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L¹ or l «ehl», noun, plural L's or Ls, l's or ls.

1. the 12th letter of the English alphabet. There are two l's in ball.

2. any sound represented by this letter.

3. (used as a symbol for) the 12th, or more usually 11th (of an actual or possible series, either I or J being omitted): »

row L in a theater.

4. the Roman numeral for 50.

L² «ehl», noun, plural, L's.

anything shaped like the letter L. An extension to a building at right angles with the main part or a joint connecting two pipes at right angles are L's.

L³ «ehl», noun.

an elevated railroad: »

The Third Avenue “L” gave up the ghost…in its seventy-seventh year, leaving no descendants (New Yorker).

Also, el.

╂[for el, short for elevated]

L- or l-,

combining form. levo- (left-handed) in configuration: »

l-glucose = levoglucose. Most amino acids, including glutamic acid..., can exist in two forms called D- and L-, distinguished by their effect on polarised light (New Scientist).

╂[< l(evo-)]

l. or l (no period),

an abbreviation for the following:

1. book (Latin, liber).

2. latitude.

3. leaf.

4. league.

5. left.

6. length.

7. plural. ll. line.

8. link.

9. lira or liras; lire (Italian money).

10. liter or liters.

11. locus.

12. low.

L (no period),

an abbreviation or symbol for the following:

1. Electricity. coefficient of self-inductance.

2. Large (especially of garment sizes).

3. Latin.

4. Lebanese (as in £L, the Lebanese pound).

5. Libra (constellation).

6. longitude.

7. luminosity (of stellar bodies).

L.,

an abbreviation for the following:

1. book (Latin, liber).

2. Lady.

3. Lake.

4. Latin.

5. left (in stage directions).

6. length.

7. Liberal (Party).

8. line.

9. Botany. Linnaeus.

10. lira or liras; lire (Italian money).

11. longitude.

£,

pound or pounds sterling.

╂[for Latin libra]

* * *

abbr. (preceding a numeral) pound or pounds (of money)

Origin:

the initial letter of Latin libra ‘pound, balance’, written in copperplate with one or two crossbars: crossbars were formerly used to indicate an abbreviation