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live 2 (līv)
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adj.
1. Having life; alive: live animals. See Synonyms at living.
2. Of, related to, or occurring during the life of one that is living: a live birth; the live weight of an animal before being slaughtered.
3. Of current interest or relevance: a live topic; still a live option.
4. Informal Full of life, excitement, or activity; lively: a live crowd at the parade; a live party.
5. Glowing; burning: live coals.
6. Not yet exploded but capable of being fired: live ammunition.
7. Electricity Carrying an electric current or energized with electricity: live cables lying dangerously on the ground.
8. Not mined or quarried; in the natural state: live ore.
9.
a. Broadcast while actually being performed; not taped, filmed, or recorded: a live television program.
b. Involving performers or spectators who are physically present: live entertainment; a live audience.
10. Of, relating to, or containing living bacteria or active viruses, sometimes in an attenuated form: live yogurt cultures; a live measles vaccine.
11. Printing Not yet set into type: live copy.
12. Sports In play: a live ball.
adv.
At, during, or from the time of actual occurrence or performance: The landing on the moon was telecast live.

[Short for ALIVE.]

liveness n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.