largition 
As wise Spotswood says upon Malcolm the Second, ne- 
cessity is the companion of immoderate largition, and 
foruuth to unlawful shifts. 
Up. Itacket, Abp. Williams, 1. 225. 
largo (liir'fr<i). it. and n. [It., slow, < L. larynx, 
liir^'c.) I. a. In ntiittic, slow: noting a passage 
In bo rendered in slow tempo aud broad, dig- 
nified style. 
II. n. A movement intended to be performed 
in such tempo and st\ !<. 
LargUS (liir'gus), n. [NL., < L. Larynx, a Ko- 
mau surname, < largiut, liberal : see large.] The 
typical genus of bugs of the subfamily Largina. 
L. micciitctwt is A broadly ovate brownish-black bug marked 
uiih red or orange, found in most parts of the United 
States. 
lariat (lar'i-at), . [< Sp. la reata, < la, the, + 
/in in, a rope used to tie horses and other ani- 
mals together: see reata.] 1. A rope or cord 
used for picketing horses while grazing. 2. 
A thong or noose used for catching wild ani- 
mals: called in California, Mexico, and further 
south a lasso. Also called reata, often spelled 
riata. [Western U. 8.] 
Those tribes, as the Utes, who are unable to procure beef 
or buffalo skins, make beautiful lariat* of thin strips of 
buckskin plaited together. 
R. I. Dodge, Oar Wild Indians, p. 262. 
larid (lar'id) n. A bird of the family Laridas. 
Laridae (lar'i-de), . pi. [NL., < Larua + -idle.] 
A family of long-winged, web-footed swimming 
birds, with a small free hind toe, and pervious 
lateral non-tubular nostrils, belonging to the 
order Longipennes and suborder Gavice; the 
gull family . This family includes upward of 126 species, 
found In every part of the world, of ffuvlatlle, lacustrine, 
and maritime habits. They are strong and buoyant fliers, 
subsist un fish, insects, and other animal food, and rear the 
young in the nest, which they usually build on the ground, 
laying two or three heavily blotched eggs. The prevailing 
color Is snowy. white with a pearly-blue mantle. The La- 
ridcf present four types, usually made the basis of division 
Into as many subfamilies: Leatridinte, the jagers or skua- 
gulls ; Larince, gulls proper ; .Vk-rm'/kE, terns or sea-swal- 
lows ; and ithynchiipiiut, skimmers. See these words, and 
cuts under Chroicocephalus, gull, ivory-full, etc. 
laridine (lar'i-din), a. Pertaining to the Lari- 
dcc, or having their characters. Coues. 
larigot (lar'i-got), n. [OF. Farigot, the flageo- 
let/] A kind of flageolet, or an organ-stop imi- 
tating a flageolet. 
larin (lar'in), n. [< Ar. Pers. larin (I).] A 
money of Persia and Arabia, consisting of sil- 
ver wire about the size of a quill bent over into 
the form of a hook, and bearing the name of the 
reigning monarch. The old larins were worth intrinsi- 
cally about 20 cents in silver; but later disk-shaped bronze 
coins of this name were struck, the nominal value of which 
varied from half a United States cent to 2 cents. See hook- 
money. 
Larins (la-ri'ne), n.pl. [NL., < Larus + -ince.] 
A subfamily of Laridte, having the bill more or 
less strongly epignathous, with continuous cov- 
ering, and the tail usually square and of mod- 
erate length; the gulls. Some of the smaller species 
closely resemble terns, but the hooking of the bill is usu- 
ally distinctive. The Latinos are cosmopolitan, abounding 
on most sea-coasts and largo inland waters. They are noisy 
voracious birds, subsisting chiefly on fish. The number 
of species is variously reckoned at from 50 to 76. The lead- 
ing genera are Lantu, Pagophiia. llissa, Chroieoeephalus, 
Rhodostethia, and Xema. See gull'*. 
larine (lar'in), a. Pertaining to the Larince, or 
having their characters. 
Laril (la'riks), n. [NL. (P. Miller. 1731), < L. 
larix, larch: see larch.'] A genus of coniferous 
trees with needle-shaped deciduous leaves ; the 
larches. It belongs to the tribe Abietinea with the pines, 
true cedars, spruces, and flrs, from all of which it is distin- 
guished by its deciduous leaves, which are densely sub- 
viTticillute-fasciculatein the scaly bud. Therefloicd cones 
are provided with persistent scales, each subtended by a 
conspicuous bract. There are about g species, inhabiting 
Europe, Asia, and North America. (SeeforcA.) Kour fossil 
species have been described from the Miocene deposits of 
tierniany and Austria. 
lark 1 (lurk), n. [< ME. larke, contr. of laverock, 
liu-i-rok, larerokke (> E. dial, larerock, tarrock, 
leverock, latarick),<. AS. Idferce, lauerce, earlier 
/</</(<, lii'iiy ri'c, Iduricae, Idurice = Fries, liurkc 
= D. Icwerik, leeuwrik, leeuieerik, leeuwerk = 
AILG. tewerike, lewerke, LG. lewerke = OHO. 
'Icu-nraJilia, lerahha, lerehhd, lerihha, MHG. 
lewreche, /or. nV/i. leicereck, ieirerch, lereche, Q. 
krclif. CJ. dial, liiirciicckn-i-lif = Icel. torirki = 
OSw. lairikia, Sw. larka = Dan. larke, a lark. 
Origin unknown ; the older forms have the sem- 
blance of a contracted compound, but no satis- 
factory explanation of it appears.] 1. A small 
oscine passerine bird of the family Alaudiiln'. 
Larks are mostly insectivorous migratory bi'nls of Europe, 
Asia, and Africa, the only true I:irks fouixl in the western 
hemisphere being those of the genus /.Y*-/m>/>/<i7(r. except- 
ing the occasional occurrence of the skylark as asti:> 
Africa is the richest in species. They are chiefly birds of 
3357 
the open country ; they nest on the ground, and some are 
famous for souring and tinging. About 100 species are 
described, leading genera of which are EremophUa, Alan- 
da, Melanocorypha, Certhilauda, Mira/ra, Megalophomu, 
and Pyrrhulauda. The few species which are well known 
are generally distinguished by qualifying prefixes : as, the 
nhjlark, Alaiida aroenmt; the wood-far*, Alauda arborea ; 
the share lark, Emiwphita alpatrii. Bee the compounds, 
and cuts under Alawlti, Ereiwiphtta, and skylark. 
Then perted the pepull, presit to there hold, 
And loget the long night till the larke sang. 
Detraction of Troy (E. li. T. .-!.), L 10000. 
Hark, hark ! the lark at heaven's gate sings, 
Aud Phtcbus 'gins arise. 
Shak., Cymbeline, II. 3 (song). 
2. A bird like or likened to a lark, but tiot one 
of the Alaudidte: with a distinguishing prefix: 
as, the titlark, meadow-lark, bunting-lark, bunh- 
lark, horse-lark, etc. Such birds are chiefly the 
titlarks or pipits (see Anthus), and various kinds 
of finches and buntings Dusky lark, the rock- 
pipit, A nthut obscunu. Horned lark, a bird of the family 
Alaudidce, Eremnphtia alpatrii, closely related to the true 
larks, but distinguished by the development of feathers 
into a horn-like tuft on the head : common to northern Ku - 
rope and America. Rock-lark, the rock-pipit, Anthus 
obKunu. Sea-lark, (a) The rock-pipit (6) A kind of 
sandpiper. White or White-Winged lark, the now- 
bunting. [Eng. (Norfolk). ] 
lark 1 ( lark), v.i. [< tarfcl, n.] To catch or hunt 
larks. 
lark- (lark), n. [A dial, form, with intrusive r 
(often not pron.), of lake 2 (pron. lak, also lak), 
/nit, play: see lake 2 .] A merry or hilarious 
adventure ; a jovial prank or frolic ; sport : as, 
to go on a lark. [Colloq. slang.] 
"Pip, old chap," said Joe, . . . "when you're well enough 
to go out for a ride what larlci I " 
Dickens, Great Expectations, Ivii. 
It will be no end of a lark; just when nobody Is think- 
ing about tigers, you go off and kill a tremendous fellow, 
fifteen or sixteen feet long, and come back covered with 
glory and mosquito bites. F. M. Crawford, Mr. Isaacs, vii. 
lark 2 (lark), r. . [<larW,n. Ct. larrikin.] To 
frolic ; make sport ; do anything in a sportive 
haphazard way. [Colloq. slang.] 
Don't lark with the watch, or annoy the police 1 
i, Ingoldsby Legends, II. 200. 
Larrea 

drop, as in a pattern of lace. 2. In her., the 
representation of a tear that is, a drop argent. 
See ' 
. 
larmier (liir'mier), . [< F. larmier, < larme, a 
tear: see larme.] 1. In arch., another name 
for the corona; also, any horizontal member 
or string-course similar in profile to a corona, 
_ 
Larmiers. A. Greek ; R, C, medieval. 
Jumping the widest brooks, and larkiwj over the new- 
est gates in the country. Thackeray, Vanity Fair, xlv. 
lark-bunting (lark'bun'ting), n. 1. A spur- 
bunting or spur-heeled bunting; a bird of the 
genus Centrophanes : as, the Lapland lark-bunt- 
ing, C. lapponica : so called from the long 
straightened hind claw like a lark's. Also call- 
ed longspur. See cut under Centrophanes. 2. 
The common corn-bunting, Embertea miliaria. 
[Prov. Eng.] 
larker (lar'ker), n. A catcher of larks. 
lark-finch (lark 'finch), n. A bird of the 
finch family, Fringillidte, Chondestes grammica, 
abounding in the western parts of the United 
States, inhabiting prairies and having some 
resemblance to a lark in habits, it is 6) Inches 
long ; the head is variegated with black, white, and chest- 
nut ; the under parts are white, shaded with gray on the 
sides, and with a dark blotch on the breast ; the tail is 
mostly black, Its feathers tipped with white. The bird Is 
a sweet songster, nests on the ground, lays four or five 
white eggs with dark zigzag lines, and feeds on seeds and 
Insects like other sparrows. Also called lart-tpamnc. See 
cut under Chondestes. 
lark-heeled (lark'held), a. Having a long and 
straight hind claw, like a lark's ; spur-heeled : 
applied to the coucals, or cuckoos of the genus 
Centropus. 
lark-plover (liirk'pluv'er), n. A South Amer- 
ican plover-like bird of the subfamily Thinoco- 
riim; such as the gachita, Thinocorus rumicivo- 
rus. 
lark's-heel (larks'hel), n. 1 . The Indian cress 
or garden nasturtium. See Trop&olum. 2. 
Same as larkspur. 
lark-sparrow (lark'spar'o), n. Same as lark- 
tinch. Coues. 
larkspur (lark'sper), n. Any plant of the ge- 
nus Delphinium: so called from the spur-shaped 
formation of calyx and petals. The common or 
field larkspur Is D. ContoKda; the rocket-larkspur. /). 
Ajncix; the bee-larkspur, D. datum. Sometimes also called 
lark'8-hecl and lark's-datc. 
lark-worm (lark'werm), M. A kind of tape- 
worm, Ttrniaplatycephala. 
larky (liir'ki), a. [< lark 2 + -yi.] Same as 
larkish. [Colloq.] 
The girls felt larky. . . . They tripped gayly along. 
Gtorgt MacDonald, What 7 s Mine's Mine. 
larmeH, [By aphereais from alarm.] An 
alarum. Palsgrare. 
larme 2 (lilrm), n. [F., a tear, < L. lacrima, a 
tear: see lacrymal.] 1. A rounded form hav- 
ing a point, and supposed to resemble a tear- 
projecting from the face of a wall to throw 
off rain which would otherwise trickle down. 
Such larmiers are especially common in medie- 
val architecture. 2. In :ool., the tear-bag; a 
subcutaneous sebaceous gland or follicle of 
sundry ruminants, as the Cemitlce or deer, situ- 
ated under the skin below each eye, and open- 
ing upon the cheek near the inner corner of the 
eye to discharge its viscid secretion, it U not 
a lacrymal gland, but of the nature of Meibomlan and 
other sebaceous follicles, which exude an unctuous and 
usually odorous substance. 
laroid (lar'oid), a. [< Larus + -oid.] Pertain- 
ing to the I.iirniilrii; or having their characters; 
laridine. 
Laroidese (18-roi'de-e), n. pi. The Larida; rated 
as a superfamily,' divided into Stercorariidte 
(the jfigers) and Laridee. 
Larra (lar'6), n. [NL. (Fabricius).] A genus 
of fossorial hymenopterous insects of the fam- 
ily Sphegid(p, type of the subfamily Larrinie. 
It Is characterized by the truncate marginal cell, the non- 
emarginate eyes, three submarglnal cells of which the sec- 
ond is petiolate, and the elongate metathorax truncate be- 
hind and parallel-sided. These wasps generally burrow in 
the ground, but a Brazilian one makes a nest of the woolly 
scrapings of plants. L. temirvfa has a black head and 
thorax and reddish abdomen, and preys on the Rocky 
Mountain locuBt(Co&>ptenuR spretus), and probably on other 
grasshoppers. 
Larrada (lar'a-d&), n. [NL.] A form of the 
word Larra, recently in current usage among 
entomologists, proposed by Leach, 1817. 
Larrea (lar'e-a), n. [NL. (Cavanilles), named 
after J. A. H. de Larrea, a Spanish patron of art 
and science.] A genus of polypetalous ever- 
green shrubs of tropical and subtropical Ameri- 
ca, belonging to the natural order Zygophyllea-. 
It is distinguished botanlcally from (juaiacuiii and other 
related genera by its sessile ovary, Its hairy iiidehlscent 
Branch of Creocote-bush (l.arr*m ArVjriVa ). 
with flowers ami fruit. 
. flower cot longitudinally 
i stajne&s ; tt. stamen. 
*, leaf, showing nervation ; *. flower ; r, flow 
thioueh the pistil, and showing two intror&e <. 
seen from without ; t, fruit. 
f rait, and Its bifoliate leaves, the leaflets being connate or 
abruptly pinnate. There are font kmrm species, natives of 
Texas, Mexico, southern Brazil, and the Andes. They are 
unpleasantly odorous balsamiferous shrubs, with knotty 
two-ranked branches, opposite leaves, persistent stipules, 
and yellow flowers solitary on short, terminal, tnterstipu* 
lar peduncles. L. Me Tirana is the creosote bush of Mexico 
and the arid plains of the southwestern United States. 
