live Hear it!

live1 definition

live (liv)

intransitive verb lived, living liv′·ing

  1. to be alive; have life
    1. to remain alive
    2. to last; endure
    1. to pass one's life in a specified manner to live happily
    2. to regulate or conduct one's life to live by a strict moral code
  4. to enjoy a full and varied life to really know how to live
    1. to maintain life; support oneself to live on a pension
    2. to be dependent for a living (with off)
  6. to feed; subsist; have as one's usual food to live on fruits and nuts
  7. to make one's dwelling; reside
  8. to remain in human memory of men's good deeds live after them

Etymology: ME liven < OE libban (akin to ON lifa, Goth liban, Ger leben) < IE *lib(h)s- < base *leibh-, to live

transitive verb

  1. to practice or carry out in one's life to live one's faith
  2. to spend; pass to live a useful life
  3. to act (a role in a play) very convincingly or feelingly
live Idioms

live and let live

to do as one wishes and let other people do the same; be tolerant

live down

to live in such a way as to wipe out the memory or shame of (some fault, misdeed, etc.)

live high

to live in luxury

live in

to live at the place where one is in domestic service

live it up

Slang
  1. to have a joyful, hilarious time
  2. to indulge in pleasures, extravagances, etc. that one usually forgoes

live out

  1. to live until the end of; last through
  2. ☆ to sleep away from the place where one is in domestic service

live up to

to live or act in accordance with (certain ideals, promises, expectations, etc.)

live well

  1. to live in luxury
  2. to lead a virtuous life

live with

  1. to dwell with; be a lodger at the home of
  2. to cohabit with
  3. to tolerate; bear; endure

where one lives

Slang in a sensitive or vulnerable area
live2 definition

live (līv)

adjective

  1. having life; not dead
  2. of the living state or living beings
  3. having positive qualities, as of warmth, vigor, vitality, brightness, brilliance, etc. a live organization, a live color
  4. ☆ of immediate or present interest a live issue
    1. still burning or glowing a live spark
    2. not extinct a live volcano
  6. not yet burned: said of a match
  7. charged for explosion; unexploded a live shell
  8. carrying electrical current a live wire
  9. in the native state; not quarried or mined live rocks
  10. having resilience or elasticity a live rubber ball
  11. fresh; pure: said of the air
    1. involving an appearance or performance in person, rather than a filmed or recorded one; transmitted during the actual performance a live broadcast
    2. recorded at a public performance
  13. Mech. imparting motion or power
  14. Printing set up ready to be printed
  15. Sports in play a live ball

Etymology: aphetic for alive

adverb

in, from, or at an actual or public performance recorded live at a nightclub

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.
Related Discussions (2)
TopicRepliesLatest Post
"One in five live" vs. "One in five55 years ago
Why do we not live in the Vespuccias?76 years ago

Browse Forums