life   (līf)    n.   pl. lives (līvz) The property or quality that distinguishes living organisms from dead organisms and inanimate matter, manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment originating from within the organism. The characteristic state or condition of a living organism. The interval of time between birth and death: She led a good, long life. The interval of time between one's birth and the present: has had hay fever all his life. A particular segment of one's life: my adolescent life. The period from an occurrence until death: elected for life; paralyzed for life. Slang A sentence of imprisonment lasting till death. A manner of living: led a hard life. A specific, characteristic manner of existence. Used of inanimate objects: "Great institutions seem to have a life of their own, independent of those who run them" (New Republic). The activities and interests of a particular area or realm: musical life in New York. A source of vitality; an animating force: She's the life of the show. Liveliness or vitality; animation: a face that is full of life. Something that actually exists regarded as a subject for an artist: painted from life. Actual environment or reality; nature. Living organisms considered as a group: plant life; marine life. A living being, especially a person: an earthquake that claimed hundreds of lives. The physical, mental, and spiritual experiences that constitute existence: the artistic life of a writer. The interval of time between birth and death: She led a good, long life. The interval of time between one's birth and the present: has had hay fever all his life. A particular segment of one's life: my adolescent life. The period from an occurrence until death: elected for life; paralyzed for life. Slang A sentence of imprisonment lasting till death. A manner of living: led a hard life. A specific, characteristic manner of existence. Used of inanimate objects: "Great institutions seem to have a life of their own, independent of those who run them" (New Republic). The activities and interests of a particular area or realm: musical life in New York. A source of vitality; an animating force: She's the life of the show. Liveliness or vitality; animation: a face that is full of life. Something that actually exists regarded as a subject for an artist: painted from life. Actual environment or reality; nature. The time for which something exists or functions: the useful life of a car. A spiritual state regarded as a transcending of corporeal death. An account of a person's life; a biography. Human existence, relationships, or activity in general: real life; everyday life. A manner of living: led a hard life. A specific, characteristic manner of existence. Used of inanimate objects: "Great institutions seem to have a life of their own, independent of those who run them" (New Republic). The activities and interests of a particular area or realm: musical life in New York. A source of vitality; an animating force: She's the life of the show. Liveliness or vitality; animation: a face that is full of life. Something that actually exists regarded as a subject for an artist: painted from life. Actual environment or reality; nature. A source of vitality; an animating force: She's the life of the show. Liveliness or vitality; animation: a face that is full of life. Something that actually exists regarded as a subject for an artist: painted from life. Actual environment or reality; nature. Something that actually exists regarded as a subject for an artist: painted from life. Actual environment or reality; nature. adj.   Of or relating to animate existence; involved in or necessary for living: life processes. Continuing for a lifetime; lifelong: life partner; life imprisonment. Using a living model as a subject for an artist: a life sculpture. [Middle English, from Old English līf; see leip- in Indo-European roots.]

Life

Life\ (l[imac]f), n.; pl. Lives (l[imac]vz). [AS. l[imac]f; akin to D. lijf body, G. leib body, MHG. l[imac]p life, body, OHG. l[imac]b life, Icel. l[imac]f, life, body, Sw. lif, Dan. liv, and E. live, v. [root]119. See Live, and cf. Alive.]

1. The state of being which begins with generation, birth, or germination, and ends with death; also, the time during which this state continues; that state of an animal or plant in which all or any of its organs are capable of performing all or any of their functions; -- used of all animal and vegetable organisms.

2. Of human beings: The union of the soul and body; also, the duration of their union; sometimes, the deathless quality or existence of the soul; as, man is a creature having an immortal life.

She shows a body rather than a life. --Shak.

3. (Philos) The potential principle, or force, by which the organs of animals and plants are started and continued in the performance of their several and co["o]perative functions; the vital force, whether regarded as physical or spiritual.

4. Figuratively: The potential or animating principle, also, the period of duration, of anything that is conceived of as resembling a natural organism in structure or functions; as, the life of a state, a machine, or a book; authority is the life of government.

5. A certain way or manner of living with respect to conditions, circumstances, character, conduct, occupation, etc.; hence, human affairs; also, lives, considered collectively, as a distinct class or type; as, low life; a good or evil life; the life of Indians, or of miners.

That which before us lies in daily life. --Milton.

By experience of life abroad in the world. --Ascham.

Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime. --Longfellow.

'T is from high life high characters are drawn. --Pope

6. Animation; spirit; vivacity; vigor; energy.

No notion of life and fire in fancy and in words. --Felton.

That gives thy gestures grace and life. --Wordsworth.

7. That which imparts or excites spirit or vigor; that upon which enjoyment or success depends; as, he was the life of the company, or of the enterprise.

8. The living or actual form, person, thing, or state; as, a picture or a description from the life.

9. A person; a living being, usually a human being; as, many lives were sacrificed.

10. The system of animal nature; animals in general, or considered collectively.

Full nature swarms with life. --Thomson.

11. An essential constituent of life, esp. the blood.

The words that I speak unto you . . . they are life. --John vi. 63.

The warm life came issuing through the wound. --Pope

12. A history of the acts and events of a life; a biography; as, Johnson wrote the life of Milton.

13. Enjoyment in the right use of the powers; especially, a spiritual existence; happiness in the favor of God; heavenly felicity.

14. Something dear to one as one's existence; a darling; -- used as a term of endearment.

Note: Life forms the first part of many compounds, for the most part of obvious meaning; as, life-giving, life-sustaining, etc.

Life annuity, an annuity payable during one's life.

Life arrow, Life rocket, Life shot, an arrow, rocket, or shot, for carrying an attached line to a vessel in distress in order to save life.

Life assurance. See Life insurance, below.

Life buoy. See Buoy.

Life car, a water-tight boat or box, traveling on a line from a wrecked vessel to the shore. In it persons are hauled through the waves and surf.

Life drop, a drop of vital blood. --Byron.

Life estate (Law), an estate which is held during the term of some certain person's life, but does not pass by inheritance.

Life everlasting (Bot.), a plant with white or yellow persistent scales about the heads of the flowers, as Antennaria, and Gnaphalium; cudweed.

Life of an execution (Law), the period when an execution is in force, or before it expires.

Life guard. (Mil.) See under Guard.

Life insurance, the act or system of insuring against death; a contract by which the insurer undertakes, in consideration of the payment of a premium (usually at stated periods), to pay a stipulated sum in the event of the death of the insured or of a third person in whose life the insured has an interest.

Life interest, an estate or interest which lasts during one's life, or the life of another person, but does not pass by inheritance.

Life land (Law), land held by lease for the term of a life or lives.

Life line. (a) (Naut.) A line along any part of a vessel for the security of sailors. (b) A line attached to a life boat, or to any life saving apparatus, to be grasped by a person in the water.

Life rate, the rate of premium for insuring a life.

Life rent, the rent of a life estate; rent or property to which one is entitled during one's life.

Life school, a school for artists in which they model, paint, or draw from living models.

Life table, a table showing the probability of life at different ages.

To lose one's life, to die.

To seek the life of, to seek to kill.

To the life, so as closely to resemble the living person or the subject; as, the portrait was drawn to the life.

life

n.
1. A cellular-automata game invented by John Horton Conway and first introduced publicly by Martin Gardner ("Scientific American", October 1970); the game's popularity had to wait a few years for computers on which it could reasonably be played, as it's no fun to simulate the cells by hand. Many hackers pass through a stage of fascination with it, and hackers at various places contributed heavily to the mathematical analysis of this game (most notably Bill Gosper at MIT, who even implemented life in TECO!; see Gosperism). When a hacker mentions `life', he is much more likely to mean this game than the magazine, the breakfast cereal, or the human state of existence.
2. The opposite of Usenet. As in "Get a life!"

life 

Main Entry: life
Pronunciation: 'lIf
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural lives /'lIvz/
1 a : the quality thatdistinguishes a vital and functional plant or animal from a dead body b : a state of living characterized by capacity for metabolism, growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction
2 a : the sequence of physical and mental experiences that make up the existence of an individual b : a specific part or aspect of the process of living life> life> —life·less /'lIf-l&s/ adjective

life (līf)
n. pl. lives (līvz)

1. The property or quality that distinguishes living organisms from dead organisms and inanimate matter, manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment originating from within the organism.
2. The characteristic state or condition of a living organism.
3. Living organisms considered as a group.
4. A living being, especially a person.

life   (līf)  Pronunciation Key  The properties or qualities that distinguish living plants and organisms from dead or inanimate matter, including the capacity to grow, metabolize nutrients, respond to stimuli, reproduce, and adapt to the environment. The definitive beginning and end of human life are complex concepts informed by medical, legal, sociological, and religious considerations. Living organisms considered as a group, such as the plants or animals of a given region.

LIFE language
Logic of Inheritance, Functions and Equations.
An object-oriented, functional, constraint-based language by Hassan Ait-Kacy et al of MCC, Austin TX, 1987. LIFE integrates ideas from LOGIN and LeFun.
Mailing list: life-users@prl.dec.com.
See also Wild_LIFE.
["Is There a Meaning to LIFE?", H. Ait-Kacy et al, Intl Conf on Logic Prog, 1991].
[The Jargon File]
(1995-04-21)

Life

generally of physical life (Gen. 2:7; Luke 16:25, etc.); also used figuratively (1) for immortality (Heb. 7:16); (2) conduct or manner of life (Rom. 6:4); (3) spiritual life or salvation (John 3:16, 17, 18, 36); (4) eternal life (Matt. 19:16, 17; John 3:15); of God and Christ as the absolute source and cause of all life (John 1:4; 5:26, 39; 11:25; 12:50).

life

In addition to the idioms beginning with life, also see bet one's ass (life); big as life; breathe new life into; bring to life; change of life; charmed life; come alive (to life); dog's life; facts of life; for dear life; for the life of; get a life; good life; late in life; lay down (one's life); lead a double life; matter of life and death; new lease on life; not on your life; of one's life; once in a lifetime; prime of life; risk life and limb; run for it (one's life); staff of life; story of my life; take someone's life; to save one's life; to the life; true to (life); variety is the spice of life; walk of life; while there's life there's hope; you bet (your life).