: provincialism, sectionalism |
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| (noun) a phrase or pronunciation that is peculiar to a particular locality | - |
| locoism | (noun) a disease of livestock caused by locoweed poisoning; characterized by weakness and lack of coordination and trembling and partial paralysis | Synonyms: loco disease |
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| locum | (noun) someone (physician or clergyman) who substitutes temporarily for another member of the same profession | Synonyms: locum tenens |
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| logarithm | (noun) the exponent required to produce a given number | Synonyms: log |
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| logicism | (noun) (philosophy) the philosophical theory that all of mathematics can be derived from formal logic | - |
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| logjam | (noun) an immovable mass of logs blocking a river | - |
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| (noun) any stoppage attributable to unusual activity | - |
| logogram | (noun) a single written symbol that represents an entire word or phrase without indicating its pronunciation | Synonyms: logograph |
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| loom | (noun) a textile machine for weaving yarn into a textile | - |
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| (verb) weave on a loom | - |
| (verb) appear very large or occupy a commanding position | Synonyms: hulk, predominate, tower |
| (verb) come into view indistinctly, often threateningly | - |
| (verb) hang over, as of something threatening, dark, or menacing | Synonyms: brood, bulk large, hover |
| lorazepam | (noun) tranquilizer (trade name Ativan) used to treat anxiety and tension and insomnia | Synonyms: Ativan |
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| lugworm | (noun) marine worms having a row of tufted gills along each side of the back; often used for fishing bait | Synonyms: lobworm, lug |
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| lukewarm | (adjective) feeling or showing little interest or enthusiasm | Synonyms: half-hearted, halfhearted, tepid |
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| (adjective) moderately warm | Synonyms: tepid |
| luminism | (noun) an artistic movement in the United States that was derived from the Hudson River school; active from 1850 to 1870; painted realistic landscapes in a style that pictured atmospheric light and the use of aerial perspective | - |
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| lunchroom | (noun) a restaurant (in a facility) where lunch can be purchased | - |
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| lustrum | (noun) a ceremonial purification of the Roman population every five years following the census | - |
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| (noun) a period lasting five years | - |
| lutecium | (noun) a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; usually occurs in association with yttrium | Synonyms: atomic number 71, Lu, lutetium |
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| lutetium | (noun) a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; usually occurs in association with yttrium | Synonyms: atomic number 71, Lu, lutecium |
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| lyceum | (noun) a public hall for lectures and concerts | - |
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| (noun) a school for students intermediate between elementary school and college; usually grades 9 to 12 | Synonyms: Gymnasium, lycee, middle school, secondary school |
| lymphangiogram | (noun) an angiogram of the lymph nodes and lymph vessels made after the injection of a radiopaque substance | - |
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| lyricism | (noun) the property of being suitable for singing | Synonyms: lyricality, songfulness |
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| (noun) unrestrained and exaggerated enthusiasm | - |
| m | (adjective) denoting a quantity consisting of 1,000 items or units | Synonyms: 1000, k, one thousand, thousand |
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| (noun) the 13th letter of the Roman alphabet | Synonyms: M |
| (noun) the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards) | Synonyms: meter, metre |
| macadam | (noun) a paved surface having compressed layers of broken rocks held together with tar | Synonyms: tarmac, tarmacadam |
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| (noun) broken stone used in macadamized roadways | - |
| (verb) surface with macadam | Synonyms: macadamise, macadamize, tarmac |
| macrocosm | (noun) everything that exists anywhere | Synonyms: cosmos, creation, existence, universe, world |
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| macrosporangium | (noun) a plant structure that produces megaspores | Synonyms: megasporangium |
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| madam | (noun) a woman of refinement | Synonyms: dame, gentlewoman, lady, ma'am |
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| (noun) a woman who runs a house of prostitution | Synonyms: brothel keeper |
| maelstrom | (noun) a powerful circular current of water (usually the result of conflicting tides) | Synonyms: vortex, whirlpool |
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| magnesium | (noun) a light silver-white ductile bivalent metallic element; in pure form it burns with brilliant white flame; occurs naturally only in combination (as in magnesite and dolomite and carnallite and spinel and olivine) | Synonyms: atomic number 12, Mg |
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| magnetism | (noun) the branch of science that studies magnetism | Synonyms: magnetics |
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| (noun) attraction for iron; associated with electric currents as well as magnets; characterized by fields of force | Synonyms: magnetic attraction, magnetic force |
| magnum | (noun) a large wine bottle for liquor or wine | - |
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| maidism | (noun) a disease caused by deficiency of niacin or tryptophan (or by a defect in the metabolic conversion of tryptophan to niacin); characterized by gastrointestinal disturbances and erythema and nervous or mental disorders; may be caused by malnutrition or alcoholism or other nutritional impairments | Synonyms: Alpine scurvy, mal de la rosa, mal rosso, mayidism, pellagra, Saint Ignatius' itch |
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| maim | (verb) injure or wound seriously and leave permanent disfiguration or mutilation | - |
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| mainstream | (noun) the prevailing current of thought | - |
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| malapropism | (noun) the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar | Synonyms: malaprop |
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| mammogram | (noun) X-ray film of the soft tissue of the breast | - |
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| mannerism | (noun) a deliberate pretense or exaggerated display | Synonyms: affectation, affectedness, pose |
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| (noun) a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual | Synonyms: foible, idiosyncrasy |
| manubrium | (noun) the upper part of the breastbone | - |
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| marjoram | (noun) pungent leaves used as seasoning with meats and fowl and in stews and soups and omelets | Synonyms: oregano |
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| (noun) aromatic Eurasian perennial | Synonyms: oregano, Origanum vulgare, pot marjoram, wild marjoram, winter sweet |
| marsupium | (noun) an external abdominal pouch in most marsupials where newborn offspring are suckled | - |
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| martyrdom | (noun) death that is imposed because of the person's adherence of a religious faith or cause | - |
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| (noun) any experience that causes intense suffering | Synonyms: calvary |
| marum | (noun) Mediterranean germander having small hairy leaves and reddish purple flowers; attractive to cats | Synonyms: cat thyme, Teucrium marum |
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| masochism | (noun) sexual pleasure obtained from receiving punishment (physical or psychological) | - |
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| materialism | (noun) (philosophy) the philosophical theory that matter is the only reality | Synonyms: physicalism |
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| (noun) a desire for wealth and material possessions with little interest in ethical or spiritual matters | Synonyms: philistinism |
| maternalism | (noun) motherly care; behavior characteristic of a mother; the practice of acting as a mother does toward her children | - |
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| (noun) the quality of having or showing the tenderness and warmth and affection of or befitting a mother | Synonyms: maternal quality, maternity, motherliness |
| mausoleum | (noun) a large burial chamber, usually above ground | - |
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| maxim | (noun) a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits | Synonyms: axiom |
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| maximum | (adjective) the greatest or most complete or best possible | Synonyms: maximal |
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| (noun) the greatest possible degree | Synonyms: level best, utmost, uttermost |
| (noun) the point on a curve where the tangent changes from positive on the left to negative on the right | - |
| (noun) the largest possible quantity | Synonyms: upper limit |
| mayhem | (noun) the willful and unlawful crippling or mutilation of another person | - |
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| (noun) violent and needless disturbance | Synonyms: havoc |
| mayidism | (noun) a disease caused by deficiency of niacin or tryptophan (or by a defect in the metabolic conversion of tryptophan to niacin); characterized by gastrointestinal disturbances and erythema and nervous or mental disorders; may be caused by malnutrition or alcoholism or other nutritional impairments | Synonyms: Alpine scurvy, maidism, mal de la rosa, mal rosso, pellagra, Saint Ignatius' itch |
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| mealworm | (noun) the larva of beetles of the family Tenebrionidae | - |
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| mechanism | (noun) the technical aspects of doing something | Synonyms: mechanics |
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| (noun) device consisting of a piece of machinery; has moving parts that perform some function | - |
| (noun) (philosophy) the philosophical theory that all phenomena can be explained in terms of physical or biological causes | - |
| (noun) a natural object resembling a machine in structure or function | - |
| (noun) the atomic process that occurs during a chemical reaction | Synonyms: chemical mechanism |
| meconium | (noun) thick dark green mucoid material that is the first feces of a newborn child | - |
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| mediastinum | (noun) the part of the thoracic cavity between the lungs that contains the heart and aorta and esophagus and trachea and thymus | - |
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| medium | (adjective) (meat) cooked until there is just a little pink meat inside | - |
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| (adjective) around the middle of a scale of evaluation | Synonyms: average, intermediate |
| (noun) an occupation for which you are especially well suited | Synonyms: metier |
| (noun) an intervening substance through which signals can travel as a means for communication | - |
| (noun) a means or instrumentality for storing or communicating information | - |
| (noun) (usually plural) transmissions that are disseminated widely to the public | Synonyms: mass medium |
| (noun) the surrounding environment | - |
| (noun) someone who serves as an intermediary between the living and the dead | Synonyms: sensitive, spiritualist |
| (noun) a state that is intermediate between extremes; a middle position | - |
| (noun) (bacteriology) a nutrient substance (solid or liquid) that is used to cultivate micro-organisms | Synonyms: culture medium |
| (noun) (biology) a substance in which specimens are preserved or displayed | - |
| (noun) a liquid with which pigment is mixed by a painter | - |
| (noun) an intervening substance through which something is achieved | - |
| meerschaum | (noun) a pipe having a bowl made of meerschaum | - |
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| (noun) a white clayey mineral | Synonyms: sepiolite |
| megasporangium | (noun) a plant structure that produces megaspores | Synonyms: macrosporangium |
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| megohm | (noun) a unit of resistance equal to one million ohms | - |
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| megrim | (noun) a severe recurring vascular headache; occurs more frequently in women than men | Synonyms: hemicrania, migraine, sick headache |
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| meitnerium | (noun) a radioactive transuranic element, with atomic number 109 | Synonyms: atomic number 109, element 109, Mt |
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| melanism | (noun) a condition characterized by abnormal deposits of melanin (especially in the skin) | Synonyms: melanosis |
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| meliorism | (noun) the belief that the world can be made better by human effort | - |
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| mem | (noun) the 13th letter of the Hebrew alphabet | - |
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| memorandum | (noun) a written proposal or reminder | Synonyms: memo, memoranda |
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| mendelevium | (noun) a radioactive transuranic element synthesized by bombarding einsteinium with alpha particles (Md is the current symbol for mendelevium but Mv was formerly the symbol) | Synonyms: atomic number 101, Md, Mv |
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| meningism | (noun) symptoms that mimic those of meningitis but without inflammation of the meninges | - |
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| menstruum | (noun) the monthly discharge of blood from the uterus of nonpregnant women from puberty to menopause | Synonyms: catamenia, flow, menses, menstruation, period |
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| (noun) (archaic) a solvent | - |
| mentalism | (noun) (philosophy) a doctrine that mind is the true reality and that objects exist only as aspects of the mind's awareness | - |
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| mentum | (noun) a projection below the mouth of certain mollusks that resembles a chin | - |
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| (noun) the protruding part of the lower jaw | Synonyms: chin |
| (noun) a projection like a chin formed by the sepals and base of the column in some orchids | - |
| mercantilism | (noun) transactions (sales and purchases) having the objective of supplying commodities (goods and services) | Synonyms: commerce, commercialism |
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| (noun) an economic system (Europe in 18th century) to increase a nation's wealth by government regulation of all of the nation's commercial interests | Synonyms: mercantile system |
| meristem | (noun) undifferentiated tissue from which new cells are formed, as at the tip of a stem or root | - |
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| meronym | (noun) a word that names a part of a larger whole | Synonyms: part name |
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| mesmerism | (noun) the act of inducing hypnosis | Synonyms: hypnotism, suggestion |
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| mesoderm | (noun) the middle germ layer that develops into muscle and bone and cartilage and blood and connective tissue | Synonyms: mesoblast |
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| mesothelium | (noun) epithelium originating in the embryonic mesoderm; lines the primordial body cavity | - |
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| metabolism | (noun) the organic processes (in a cell or organism) that are necessary for life | Synonyms: metabolic process |
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| (noun) the marked and rapid transformation of a larva into an adult that occurs in some animals | Synonyms: metamorphosis |
| metamorphism | (noun) change in the structure of rock by natural agencies such as pressure or heat or introduction of new chemical substances | - |
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| meteortropism | (noun) an effect of climate on biological processes (as the effect on joint pains etc.) | - |
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| metonym | (noun) a word that denotes one thing but refers to a related thing | - |
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| mezereum | (noun) the dried bark of the shrub mezereon | - |
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| miasm | (noun) unhealthy vapors rising from the ground or other sources | Synonyms: miasma |
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| (noun) an unwholesome atmosphere | Synonyms: miasma |
| microcosm | (noun) a miniature model of something | - |
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| microfilm | (noun) film on which materials are photographed at greatly reduced size; useful for storage; a magnification system is used to read the material | - |
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| (verb) record on microfilm | - |
| microgram | (noun) one millionth (1/1,000,000) gram | Synonyms: mcg |
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| microorganism | (noun) any organism of microscopic size | Synonyms: micro-organism |
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| microseism | (noun) a small earthquake | Synonyms: earth tremor, tremor |
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| microsporangium | (noun) a plant structure that produces microspores | - |
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| microtoponym | (noun) a name of a "minor" or small natural feature (e.g., a field, path, bridge, ditch, etc.). | - |
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| midazolam | (noun) an injectable form of benzodiazepine (trade name Versed) useful for sedation and for reducing pain during uncomfortable medical procedures | Synonyms: Versed |
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