l

1 of 4

noun

ˈel 

variants often L

plural l's or ls ˈelz 

often attributive

1

a

: the 12th letter of the English alphabet

b

: a graphic representation of this letter

c

: a speech counterpart of orthographic l

2

: fifty see Table of Numbers

3

: a graphic device for reproducing the letter l

4

: one designated l especially as the 12th in order or class

5

: something shaped like the letter L

specifically : ell entry 2 sense 1

6

: el entry 2

l

2 of 4

abbreviation (1)

1

lady

2

lake

3

lambert

4

land

5

large

6

late

7

left

8

length

9

[Latin libra] pound

10

line

11

liquid

12

lira

13

liter

14

little

15

low

L

3 of 4

abbreviation (2)

1

Lagrangian

2

long

3

loss; losses

l-

4 of 4

prefix

1

ˌlē-(ˌ)vō, 

ˌel, 

ˈel

: levorotatory

l-tartaric acid

2

ˌel, 

ˈel

: having a similar configuration at a selected carbon atom to the configuration of levorotatory glyceraldehyde

—usually printed as a small capital

l-fructose

Did you know?

Words Starting With L

Browse 11,988 words and phrases that start with the letter L, from la to lytic.

Examples of l in a Sentence

Noun

a word that starts with an l

a word that starts with l

Abbreviation (1)

The area of a rectangle is L x W.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Arrange a conversation set in a circle or an L-shape so no one is left on the periphery. —Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026

Cargo space is 23 cubic feet behind the third row or 37 feet in the long wheelbase L option. —James Raia, Mercury News, 1 May 2026

Conversation sets arranged in circles or L-shapes pull people into the space rather than lining them up against walls. —Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026

The stage is set Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (L) and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2026

The trailer carries a 72-L fresh water supply. —New Atlas, 27 Apr. 2026

Subway riders can take the L (also known as the Market-Frankford Line) to Drexel Station at 30th Street or 34th Street Station. —Alexandra Simon, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026

Bury the bottom 1 foot of the fence beneath the soil, and angle the lowest 6 inches away from your garden in an L-shape to deter digging. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2026

There's individual variability in how well L-tyrosine works. —Teresa Maalouf, Verywell Health, 12 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Prefix

International Scientific Vocabulary, from lev-

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

l

noun

ˈel

often capitalized

1

: the 12th letter of the English alphabet

2

: fifty in Roman numerals

Medical Definition

L

1 of 3 abbreviation

1

left

2

levorotatory

3

light

4

liquid

5

liter

6

lumbar

—used especially with a number from 1 to 5 to indicate a vertebra or segment of the spinal cord in the lumbar region

L

2 of 3 symbol

lithium

l-

3 of 3 prefix

1

ˌlē-(ˌ)vō, ˌel, ˈel

: levorotatory

—usually printed in italic

l-tartaric acid

2

ˌel, ˈel

: having a similar configuration at a selected carbon atom to the configuration of levorotatory glyceraldehyde

—usually printed as a small capital

L-fructose

L-tryptophan