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WHAT IS LOVE.
love
- 7 dictionary results
love
/lʌv/ Show Spelled Show IPA noun, verb, loved, lov·ing.
–noun
1.
a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
2.
a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.
3.
sexual passion or desire.
4.
a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart.
5.
(used in direct address as a term of endearment, affection, or the like): Would you like to see a movie, love?
6.
a love affair; an intensely amorous incident; amour.
7.
sexual intercourse; copulation.
8.
( initial capital letter ) a personification of sexual affection, as Eros or Cupid.
9.
affectionate concern for the well-being of others: the love of one's neighbor.
10.
strong predilection, enthusiasm, or liking for anything: her love of books.
11.
the object or thing so liked: The theater was her great love.
12.
the benevolent affection of god for His creatures, or the reverent affection due from them to God.
13.
Chiefly Tennis . a score of zero; nothing.
14.
a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter L.
–verb (used with object)
15.
to have love or affection for: All her pupils love her.
16.
to have a profoundly tender, passionate affection for (another person).
17.
to have a strong liking for; take great pleasure in: to love music.
18.
to need or require; benefit greatly from: Plants love sunlight.
19.
to embrace and kiss (someone), as a lover.
20.
to have sexual intercourse with.
–verb (used without object)
21.
to have love or affection for another person; be in love.
—Verb phrase
22.
love up, to hug and cuddle: She loves him up every chance she gets.
—Idioms
23.
for love,
a.
out of affection or liking; for pleasure.
b.
without compensation; gratuitously: He took care of the poor for love.
24.
for the love of, in consideration of; for the sake of: For the love of mercy, stop that noise.
25.
in love, infused with or feeling deep affection or passion: a youth always in love.
26.
in love with, feeling deep affection or passion for (a person, idea, occupation, etc.); enamored of: in love with the girl next door; in love with one's work.
27.
make love,
a.
to embrace and kiss as lovers.
b.
to engage in sexual activity.
28.
no love lost, dislike; animosity: There was no love lost between the two brothers.
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Origin:
bef. 900; (n.) ME; OE lufu, c. OFris luve, OHG luba, Goth lubō; (v.) ME lov ( i ) en, OE lufian; c. OFris luvia, OHG lubōn to love, L lubēre (later libēre ) to be pleasing; akin to lief
—Related forms
outlove, verb (used with object), -loved, -lov·ing.
o·ver·love, verb, -loved, -lov·ing.
—Synonyms
1. tenderness, fondness, predilection, warmth, passion, adoration. 1, 2. Love, affection, devotion all mean a deep and enduring emotional regard, usually for another person. Love may apply to various kinds of regard: the charity of the Creator, reverent adoration toward God or toward a person, the relation of parent and child, the regard of friends for each other, romantic feelings for another person, etc. Affection is a fondness for others that is enduring and tender, but calm. Devotion is an intense love and steadfast, enduring loyalty to a person; it may also imply consecration to a cause. 2. liking, inclination, regard, friendliness. 15. like. 16. adore, adulate, worship.
—Antonyms
1, 2. hatred, dislike. 15, 16. detest, hate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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love (lŭv)
n.
1.
A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.
2.
A feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person with whom one is disposed to make a pair; the emotion of sex and romance.
3.
1.
Sexual passion.
2.
Sexual intercourse.
3.
A love affair.
4.
A strong predilection or enthusiasm: a love of language.
5.
The object of such an enthusiasm: The outdoors is her greatest love.
4.
An intense emotional attachment, as for a pet or treasured object.
5.
A person who is the object of deep or intense affection or attraction; beloved. Often used as a term of endearment.
6.
An expression of one's affection: Send him my love.
7.
1.
A strong predilection or enthusiasm: a love of language.
2.
The object of such an enthusiasm: The outdoors is her greatest love.
8.
Love Mythology Eros or Cupid.
9.
often Love Christianity Charity.
10.
Sports A zero score in tennis.
v. loved , lov·ing , loves
v. tr.
1.
To have a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward (a person): We love our parents. I love my friends.
2.
To have a feeling of intense desire and attraction toward (a person).
3.
To have an intense emotional attachment to: loves his house.
4.
1.
To embrace or caress.
2.
To have sexual intercourse with.
5.
To like or desire enthusiastically: loves swimming.
6.
Theology To have charity for.
7.
To thrive on; need: The cactus loves hot, dry air.
v. intr.
To experience deep affection or intense desire for another.
Synonyms : These nouns denote feelings of warm personal attachment or strong attraction to another person. Love is the most intense: marrying for love.
Affection is a less ardent and more unvarying feeling of tender regard: parental affection.
Devotion is earnest, affectionate dedication and implies selflessness: teachers admired for their devotion to children.
Fondness is strong liking or affection: a fondness for small animals.
Infatuation is foolish or extravagant attraction, often of short duration: lovers blinded to their differences by their mutual infatuation.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History
love
O.E. lufu "love, affection, friendliness," from P.Gmc. *lubo (cf. O.Fris. liaf , Ger. lieb , Goth. liufs "dear, beloved;" not found elsewhere as a noun, except O.H.G. luba , Ger. Liebe ), from PIE *leubh- "to care, desire, love" (cf. L. lubet , later libet "pleases;" Skt. lubhyati "desires;" O.C.S. l'ubu "dear, beloved;" Lith. liaupse "song of praise"). Meaning "a beloved person" is from early 13c. The sense "no score" (in tennis, etc.) is 1742, from the notion of "playing for love," i.e. "for nothing" (1670s). Love-letter is attested from mid-13c.; love-song from early 14c. To be in love with (someone) is from c.1500. Love life "one's collective amorous activities" is from 1919, originally a term in psychological jargon. Love affair is from 1590s. Phrase for love or money "for anything" is attested from 1580s. To fall in love is attested from early 15c. The phrase no love lost (between two people) is ambiguous and was used 17c. in ref. to two who love each other well (c.1640) as well as two who have no love for each other (1620s).
love
O.E. lufian, from P.Gmc. *lubojanan, from root of love (n.). Love-hate (adj.) "ambivalent" is from 1937, originally a term in psychological jargon.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Computing Dictionary
love definition
humour
What some users feel for computers.
"There is no truth in the rumour that I love computers, it's just what I tell them to get them to bed."
-- Terry Pratchett
(2007-05-11)
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © Denis Howe 2010
http://foldoc.orgCite This Source
Bible Dictionary
Love definition
This word seems to require explanation only in the case of its use by our Lord in his interview with "Simon, the son of Jonas," after his resurrection (John 21:16, 17). When our Lord says, "Lovest thou me?" he uses the Greek word _agapas_; and when Simon answers, he uses the Greek word _philo_, i.e., "I love." This is the usage in the first and second questions put by our Lord; but in the third our Lord uses Simon's word. The distinction between these two Greek words is thus fitly described by Trench:, "_Agapan_ has more of judgment and deliberate choice; _philein_ has more of attachment and peculiar personal affection. Thus the 'Lovest thou' (Gr. agapas) on the lips of the Lord seems to Peter at this moment too cold a word, as though his Lord were keeping him at a distance, or at least not inviting him to draw near, as in the passionate yearning of his heart he desired now to do. Therefore he puts by the word and substitutes his own stronger 'I love' (Gr. philo) in its room. A second time he does the same. And now he has conquered; for when the Lord demands a third time whether he loves him, he does it in the word which alone will satisfy Peter ('Lovest thou,' Gr. phileis), which alone claims from him that personal attachment and affection with which indeed he knows that his heart is full." In 1 Cor. 13 the apostle sets forth the excellency of love, as the word "charity" there is rendered in the Revised Version.
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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Idioms & Phrases
love
In addition to the idioms beginning with love, also see all's fair in love and war; course of true love; fall in love; for the love of; labor of love; make love; misery loves company; no love lost; not for love or money; puppy love; somebody up there loves me.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/loveOr, BABY DON'T HURT ME.