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and expensive cloth, which is often specially designed and
which can be used for making curtains, covering chairs etc.
Many Liberty goods come from India, China, and East Asia.
Several other cities in the UK have a Liberty's: a Liberty
fabric/pattern/scarf
'liberty ship one of a large number of PREFABRICATED ships
for carrying goods built in the US during the World War II
Li-bes-kind, Daniel /'lɪbɪskɪnd/ (1946–) a US ARCHITECT,
born in Poland, known especially for DESIGNing the Jewish
Museum in Berlin and the new buildings at the place where
the World Trade Center used to be
li-bid-i-nous /lɪ'bɪdɪnəs/ adj fml or tech having or showing
strong sexual desires —~ly adv —~ness n [U]
li-bi-do /lɪ'bi:dəʊ/ n pl. -dos tech 1 (especially in FREUDIAN
PSYCHOLOGY) the sexual urge 2 the strong force of life in a
person
Li-bra /'li:brə/ n 1 [S] the seventh sign of the ZODIAC,
represented by a pair of SCALES, which some people believe
affects the character and life of people born between Septem-
ber 23rd and October 23rd 2 also Libran [C] someone who
was born between September 23rd and October 23rd
—Libran [adj]
li-brar-i-an /laɪ'breəriən/ n a person who is in charge of or
helps to run a library —~ship n [U]
li-brar-y /'laɪbrəri, -brɪl-breri/ n 1 a room or building con-
taining books that can be looked at or borrowed by mem-
bers of the public or by members of the group or
organization that owns the library: a public library | a
college library | a reference library | Is that a library book or is
it your own copy? → compare BOOKSHOP 2 a collection of
books, records etc 3 a set of books, records etc, that are
produced by the same company and have the same general
appearance: a library of modern classics issued by a well-
known publisher → see also RECORD LIBRARY, LENDING
LIBRARY
Library of 'Congress, the the largest LIBRARY in the US,
in Washington, D.C. It is paid for by the government and is
open to the public, and is one of the largest libraries in the
world. A copy of every book, magazine etc that is produced
in the US has to be sent to the Library for it to keep.
'library pictures BrE || file footage AmE — n [P] pictures
shown especially during a television news programme, which
were made at a previous time and do not show the actual
events mentioned in the programme. When such pictures are
shown on television, the words 'library pictures' are shown at
the bottom of the SCREEN
li-bret-tist /lɪ'breɪtɪst/ n the writer of a libretto
li-bret-to /lɪ'breɪtəʊ/ n pl. -tos the words of a musical play,
such as an OPERA or ORATORIO: the libretto of Mozart's
'Marriage of Figaro' → compare BOOK¹
Lib-y-a /'lɪbiə/ an oil-producing country in North Africa on
the Mediterranean Sea. Population: 5,499,074 (2003). Capital:
Tripoli. Colonel GADDAFI became leader in 1969 and intro-
duced a new political and economic system that was based
on Islam, and which was different from both COMMUNISM
and CAPITALISM. For many years the relationship between
Libya and the West was not very good. In 1986 the US
bombed Libya, and two men from Libya were blamed when a
US plane exploded over LOCKERBIE in Scotland in 1988. More
recently, Libya has improved its relationship with the West.
In 2003 it admitted that it was responsible for Lockerbie and
announced that it did not intend to develop WEAPONS OF
MASS DESTRUCTION. In the same year the UN voted to stop
the SANCTIONS against Libya which it had introduced in
1992. —Libyan n, adj
lice /laɪs/ pl. of LOUSE
li-cence usually -cense AmE /'laɪsəns/ n 1 [C] an official
paper, card etc showing that permission has been given to
do something, usually in return for a fixed payment and
sometimes after a test: a dog licence | a driving licence | a
licence fee | [+to-v] a licence to sell alcohol → see also SPECIAL
LICENCE 2 [U] official permission to do something: We
manufacture these goods under licence from (=with the
permission of) the original makers. 3 [U] fml a) freedom of
action, speech, thought etc: demands that they should be
allowed greater licence in the exercise of their power b) derog
uncontrolled freedom that causes harm or damage: I'm in
favour of liberty, of course – but against licence. 4 [U] the
freedom claimed by a painter, writer etc to change the facts
of the real world in producing a work of art → see also
POETIC LICENCE 5 a licence/license to print money used in
order to say that a situation gives someone a big or unfair
advantage over other businesses, or a chance to make a lot
of money very easily, without much work: By allowing the
developers to charge a toll of £15 for anyone wanting to use the
bridge, the government is giving them a licence to print
money. | People see music publishing as a license to print
money, but it can be a risky business.
li-cense also -cense AmE /'laɪsəns/ v [T] to give official
permission to or for: licensing the sale of alcohol | [+obj+to-v]
He is licensed to sell alcohol.
li-censed, -cenced /'laɪsənst/ adj BrE having a licence,
especially to sell alcoholic drinks: a licensed restaurant
licensed practical 'nurse abbrev. LPN also licensed
vocational 'nurse abbrev. LVN n in the US a person who
does similar work to a REGISTERED NURSE but who has only
two years' training and is not allowed to perform certain
duties, such as give drugs
licensed 'victualler n BrE tech a keeper of a shop or pub
who is allowed to sell alcoholic drink
li-cen-see /laɪsən'si:/ n a person to whom official permis-
sion is given, especially to sell alcoholic drinks or tobacco
'license plate n AmE for NUMBERPLATE → see picture at CAR
**CULTURAL NOTE**
In the US, each state makes its own
license plates. If you move from one state to live in
another state, you are expected to change your car's
plates. In some states, license plates belong to the car
owner, so that if the owner sells their car, they can keep
the plates and use them on a different car. In the UK,
NUMBERPLATES (=license plates) usually belong to a
particular car, and you do not change them if you move to
another part of the UK or buy another car. British number
plates contain letters which show the area where the car
was bought and numbers which show how old the car is.
Some people in both the US and the UK buy
personalized license plates with letters that spell out
part of their name. In the US, these are fairly common and
not too expensive, but in the UK they are very expensive,
and are usually only bought by people who want to show
that they are rich.
'licensing hours n [P] the hours during which it is legal to
sell alcohol in Britain
'licensing laws n [P] BrE the laws that limit the sale of
alcoholic drinks to certain times and places
li-cen-ti-ate /laɪ'senʃiət/ n tech 1 [(of)] a person given offi-
cial permission, especially by a university, to practise a
particular art or profession: a licentiate of the Royal College
of Music 2 a (written) declaration that this permission has
been given
li-cen-tious /laɪ'senʃəs/ adj fml derog behaving in a sexually
uncontrolled way —~ly adv —~ness n [U]
li-chen /'laɪkən, 'lɪtʃən/ n [U] a dry-looking greyish, green-
ish, or yellowish flat spreading plant that covers the surfaces
of stones and trees → compare MOSS
lick¹ /lɪk/ v 1 [T] to move the tongue across the surface of
(something) in order to make it wet, eat it, clean it etc: to
lick a postage stamp | to lick an ice cream | The dog licked the
dish clean. 2 [T(UP)] to drink by taking up with quick move-
ments of the tongue: The cat licked (up) the milk from its
bowl. 3 [(against)]; T (especially of flames or waves) to pass
lightly or with quick movements over or against the surface
of (something): The flames licked (against) the build-
ing. 4 [T] infml to defeat in a game, race, fight etc: (fig.) I think
we've finally got the problem licked. 5 lick one's lips to
experience pleasure at the thought of something good that
is going to happen to one 6 lick one's wounds to go away
after a defeat feeling sorry for oneself but perhaps preparing
to come back to make a new effort 7 lick someone's boots
to obey someone like a slave, through fear, admiration, or
desire for favour → see also lick into shape (SHAPE¹)
lick² n 1 [C usually sing.] an act of licking 2 [C(of)] infml a small
amount (of a cleaning material, paint etc): This door needs a
lick of paint. 3 [S] infml, especially BrE (fast) speed: running