lith

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /liθ/
• Rhymes: -iθ

Etymology 1

From Middle English lith, lyth, from Old English liþ (“limb, member, joint, tip of finger, point”), from Proto-Germanic *liþuz (“limb”), of unknown origin. Cognate with Scots lith (“part of the body, joint”), West Frisian lid (“part of the body, member”), Dutch lid (“limb, member, section”), Middle High German lit (“limb, member”), Swedish led (“joint, link, channel”), Icelandic liður (“item”), Dutch lid (“part of the body; member”) and gelid (“joint, rank, file”), German Glied (“limb, member, link”).

Alternative forms

• lythe (15th century)

Noun

lith (plural liths)

1. (UK dialectal) A limb; any member of the body.
2. (UK dialectal) A joint; a segment or symmetrical part or division.

   lith and limb;  out of lith

   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “xiij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book III:

     he departed with the lady / & brouȝt her to Camelot / Soo as they rode in a valey it was ful of stones / and there the ladyes hors stumbled and threwe her doun that her arme was sore brysed and nere she swouned for payne / Allas syr sayd the lady myn arme is oute of lythe wher thorow I must nedes reste me

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

3. (Scotland) A segment of an orange, or similar fruit.

Derived terms

• lithy

Etymology 2

From Middle English lith, lyth (“owndom”), from Old Norse lýðr (“people, lede”), from Proto-Germanic *liudiz (“men, people”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ- (“man, people”). Cognate with Dutch lieden and lui, German Leute (“people”), Old English lēode (“people”). More at lede.

Noun

lith (uncountable)

1. Property.

Etymology 3

From *Middle English lith, from Old Norse hlið (“a gap, gate, space”), from Proto-Germanic *hlidą (“door, lid, eyelid”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to conceal, hide”). Cognate with dialectal Norwegian lid, led (“an opening in a fence”), Scots lith (“a gap in a fence, gate opening”), Old English hlid (“lid, covering, door, gate, opening”). More at lid.

Noun

lith (plural liths)

1. (UK dialectal) A gate; a gap in a fence.

Etymology 4

By shortening.

Noun

lith (plural liths)

1. (sciences, informal) coccolith

Anagrams

• Hilt, hilt

Middle English

Etymology 1

Noun

lith

1. Alternative form of light

Etymology 2

Noun

lith

1. Alternative form of lyth

Scots

Etymology

From Old English liþ, from Proto-Germanic *liþuz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Noun

lith (plural liths)

1. (anatomy) limb, member
2. (anatomy) joint
3. segment, division (of an orange, apple, onion, etc.)
4. joint, slice, segment
5. one of the rings at the base of a cow's horn

Verb

lith (third-person singular simple present liths, present participle lithin, simple past lithit, past participle lithit)

1. to disjoint, sever the joints of, dislocate
2. to wring a hen's neck

Yapese

Verb

lith

1. to cook