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Synonyms

lake

1 American  
[leyk] / leɪk /

noun

  1. a body of fresh or salt water of considerable size, surrounded by land.

  2. any similar body or pool of other liquid, as oil.

idioms

  1. (go) jump in the lake, (used as an exclamation of dismissal or impatience.)

lake 2 American  
[leyk] / leɪk /

noun

  1. any of various pigments prepared from animal, vegetable, or coal-tar coloring matters by chemical or other union with metallic compounds.

  2. a red pigment prepared from lac or cochineal by combination with a metallic compound.

Lake 3 American  
[leyk] / leɪk /

noun

  1. Simon, 1866–1945, U.S. engineer and naval architect.

lake 1 British  
/ leɪk /

noun

  1. an expanse of water entirely surrounded by land and unconnected to the sea except by rivers or streams

  2. anything resembling this

  3. a surplus of a liquid commodity

    a wine lake
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
lake 2 British  
/ leɪk /

noun

  1. a bright pigment used in textile dyeing and printing inks, produced by the combination of an organic colouring matter with an inorganic compound, usually a metallic salt, oxide, or hydroxide See also mordant

  2. a red dye obtained by combining a metallic compound with cochineal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
lake Scientific  
/ lāk /

  1. A large inland body of standing fresh or salt water. Lakes generally form in depressions, such as those created by glacial or volcanic action; they may also form when a section of a river becomes dammed or when a channel is isolated by a change in a river's course.

Etymology

Origin of lake1

before 1000; Middle English lak ( e ), lac ( e ), apparently a conflation of Old French lac, its source, Latin lacus (compare Greek lákkos, Old Irish loch, Old English, Old Saxon lagu sea, water) and Old English lacu stream, water course (compare leccan to moisten, modern dial. lake stream, channel; leach 1 )

Origin of lake2

First recorded in 1610–20; variant of lac 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

K'gari, the largest sand island on Earth, is famous for its clear freshwater lakes.

From Science Daily

The white-headed raptors would show up in winter to feast on fish when their lakes farther north froze over.

From Los Angeles Times

The government said it had "taken action" to clean up rivers, lakes and seas.

From BBC

It suggests that gold may be found at a remote lake.

From The Wall Street Journal

A small basket filled with tiny lake shells sat on Leah’s table.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.