# lake

Pronunciation: say "LAYK" /leɪk/

## Noun

1. A large stretch of water, or a similar liquid, enclosed by surrounding land.
   - Simple: A large area of water with land all around it.
   - _Boats drifted lazily across the calm lake at sunset._
   - _Several mountain lakes feed the river downstream._
2. A large quantity of liquid gathered in one place.
   - Simple: A very large amount of liquid spread out in one place.
   - _The tanker accident left a lake of oil shimmering on the harbor._
   - _After the rains, a shallow lake of water covered the fields._
3. An insoluble pigment made by fixing a soluble dye onto a metallic or mineral base, such as the crimson lakes of painting or the lake colorings used in food.
   - Simple: A coloring made by fixing a dye onto a solid base so it will not dissolve, used in paints and foods.
   - _Renaissance painters prized crimson lake for its glowing red, despite its tendency to fade._
   - _The dyer prepared a fresh batch of lake from crushed cochineal insects._

## Noun

4. A pit, or a ditch dug into the ground. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A pit or a ditch dug in the ground.
5. An offering, sacrifice, or gift presented to another. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A gift, offering, or sacrifice given to someone or something.
7. A kind of fine, white linen cloth of delicate weave. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A kind of fine, smooth white linen cloth.

## Verb

6. To present an offering, especially as an act of worship. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To give an offering or gift, often in worship.

## Other meanings

- (verb) Of blood, to undergo or cause hemolysis, so that the red cells release their hemoglobin into the plasma, as by freezing and thawing or adding water.
- (verb) To dye or stain something the crimson-red color of lake pigment.
- (noun) A small running stream, or a channel or drain made to carry water.
- (noun) Play, sport, or games, and the merry glee that goes along with them.
- (verb) To leap or jump, to exert oneself, or to play.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–2, 4** — This word arose from a blending of two Middle English forms: 'lake' (a small stream, pool, or lake), inherited from Old English 'lacu' and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *lakō, and 'lac' (lake), from Old French 'lac' or Latin 'lacus' (lake, basin). Despite the similarity, the inherited Old English 'lacu' is not related to Latin 'lacus'.
**Meanings 5–6** — From Northern Middle English 'lake', from Old English 'lac' (play, sport, battle, sacrifice, gift), from Proto-Germanic *laikaz (game, dance, sport), from Proto-Indo-European *leyg- (to bounce, shake, tremble). It is cognate with Old Norse 'leikr' and Gothic 'laiks' (dance), and is a doublet of 'lek'.
**Meaning 7** — Proto-Germanic *lakaną (linen, cloth, sheet) gave both Old English *lacen and Middle Dutch laken, and one of these became Middle English lake. Dutch laken (linen, bedsheet) and German Laken are cognates.
**Meaning 3** — Sanskrit lākṣā passed through Hindi lākh and Persian lâk to French laque (lacquer), the source of the English word. Lac and lacquer come from the same origin, which makes them doublets.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/lake (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).