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living¹

  • /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

Rhymes with -ɪvɪŋ

Where it comes from

From Middle English livynge, libbyng, livinde, livand, livende, libbinde, libbende, from Old English lifiġende, lifiende, libbende, from Proto-West Germanic *libbjandī, from Proto-Germanic *libjandz (“living”), present participle of Proto-Germanic *libjaną (“to live”), equivalent to live + -ing. Cognate with West Frisian libbend (“living”), Dutch levend (“living”), German lebend (“living”), Swedish levande (“living”), Icelandic lifandi (“living”).

verb

  1. participle, present present participle of live

adjective

  1. not comparable Having life; alive. a living, breathing child
  2. not comparable In use or existing. Hunanese is a living language.
  3. not comparable True to life. This is the living image of Fidel Castro.
  4. not comparable Of rock or stone, existing in its original state and place. This we followed for about five paces, when it suddenly widened out into a small chamber, about eight feet square, and hewn out of the living rock.
  5. not comparable Continually updated; not static HTML is a living standard.
  6. not comparable Used as an intensifier. He almost beat the living daylights out of me.

Similar: vital, blasted, doggone, stinking, extant, lifey, lifelike, limned, lively, naturalistic

living²

  • /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

Rhymes with -ɪvɪŋ

Where it comes from

From Middle English livynge, libbynge, equivalent to live + -ing. Cognate with Middle Dutch levinge, (whence Dutch leving (“way of life, living”)), Middle Low German lēvinge (“living”).

noun livings

  1. uncountable The state of being alive.
  2. countable, uncountable Financial means; a means of maintaining life; livelihood it's a living
  3. countable, uncountable A style of life. plain living
  4. countable, uncountable, with definite article Those who are alive: living people. in the land of the living
  5. countable, uncountable A position in a church (usually the Church of England) that has attached to it a source of income; an ecclesiastical benefice. A Rectory or Parſonage, is a Spirituall liuing, compoſed of Land, Tythe, and other Oblations of the people, ſeparate or dedicate to God in any Congregation, for the ſeruice of his Church there, and for the maintenance of the Gouernour or Miniſter thereof, to vvhoſe charge the ſame is committed.

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