live

live¹

/liv/, v., lived /livd/, living.

v.i.

1. to have life, as an organism; be alive; be capable of vital functions: all things that live.

2. to continue to have life; remain alive: to live to a ripe old age.

3. to continue in existence, operation, memory, etc.; last: a book that lives in my memory.

4. to maintain or support one's existence; provide for oneself: to live on one's income.

5. to feed or subsist (usually fol. by on or upon): to live on rice and bananas.

6. to dwell or reside (usually fol. by in, at, etc.): to live in a cottage.

7. to pass life in a specified manner: They lived happily ever after.

8. to direct or regulate one's life: to live by the golden rule.

9. to experience or enjoy life to the full: At 40 she was just beginning to live.

10. to cohabit (usually fol. by with).

11. to escape destruction or remain afloat, as a ship or aircraft.

v.t.

12. to pass (life): to live a life of ease.

13. to practice, represent, or exhibit in one's life: to live one's philosophy.

14. live down, to live so as to allow (a mistake, disgrace, etc.) to be forgotten or forgiven: She'll never live that crucial moment of failure down.

15. live high off or on the hog. See hog (def. 10).

16. live in or out, to reside at or away from the place of one's employment, esp. as a domestic servant: Their butler lives in, but the maids live out.

17. live it up, Informal. to live in an extravagant or wild manner; pursue pleasure: He started living it up after he got out of the army.

18. live up to, to live in accordance with (expectations or an ideal or standard); measure up to: He never lived up to his father's vision of him.

19. live well, to live comfortably: They're not wealthy but they live well.

[bef. 900; ME liven, OE lifian, libban; c. D leven, G leben, ON lifa, Goth liban]

live²

—liveness, n.

/luyv/, adj., liver, livest for 4-7, 13-15, adv.

adj.

1. being alive; living; alive: live animals.

2. of, pertaining to, or during the life of a living being: the animal's live weight.

3. characterized by or indicating the presence of living creatures: the live sounds of the forest.

4. Informal. (of a person) energetic; alert; lively: The club members are a really live bunch.

5. full of life, energy or activity: His approach in any business dealing is live and fresh.

6. burning or glowing: live coals in the fireplace.

7. having resilience or bounce: a live tennis ball.

8. being in play, as a baseball or football.

9. loaded or unexploded, as a cartridge or shell: live ammunition.

10. made up of actual persons: to perform before a live audience.

11. (of a radio or television program) broadcast while happening or being performed; not prerecorded or taped: a live telecast.

12. being highly resonant or reverberant, as an auditorium or concert hall.

13. vivid or bright, as color.

14. of current interest or importance, as a question or issue; controversial; unsettled.

15. moving or imparting motion; powered: the live head on a lathe.

16. still in use, or to be used, as type set up or copy for printing.

17. Also, alive. Elect. electrically connected to a source of potential difference, or electrically charged so as to have a potential different from that of earth: a live wire.

18. live one, Slang.

a. a person who spends money readily.

b. a person easily imposed upon or made the dupe of others.

adv.

19. (of a radio or television program) at the moment of its happening or being performed; not on tape or by prerecording: a program broadcast live.

[1535-45; 1930-35 for def. 11; aph. var. of ALIVE, used attributively]

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