his life. | Yes, (my) love. → compare LOVER 6 also luv nonstandard or humor — BrE infml (a friendly form of address, especially to or by a woman): Would you like a cup of tea, love? 7 [U] (in tennis) no points; NIL: Becker leads 15-love. | a love game (=where the opponent won no points) 8 the course of true love never runs smooth an old saying, which means that it is not easy to get the best and most important things in life, and that often there are problems 9 give/send someone one's love to send friendly greetings to 10 love's young dream a phrase used when talking about young people who are in love and believe that their love will last for ever and they will always be happy 11 make love (to): a) to have sex (with), but usually suggesting greater fondness and tenderness than the phrase 'have sex': They made love. | He made love to her. b) especially old use to show that one is in love (with) by always being with, kissing etc 12 make love not war a phrase used by hippies (HIPPY) in the 1960s, encouraging people to make love (=have sex) rather than to fight 13 no love lost between infml no friendship between: There's no love lost between those two. (=they dislike each other) 14 not for love or/nor money infml not by any means: You can't get that book for love or money: it's completely sold out. 15 the ... you love to hate saying of someone who is generally unpopular: The taxman; the man you love to hate.
love² v [not in progressive forms] ↑ [|;T] to feel love, desire, or strong friendship (for): I love my mother/husband. 2 [T] to have a strong liking for; take pleasure in: She loves this warm weather. | I'd love a cup of coffee. | [+v-ing] I love sitting in the garden. | [+to-v] We love to hear her sing. | [+obj+to-v] I'd love you to come and see our new house. → opposite HATE 3 Love thy neighbour as thyself saying from the Bible people should be kind and understanding towards others 4 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all quote a phrase from a poem by Tennyson
Beloved, which is often formal or literary, is used about a person or thing you love: My beloved husband, but dear is more common: My dear wife. The person or thing that you like or love the best is your favourite: My favourite song I John's a great favourite with his grandmother.
Love, Courtney /'kɔːtɪnɪl-ər-/ (1965-) a US singer, songwriter, and actress. In the 1990s, she was in the rock group Hole, which was known for having a loud, angry style. She is also famous for having been married to Kurt Cobain. She has appeared in several films, including The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996).
'love af fair n a sexual relationship, especially between a man and a woman who are not married or who are married to other people; an AFFAIR
love·bird /'lʌvbɜːdɪl-bɜːrd/ n any of various types of PARROT that stand in pairs
love·birds /ˈlʌvbɜːdzəl/ n [P] infml two people who show in their behaviour that they love each other very much
'love bite n [C] especially BrE a red mark on someone's skin caused by someone else sucking it as a sexual act; HICKEY AmE love·child /'lʌvtʃaɪld/ n old use or euph for BASTARD
loved-up adj inflow 1 feeling full of romantic love for someone 2 feeling full of love towards everyone, especially as a result of using the illegal drug ECSTASY: loved-up clubbers having a ball
love-hate relationship n a relationship in which the partners often argue or feel angry with each other, but do not wish to end the relationship: It's more of a love-hate relationship than a happy marriage — but I'd be lost without him. | (fig.) a love-hate relationship with the computer
love·less /'lʌvles/ adj 1 without love: a loveless marriage 2 not giving or receiving love
'love, letter n a letter written by a person to someone with whom they are in love. A love letter is usually meant to be private, and may contain secret hopes or thoughts: My grandfather always kept his love letters from my grandmother.'
'love life n [C:U] the part of a person's life that involves girlfriends, boyfriends, sex, marriage etc: 'How's your love life these days – got a boyfriend?'
love-lorn /'lʌvlo:nll-lo:rn/ adj especially lit sad because one's love is not returned
love·ly¹ /'lʌvli/ adj 1 beautiful, attractive etc, especially to both the heart and the eye: a lovely girl | a lovely view 2 infml a) very pleasant or enjoyable: a lovely meal | lovely weather b) especially BrE (used for expressing thanks): 'The typing's done.' ('That's) lovely, Sally.' —liness n [U]
Lovely is not usually used to describe the physical appearance of men. Instead, handsome or good-looking is used. → see also BEAUTIFUL (USAGE)
lovely² n infml, becoming rare a beautiful woman
love·mak·ing /'lʌv,meɪkɪŋ/ n [U] euph sexual activity, especially the act of having sex → see also make love (LOVE¹)
'love nest (used especially in newspapers) a small flat, room, or house used by two people having a sexual relationship, especially one which is secret because they are not supposed to be together: Pop star shared love nest with banker's wife.
'love, potion n a liquid mixture intended to make the person who drinks it fall in love with someone in particular. Most people in the West do not believe in this sort of magic, although love potions are found in old stories.
lov•er /ˈlʌvər/ n 1 a person (usually a man) who has a sexual relationship with another person outside marriage, especially over a long period: She has had many lovers. | He is her lover. → compare LOVE¹, MISTRESS 2 a sexual partner: Women today are expected to be wage-earner, wife, mother and lover. 3 a person who is very fond of or interested in the stated thing: a lover of good food | art/music lovers
love·seat /ˈlʌvsɪt/ n AmE an S-shaped SOFA designed so that two people can sit side-by-side while facing each other
lov•ers /ˈlʌvəzəl-ərz/ n [P] two people in love with and/or having a sexual relationship with each other: They met in June and became lovers soon after.
love•sick /'lʌvˌsɪk/ adj sad or ill because of unreturned love: a lovesick poet
'Love's Labour's 'Lost a humorous play by William SHAKESPEARE in which a king and three of his friends promise to study and not become involved with women. However, they meet a princess and her friends, and fall in love with them, so that they are unable to do what they intended.
'Love Story (1970) a very sad film, based on the book by Erich Segal, in which Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw appear as two young people who fall in love and get married, but then the woman soon dies of LEUKAEMIA
Lov·ett, Lyle /'lʌvət/ (1957-) a US singer and songwriter whose music is a new style of COUNTRY AND WESTERN. His songs include Cowboy Man and West Texas Highway. He is known for the clever and original words of his songs. He has also appeared in several films, including The Player (1992).
lov·ey, luvvie /ˈlʌvi/ n BrE infml a word used to address a person, especially a woman (though it is usually considered offensive by them) or child: Come here, lovey!
lov·ey-dov·ey /ˌlʌvi ˈdʌvi⌊ / adj infml derog too loving in a ROMANTIC way; SENTIMENTAL: I'm getting a bit sick of their lovey-dovey behaviour.
lov·ing /'lʌvɪŋ/ adj showing or expressing love; fond: a loving look | a loving father —ly adv: They were looking at each other lovingly. | He polished his new sports car lovingly.
'loving cup n a very large cup, usually with two handles that used to be passed round at ceremonial meals in former times, to be drunk out of by everyone
,loving 'kindness n [U] especially lit gentle and tender care, friendship, or love
low¹ /ləʊ/ adj 1 not measuring much from the base to the top; not high: He jumped over the low wall. | a long low building 2 not far above the ground, floor, base, or bottom: a low shelf | low clouds | The mirror is too low – I can't see the top of my head in it. | (fig.) That comes/is low on the list of jobs to be done. (=it is not one of the most important jobs.) | (fig., old use) a man of low (=not noble) birth 3 being or lying below the usual level or height: a low bridge | low ground | The river is getting low and will soon dry up. 4 small in size, degree, amount, or value: a low temperature | That figure seems very low; can it be right? | The price of oil is at its lowest