Legerdemain, lej-ėr-dē-mān′, n. sleight-of-hand: jugglery. [Fr. léger de main—L. as if leviarius—levis, light, Fr. de, of, main—L. manus, hand.]
Leghorn, leg′horn, n. fine plait for bonnets and hats made in Tuscany: a bonnet of this material: a small breed of the common domestic fowl. [Leghorn (It. Livorno), a seaport of Tuscany, Italy.]
Legible, lej′i-bl, adj. that may be read: that may be understood.—ns. Leg′ibleness, Legibil′ity.—adv. Leg′ibly. [L. legibilis—legĕre, to read.]
Legion, lē′jun, n. in ancient Rome, a body of soldiers of from three to six thousand: a military force: a great number: in French history, the name of several military bodies, more esp. one which distinguished itself in Algeria and in the Crimea.—v.t. to form into legions.—adj. Lē′gionary, relating to, or consisting of, a legion or legions: containing a great number.—n. a soldier of a legion.—Legion of Honour, an order of merit instituted in France in 1802 by Napoleon I.; Thundering Legion, the name in Christian tradition for a body of soldiers under Marcus Aurelius, whose prayers for rain once brought down a thunderstorm and destroyed the enemy. [Fr.,—L. legion-em—legĕre, to levy.]
Legislate, lej′is-lāt, v.i. to bring forward, propose, or make laws.—n. Legislā′tion.—adj. Leg′islative, giving or enacting laws: pertaining to legislation, or a legislature.—n. a body of persons, or a single person, with powers to enact laws.—adv. Leg′islatively.—n. Leg′islator, one who makes laws: a lawgiver:—fem. Leg′islatress.—adj. Legislatō′rial, of or pertaining to a legislature.—ns. Leg′islatorship; Leg′islature, the body of men in a state who have the power of making laws.—Legislative assembly (see Assembly); Legislative power, the power to make laws.—Class legislation, legislation affecting the interests of a particular class. [L. lex, legis, law, ferre, latum, to bear.]
Legist, lē′jist, n. one skilled in the laws. [Fr.]
Legitim, lej′i-tim, n. (Scots law) the legal provision which a child is entitled to out of the movable or personal estate of the deceased father.—Also Bairn's Part. [Fr.,—L. legitimus—lex, law.]
Legitimate, le-jit′i-māt, adj. lawful: lawfully begotten, born in wedlock: fairly deduced: following by natural sequence: authorised by usage.—v.t. to make lawful: to give the rights of a legitimate child to an illegitimate one.—n. Legit′imacy, state of being legitimate: lawfulness of birth: regular deduction: directness of descent as affecting the royal succession.—adv. Legit′imately.—ns. Legit′imateness, lawfulness; Legitimā′tion, act of rendering legitimate, esp. of conferring the privileges of lawful birth.—v.t. Legit′imise (same as Legitimate).—n. Legit′imist, one who supports legitimate authority: in France, a follower of the elder Bourbon line (descendants of Louis XIV.), as opposed to the Orleanists or supporters of the descendants of the Duke of Orleans, Louis XIV.'s brother.—Legitimate drama, a designation frequently applied to the representation of Shakespeare's plays—often employed as vaguely indicating approval of the drama of some former time. [Low L. legitimāre. -ātum—L. legitimus, lawful—lex, law.]
Legume, leg′ūm, n. a seed-vessel which splits into two valves, having the seeds attached to the ventral suture only: a pod, as of the pea, bean, &c.—also Legū′men:—pl. Legū′mens, Legū′mina.—adj. Legū′minar.—n. Legū′mine, a nitrogenous proteid substance in the seeds of most leguminous plants, corresponding with the casein of milk.—adj. Legū′minous, pertaining to pulse: bearing legumes. [Fr.,—L. legumen—legĕre, to gather.]
Leibnitzian, līb-nit′zi-an, adj. pertaining to the great German philosopher and mathematician, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz (1646-1716).—n. Leibnit′zianism, the philosophy of Leibnitz—the doctrine of primordial monads, pre-established harmony, fundamental optimism on the principle of sufficient reason.