languishness 
languishnesst, [Irreg. < Iriiigiiixli, v., + -ness.'] 
Languidness ; languor. 
Languishnes should be auoided. 
Vines, Instruction of a Christian Woman, v. 
languor (lang'gor or lang'gwor), . [Now writ- 
ten (and sometimes pronounced) as the L.; for- 
merly langour, langor, < ME. langour, langure, < 
AF. langour, < OF. langueur, F. langueur = Pr. 
Sp. languor, langor = Pg. languor = It. languors, 
< L. languor, faintness, languor, < languere, be 
faint, languish: see languish.] 1. Faintness 
or feebleness of body ; oppression from fatigue, 
disease, trouble, or other cause; languidness; 
dullness; heaviness. 
I felt a languor stealing on ; 
The active arm. the agile hand were gone. 
Crabbe, Works, VII. 44. 
2f. Sickness; illness; suffering; sorrow. 
That suche a surgeyn setthen yseye was ther neuere, 
Ne non so faithfol fysician ; for, alle that hym bysouhte, 
He lechede hem of here langoure, lazars and blynde bothe. 
Piers Plowman (C), xix. 142. 
In the dust I write 
My heart's deep languor and my soul's sad tears. 
Shak., Tit. And., iii. 1. 13. 
3. Inertness in general ; sluggishness; listless- 
ness; lassitude; oppressive or soothing quie- 
tude ; sleepy content. 
A sullen languor still the skies opprest, 
And held th unwilling ship in strong arrest. 
Falconer, Shipwreck, i. 
4. In vegetable pa thai., a condition of plants in 
which, from unwholesome nourishment, bad 
drainage, ungenial subsoil, or other bad con- 
ditions, they fall into a state of premature de- 
crepitude. =Syn. 1. Weakness, faintness, weariness, de- 
bility. 
languort, v. i. [ME. languoren, languren, lan- 
guish ; < languor, .] To languish ; suffer. 
And praied oure lorde that he wolde sende hym hastely 
the deth, (for lever he hadde for to be deed than languor 
in soche maner. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), iii. 540. 
Now wol I speke of woful Damian, 
That langureth [var. langunsseth] for love, as ye shul here. 
Chaucer, Merchant's Tale, 1. 623. 
languorous (lang'gor-us or lang'gwor-us), a. 
[< languor + -OK*.] 1 . Affected by languor ; ex- 
hibiting languor ; languid. 2. Dull; tedious; 
wearisome ; inducing languor. 
Whom late I left in languorous constraynt. 
Spenser, F. Q., II. L 9. 
A medicine in themselves 
To wile the length from languorous hours, and draw 
The sting from pain. Tennyson, Princess, vii. 
3. Suggestive of languor; seductive: as, lan- 
guorous eyes. 
Warm breath, light whisper, tender semi-tone, 
Bright eyes, accomplish'd shape, and lang'rous waist. 
Keats, Posthumous Poems, Sonnet xviii. 
languret, n. and v. An obsolete form of languor. 
Languria (lang-gu'ri-ii), n. [NL. (Latreille, 
1802), < L. languria, a kind of lizard ; or per- 
haps < L. langurium, a kind of amber.] The typ- 
ical genus of Languriinai, characterized by the 
shortness of the antennae. Its species are of ele- 
gant form and mostly of metallic coloration, and occur in 
all parts of the world excepting Europe. One common 
in North America is L. mozardi, whose larvae live in the 
stems of clover and timothy. 
ties of long narrow form, with dilated tarsi and 
the antennal knob five-jointed. 
Laniadas, Lanianse (la-ni'a-de, la-ni-a'ne), n. 
pi. See Laniida!, Lamina;" 
laniard, n. See lanyard. 
laniariform (la-ni-ar'i-form), a. [< laniary, 
q. v., + L. forma, form.] Shaped like the lania- 
ries or canine teeth of the Carnivora; laniary. 
B. Owen. 
Laniarius (la-ni-a'ri-us), n. [NL., < L. lanm- 
rius, pertaining to a butcher : see laniary.] A 
genus of party-colored malaconotine shrikes 
peculiar to Africa. L. barbarus and L. cruentus 
are typical species. 
laniary (la'ni-a-ri), a. and n. [< L. laniarius, 
pertaining to a butcher, neut. laniarium, a 
butcher's stall, < laniiis, a butcher, < laniare, 
tear, rend: see laniate.~\ I. a. Fitted for lacer- 
ating or tearing flesh; laniariform: specifically 
applied to canine teeth when well developed. 
II. n. ; pi. laniaries (-riz). 1. A butcher's 
stall; shambles. [Rare.] 2. A canine tooth 
when laniariform. 
laniate (la'ni-at), v. t. ; pret, and pp. laniated, 
ppr. laniating. [< L. laniatus, pp. of laniare, 
tear, lacerate. Cf. lancinate.] To tear in pieces; 
rend; lacerate. [Rare.] 
3348 
laniation (la-ni-a'shon), n. [< L. laniatio(n-), 
a tearing, < laniare, tear: see laniate.'] A tear- 
ing in pieces. Coles, 1717. [Rare.] 
Lanidae, Laninas (lan'i-de, la-m'ne), n. pi. 
[NL.] See Laniidce, Laniiiue. 
lanier 1 !, See larmier. 
lanier 2 (la'nier), n. [F.: seelanncr.] Same as 
tanner. 
laniferous (la-nif'e-rus), a. [= F. lanifere = 
Sp. lanifero = Pg. ft. lanifero, < L. lanifer, wool- 
bearing, < lana, wool, + ferre = E. Sear 1 .] Bear- 
ing or producing wool. [Rare.] 
lanificalt (la-nif'i-kal), a. [As lanific-ous + 
-al.~\ Work'ing in wool. 
lanificet (lan'i-fis), n. [= OF. lanifice = Sp. Pg. 
It. lanijieio, < L. lanificium, the working of wool, 
< lanificus, wool- working : see lanificous.] A 
woolen fabric ; anything made of wool. 
The moath breedeth upon cloth, and other lanifices. es- 
pecially if they be laid up dankish or wet. 
Bacon, Nat Hist., 696." 
lanificqust (la-nif 'i-kus), a. [= OF. laniflque = 
It. laniflco, < L. lanificus, wool-working, < lana, 
wool, +facere, make : see -fie.] Working wool. 
Bailey, 1731. 
laniform (lan'i-form), a. [< L. lana, wool, + 
forma, form.] Consisting of fibers like wool. 
lanigerous (la-nij'e-rus), a. [= F. lanigere = 
Sp. lanigero = Pg. It. lanigero, < L. laniger, 
wool-bearing, fleecy, < lana, wool, + gerere, 
bear.] 1 . Bearing or producing wool. 
No other labor did this holy pair, 
Clothed and supported from the lavish store 
Which crowds lanigerous brought with daily care. 
Lowell, An Oriental Apologue. 
2. In entom.: (a) Woolly; thickly covered with 
fine curled hairs resembling wool. (6) Having 
the appearance of wool: as, lanigerous hairs. 
(Irote. [The last meaning is of doubtful pro- 
priety.] 
Laniidae (la-m'i-de), n. pi. [NL., < Lanivs + 
-f'rf<e.] A large family of dentirostral lamini- 
plantar acromyodian birds of the order Passeres; 
the shrikes. They are characterized by the combination 
of comparatively weak and strictly passerine feet with a 
hooked and notched or toothed bill of semiraptorial effi- 
ciency. The tarsi are not booted ; the wing has 10 prima- 
ries ; the nostrils are usually concealed by antrorse plu- 
mules ; and the plumage generally is dense. There are 
about 200 species, of numerous genera and several subfam- 
ilies, inhabiting nearly all parts of the world. The name 
has been used with great latitude, covering many shrike- 
like birds now located apart, as in Artamidce, JXcruridce, 
and elsewhere. See drongo, swallow-shrike, wood-shrike. 
Also Laniadce, Lanidce. 
laniiform (la-ni'i-form), a. [< NL. Lanius, q. 
v., + L. forma, form.] Resembling a shrike; 
dentirostral, as a bird; of or pertaining to the 
Laniiformes. 
Laniiformes (Ia-nl-i-f6r'mez), n. pi. [NL., < 
Lanius, q. v., + 'L. forma, form.] Same as Den- 
tirostres, 2. 
Laniinae (la-ni-i'ne), n. pi. [NL., < Lanius + 
-'.] The typical subfamily of Laniidce; the 
true shrikes or butcher-birds. The rounded wings 
and tail are of nearly equal lengths, the rictus is bristly, 
and the tarsi are scutellate outside as well as in front. See 
Lanius. Also Lanianae, Lanince. 
Lanio (la'ni-6), n. [NL., < LL. lanio, a butcher: 
see laniary."] A genus of tanagers of the fam- 
ily Tanagrida;, having a shrike-like bill with 
dentate upper mandible. There are several 
species, as L. aurantius; all are South Ameri- 
can. 
Lanius (la'ni-us), n. [NL., < L. lanius, butcher: 
see laniary.'] A restricted genus of butcher- 
birds, of simple 
bluish-gray and 
white colora- 
tion, varied with 
black on the 
wings and tail: 
the gray shrikes. 
The term was for- 
merly applied indis- 
criminately to lanii- 
form or dentirostral 
birds,manyof which 
do not even belong 
to Laniid<e. L. ex- 
cubitor is the com- 
mon gray shrike of 
Europe ; L. borealis 
is the great north- 
ern shrike or bntch- 
Fiscal Shrike [Laniits or Fiscus collaris\ er-bird of North 
America ; and L. 
ludomcianus is the loggerhead of the southern United 
States. See also cut under butcher-bird. 
lank 1 (langk), a. [< ME. lank, < AS. Mane, lank 
(applied to a wolf, and to a leather bottle). Cf. 
tewl' 2 .] 1. Meagerly slim; attenuated; lean; 
gaunt : as, a tall, lank man. 
lannerd 
She [Diana] . . . had unlaste 
Her silver buskins from her nimble thigh, 
And her lanck loynes ungirt. 
Spenser, F. Q., III. vi. 18. 
Meagre and lank with fasting grown, 
And nothing left but skin and bone. Sw\ft. 
2. Loose or lax and yielding readily to pres- 
sure ; not distended ; shrunken ; shriveled : as, 
a lank sack or purse. 
The clergy's bags 
Are lank and lean with thy extortions. 
Shak., 2 Hen. VI., i. 3. 132. 
3. Straight and flat, as hair. 
If any Gentlemens or Childrens Hair be never so Lank, 
she makes it Curie in a little time like a Periwig. 
Quoted in AMon's Social Life in Reign of Queen Anne, 
[I. 147. 
His visage was meagre, his hair lank and thin. 
Swift, Gulliver's Travels, Iii. 8. 
4f. Languid; drooping. 
Who, piteous of her woes, rear'd her lank head. 
Milton, Comus, 1. 836. 
lank a t (langk),)i. [tlaiikl, n.] Lankness; lean- 
ness. [Probably used in the following quota- 
tion for its agreement in sound with bank.'] 
He [8. Daniel] had neither a bank of wealth or lank of 
want ; living in a competent condition. 
Fuller, Worthies, III. 104. 
lank 1 (langk), r. i. [< lank, a.] To grow or 
become lank or thin. [Rare.] 
All this . . . 
Was borne so like a soldier, that thy cheek 
So much as lank'd not. Shak., A. and C., L 4. 71. 
lank 2 (langk), n. [Also loitk; < ME. lanke, lonke, 
the groin, = MD. lancke = OHGr. Manca, lanca, 
lanka, lancha, MHO. lanke, lanche, loin, flank, 
side; hence (< OHG. Manca, with change of 
Teut. hi- to Rom. fl-) ML. flancns (> It. fianeo = 
Sp. Pg. flanco = Pr.flanc = F.flanc, loin, flank, 
side, > E. flank : see flank 1 ) ; prob. from the adj. 
lank 1 , q. v.] The groin. [Prov. Eng.] 
lankly (langk 'li), adv. In a lank manner; 
straightly; stiffly. 
lankness (langk nes), n. The state or quality 
of being lank or shrunken ; slenderness ; gaunt- 
ness; leanness. 
lankot (lang'kot), n. A dialectal form of langet 2 . 
lanky (lang'ki), a. [< lank 1 , a., + -yi.] Some- 
what lank ; tending to or characteristic of lank- 
ness or leanness. 
Scarce one of us domestic birds but imitates the lnnk>i 
pavonine strut and shrill genteel scream. 
Thackeray, Book of Snobs, xx. 
Sometimes he would absurdly introduce into his conver- 
sation scraps from Sam Lawson's vocabulary, with flashes 
of mimicry of his shambling gait, and the lanky droop of 
his hands. fl. B. Stowe, Oldtown, p. 257. 
lannardt (lan'ard), n. [Var. of lanner, with 
term, conformed to that of haggard 1 .] Same 
as lanner. 
That young lannard 
Whom you have such a mind to, if you can whistle her 
To come to list, make trial. 
Xiddleton, Spanish Gypsy, iv. 3. 
lanner (lan'er), n. [< OF. lanier, lannier, laner, 
lenier, F. lanier = Pr. lanier = It. laniere, a kind 
of hawk, < L. laniarius, pertaining to a butcher : 
see laniary.~\ A kind of falcon, (a) In ornith., 
Falco lanarius (also called F. feldeggf), a noble hawk of 
southern and central Europe and the countries bordering 
Lanner (Falco 
r 'us). 
on the Mediterranean, from 16 to 18 inches long. Some 
related species share the name, as/ 1 , saker of southeastern 
Europe and most of Asia, called F. lanarius by many 
writers. The American lanner is F. mexicanus or poly- 
agru. (b) In falconry, the female of the above, which is 
larger than the male. See lanneret. 
lannerdt (lan'erd), . Same as lannard, lanner. 
