LAT 



233 



LEO 



from latus, "broad ; dorsum, 

 the back, dorsi, of the back), a 

 flat muscle, situated on the back 

 and side of the lower part of the 

 trunk, which moves the arm 

 backwards and downwards, or 

 which brings forward the body 

 when the hand is fixed, 

 latrines, n. plu., IdMnz (F. 

 latrines, a privy), a privy ; neces- 

 sary conveniences or privies on a 

 large scale. 



laudanum, n., Idwd'-an'tim (L. 

 ladanum, the resinous substance 

 from the plant Cistus creticus ; 

 said to be formed from L. laude 

 dignum, worthy of praise, from 

 its soothing qualities), a prepara- 

 tion of opium in spirits ; tincture 

 of opium. 



Lauracese, n. plu., lawr-a's&.e 

 (L. laurus, a laurel tree), the 

 Laurel family, an Order of noble 

 trees and shrubs, natives of the 

 tropics in cool places, generally 

 aromatic and fragrant, the species 

 producing cinnamon, cassia, and 

 camphor : Laurese, n. plu., 

 ldwr'8'e, a Sub-order of the true 

 laurel trees : Laurus, n., Idwr'^us, 

 a handsome and interesting genus 

 of plants : Laurus nobilis, ntib'- 

 il-is (L. nobilis, famous, renowned), 

 the common sweet bay ; the Vic- 

 tor's laurel whose leaves were used 

 to crown the conquerors in the 

 Olympic games; the common bay 

 or cherry laurel is the ' Prunus, 

 or Cerasus lauro-cerasus, ' whose 

 fresh leaves are employed in med- 

 icine, also called * cherry laurel. ' 

 Lavandula, n., ldv-and'ul-d (It. 

 lavanda, the act of washing, 

 lavender from Idvo, I wash, 

 alluding to the uses made of 

 its distilled water), a genus of 

 plants, Ord. Labiatse, much 

 esteemed for the fragrance of 

 their flowers : Lavandula vera, 

 ver'a (L. verus, real, genuine), 

 yields the best oil of Lavender : 

 L. latifolia, lat'.i-fdl'-i.d (L. latus, 

 a side ; folium, a leaf), furnishes 



spike-oil : L. stoschas, stek'as 

 (Gr. stoichas, a species of lav- 

 ender), a species of the S. of 

 Europe, which also supplies an 

 oil : Lavender, n., lav'&nd-er, 

 an odoriferous plant, the Lavand- 

 ula vera, an under shrub having 

 linear grey leaves, and close 

 spikes of bluish flowers, from 

 which the essential oil of lav- 

 ender is distilled ; ' lavender ' is 

 tonic, stimulant, and carminative. 



Lawsonia, n., Idw-son'i-a (after 

 Dr. Isaac Lawson), a genus of 

 ornamental trees, Ord. Lythracese, 

 producing flowers in panicles or 

 racemes : Lawsonia inermis, m> 

 ermf'is (L. inermis, without 

 weapons, unarmed), produces the 

 * Henna' or 'Alhenna' of the 

 Arabs, used in Egypt for dyeing 

 orange. 



laxative, a., lalcs'-at-iv (L. laxus, 

 loose, open), a medicine which 

 gently opens the bowels ; an 

 aperient. 



laxator tympani, Idles- at' 'or timf- 

 pdn-l (L. laxdtus, stretched out, 

 extended ; tympanum, a drum, 

 tympani, of a drum), the major, 

 a muscle that arises from the 

 spinous process of the sphenoid 

 bone, etc., and is inserted into 

 the head of the malleus of the 

 ear ; the minor arises from the 

 upper and back part of the ex- 

 ternal meatus of the ear, both of 

 these muscles are by some anat- 

 omists regarded as ligaments. 



leader, n., led'er (Icel. leida, to 

 lead), a popular name for a 

 tendon ; in bot., the terminal 

 or primary shoot of a tree. 



Lecanora, n., letf-an-or'-a (Gr. 

 lekane, a dish, a basin, in allusion 

 to the form of the shields), a 

 genus of Lichens comprising 

 some valuable plants : Lecanora 

 tartarea, tdr-ta^e-a (L. Tartdr- 

 lus, belonging to the infernal re- 

 gionsfrom Tartarus, Tartarus), 

 a species which supplies the dye 

 Cubear. 



