noun
- an instrument for determining, or adjusting a surface to, an even horizontal plane: it has a glass tube partly filled with liquid so as to leave an air bubble that moves to the exact center of the tube when the instrument is on an even horizontal plane; often there is another such tube which indicates when the instrument is perpendicular to the horizontal
- surveyor's level
- a measuring of differences in elevation with this instrument
- a horizontal plane or line; esp., such a plane taken as a basis for the measurement of elevation: sea level
- the height, or altitude, of such a plane
- a relatively flat and even area of land or other surface; horizontal area
- the same horizontal plane: to keep the tops of pictures on a level
- usual or normal position with reference to a certain height: water seeks its level
- position, elevation, or rank considered as one of the planes in a scale of values: levels of income
- a horizontal drift or gallery in a mine
- the degree of concentration of a substance in a fluid
- Physics the ratio of a quantity's magnitude to an arbitrarily selected magnitude
Origin:
OFr livel < VL *libellus < L libella, dim. of libra, a balance, level, weight
transitive verb leveled or levelled, leveling or levelling
- to make level; specif.,
- to make perfectly horizontal by means of a level
- to make flat and even
- to equalize in height, rank, quality, etc.: often with down or up
- to make even in tone, color, pitch, etc.
- to knock to the ground; demolish; lay low: the storm leveled the tree
- to aim (a gun, etc.) for firing
- to aim or direct
- Surveying to determine the differences in altitude in (a plot of ground)