Modifier of a noun or pronoun.
333. (1) An adjective.
The aforesaid general had been exceedingly like the majestic image.—Hawthorne.
They look, indeed, liker a lion's mane than a Christian man's locks.-SCOTT.
No Emperor, this, like him awhile ago.—Aldrich.
There is no statue like this living man.—Emerson.
That face, like summer ocean's.—Halleck.
In each case, like clearly modifies a noun or pronoun, and is followed by a dative-objective.
Introduces a clause, but its verb is omitted.
(2) A subordinate conjunction of manner. This follows a verb or a verbal, but the verb of the clause introduced by like is regularly omitted. Note the difference between these two uses. In Old English gelic (like) was followed by the dative, and was clearly an adjective. In this second use, like introduces a shortened clause modifying a verb or a verbal, as shown in the following sentences:—