love Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
    • his love for his work
    • children need a lot of love
  2. noun any object of warm affection or devotion;
    passion.
    • the theater was her first love
    • he has a passion for cock fighting
  3. noun a beloved person; used as terms of endearment
    dear; honey; dearest; beloved.
  4. noun a deep feeling of sexual desire and attraction
    erotic love; sexual love.
    • their love left them indifferent to their surroundings
    • she was his first love
  5. noun a score of zero in tennis or squash
    • it was 40 love
  6. noun sexual activities (often including sexual intercourse) between two people
    making love; love life; lovemaking; sexual love.
    • his lovemaking disgusted her
    • he hadn't had any love in months
    • he has a very complicated love life
  7. verb have a great affection or liking for
    • I love French food
    • She loves her boss and works hard for him
  8. verb get pleasure from
    enjoy.
    • I love cooking
  9. verb be enamored or in love with
    • She loves her husband deeply
  10. verb have sexual intercourse with
    fuck; sleep with; have it away; screw; have intercourse; get it on; lie with; hump; make love; make out; get laid; have a go at it; bonk; eff; have sex; jazz; be intimate; know; have it off; bang; bed; do it; roll in the hay; sleep together.
    • This student sleeps with everyone in her dorm
    • Adam knew Eve
    • Were you ever intimate with this man?

WordNet

Love noun
Etymology
OE. love, luve, AS. lufe, lufu; akin to E.lief, believe, L. lubet, libet,it pleases, Skr. lubh to be lustful. See Lief.
Definitions
  1. A feeling of strong attachment induced by that which delights or commands admiration; preëminent kindness or devotion to another; affection; tenderness; as, the love of brothers and sisters.
    Of all the dearest bonds we prove Thou countest sons' and mothers' love Most sacred, most Thine own. Keble.
  2. Especially, devoted attachment to, or tender or passionate affection for, one of the opposite sex.
    He on his side Leaning half-raised, with looks of cordial love Hung over her enamored. Milton.
  3. Courtship; -- chiefly in the phrase to make love, i. e., to court, to woo, to solicit union in marriage.
    Demetrius . . . Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena, And won her soul. Shak.
  4. Affection; kind feeling; friendship; strong liking or desire; fondness; good will; -- opposed to hate; often with of and an object.
    Love, and health to all. Shak.
    Smit with the love of sacred song. Milton.
    The love of science faintly warmed his breast. Fenton.
  5. Due gratitude and reverence to God.
    Keep yourselves in the love of God. Jude 21.
  6. The object of affection; -- often employed in endearing address. "Trust me, love." Dryden.
    Open the temple gates unto my love. Spenser.
  7. Cupid, the god of love; sometimes, Venus.
    Such was his form as painters, when they show Their utmost art, on naked Lores bestow. Dryden.
    Therefore do nimble-pinioned doves draw Love. Shak.
  8. A thin silk stuff. Obs. Boyle.
  9. (Bot.) A climbing species of Clematis (C. Vitalba).
  10. Nothing; no points scored on one side; -- used in counting score at tennis, etc.
    He won the match by three sets to love. The Field.
    ✍ Love is often used in the formation of compounds, in most of which the meaning is very obvious; as, love-cracked, love-darting, love-killing, love-linked, love-taught, etc. Syn. -- Affection; friendship; kindness; tenderness; fondness; delight.
Love transitive verb
Etymology
AS. lufian. . See Love, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Loved ; present participle & verbal noun Loving
Definitions
  1. To have a feeling of love for; to regard with affection or good will; as, to love one's children and friends; to love one's country; to love one's God.
    Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Matt. xxii. 37.
    Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self. Matt. xxii. 39.
  2. To regard with passionate and devoted affection, as that of one sex for the other.
  3. To take delight or pleasure in; to have a strong liking or desire for, or interest in; to be pleased with; to like; as, to love books; to love adventures.
    Wit, eloquence, and poetry. Arts which I loved. Cowley.
Love intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To have the feeling of love; to be in love.

Webster 1913