life
/ˈlaɪ̯f/ noun A1- The state of organisms preceding their death, characterized by biological processes such as metabolism and reproduction and distinguishing them from inanimate objects; the state of being alive and living. · I want my kids to live a good life. He gave up on life.
- The status possessed by any of a number of entities, including animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, and sometimes viruses, which have the properties of replication and metabolism.
- The animating principle or force that keeps an inorganic thing or concept metaphorically alive (dynamic, relevant, etc) and makes it a "living document", "living constitution", etc.
- Lifeforms, generally or collectively. · It's life, but not as we know it. She discovered plant life on the planet. The rover discovered signs of life on the alien world.
- A living being; the fact of a particular individual being alive. (Chiefly when indicating individuals were lost (died) or saved.) · Many lives were lost during the war. Her quick thinking saved many dogs' lives.
- Existence. · Life is meaningless and we are all going to die.· Man's life on this planet has been marked by continual conflict.
- A worthwhile existence.
- A particular aspect of existence. · He struggled to balance his family life, social life and work life.· sex life
Plural lives
From the library
Those who dwelt in the East and the West were, indeed, wicked witches; but now that you have killed one of them, there is but one Wicked Witch in all the Land of Oz—the one who lives in the West.”
“She is my aunt who lives in Kansas, where I came from.”
Dorothy was an innocent, harmless little girl, who had been carried by a cyclone many miles from home; and she had never killed anything in all her life.
“Why, that is the very worst offence they could possibly commit; for, don’t you see, Renée, the king is the father of his people, and he who shall plot or contrive aught against the life and safety of the parent of thirty-two millions of souls, is a parricide upon a fearfully great scale?”
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