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league - 13 dictionary results
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league

1  [leeg] noun, verb, leagued, lea⋅guing.
Use league in a Sentence
–noun
1. a covenant or compact made between persons, parties, states, etc., for the promotion or maintenance of common interests or for mutual assistance or service.
2. the aggregation of persons, parties, states, etc., associated in such a covenant or compact; confederacy.
3. an association of individuals having a common goal.
4. a group of athletic teams organized to promote mutual interests and to compete chiefly among themselves: a bowling league.
5. Sports.
a. major league.
b. minor league.
6. group; class; category: As a pianist he just simply isn't in your league.
–verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
7. to unite in a league; combine.
—Idiom
8. in league, working together, often secretly or for a harmful purpose; united.
Origin:
1425–75; earlier leage < It lega, n. deriv. of legare < L ligāre to bind; r. late ME ligg < MF ligue < It liga, var. of lega

Synonyms:
1. See alliance. 2. combination, coalition.

league

2  [leeg]
–noun
1. a unit of distance, varying at different periods and in different countries, in English-speaking countries usually estimated roughly at 3 miles (4.8 kilometers).
2. a square league, as a unit of land measure.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME lege, leuge < LL leuga a Gaulish unit of distance equal to 1.5 Roman miles, appar. < Gaulish; r. OE lēowe < LL, as above
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To league
league 1   (lēg)   
n.  
  1. An association of states, organizations, or individuals for common action; an alliance.
  2. Sports An association of teams or clubs that compete chiefly among themselves. Also called loop1.
  3. A class or level of competition: The ski jump was out of his league.
v.   leagued, leagu·ing, leagues

v.   intr.
To come together in or as if in a league.
v.   tr.
To bring together in or as if in a league.

[Alteration (influenced by Italian lega) of Middle English liege, from Old French ligue, from Medieval Latin liga and from Old Italian lega, liga (from legare, to bind), both from Latin ligāre, to bind; see leig- in Indo-European roots.]
league 2   (lēg)   
n.   Abbr. lea.
    1. A unit of distance equal to 3.0 statute miles (4.8 kilometers).
    2. Any of various other units of about the same length.
  2. A square league.

[Middle English lege, from Old French liue, leguee, from Latin leuga, a measure of distance, of Gaulish origin.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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League

League\, n. [Cf. OE. legue, lieue, a measure of length, F. lieue, Pr. lega, legua, It. & LL. lega, Sp. legua, Pg. legoa, legua; all fr. LL. leuca, of Celtic origin: cf. Arm. leo, lev (perh. from French), Ir. leige (perh. from English); also Ir. & Gael. leac a flag, a broad, flat stone, W. llech, -- such stones having perh. served as a sort of milestone (cf. Cromlech).]

1. A measure of length or distance, varying in different countries from about 2.4 to 4.6 English statute miles of 5.280 feet each, and used (as a land measure) chiefly on the continent of Europe, and in the Spanish parts of America. The marine league of England and the United States is equal to three marine, or geographical, miles of 6080 feet each.

Note: The English land league is equal to three English statute miles. The Spanish and French leagues vary in each country according to usage and the kind of measurement to which they are applied. The Dutch and German leagues contain about four geographical miles, or about 4.6 English statute miles.

2. A stone erected near a public road to mark the distance of a league. [Obs.]

League

League\, n. [F. ligue, LL. liga, fr. L. ligare to bind; cf. Sp. liga. Cf. Ally a confederate, Ligature.] An alliance or combination of two or more nations, parties, or persons, for the accomplishment of a purpose which requires a continued course of action, as for mutual defense, or for furtherance of commercial, religious, or political interests, etc.

And let there be 'Twixt us and them no league, nor amity. --Denham.

Note: A league may be offensive or defensive, or both; offensive, when the parties agree to unite in attacking a common enemy; defensive, when they agree to a mutual defense of each other against an enemy.

The Holy League, an alliance of Roman Catholics formed in 1576 by influence of the Duke of Guise for the exclusion of Protestants from the throne of France.

Solemn League and Covenant. See Covenant,2.

The land league, an association, organized in Dublin in 1879, to promote the interests of the Irish tenantry, its avowed objects being to secure fixity of tenure fair rent, and free sale of the tenants' interest. It was declared illegal by Parliament, but vigorous prosecutions have failed to suppress it.

Syn: Alliance; confederacy; confederation; coalition; combination; compact; co["o]peration.

League

League\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Leagued; p. pr. & vb. n. Leaguing.] [Cf. F. se liguer. See 2d League.] To unite in a league or confederacy; to combine for mutual support; to confederate. --South.

League

League\, v. t. To join in a league; to cause to combine for a joint purpose; to combine; to unite; as, common interests will league heterogeneous elements.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : league
Spanish: liga,
German: der Bund,
Japanese: 同盟
More Translations »

league  (n.1)
"alliance," 1452, ligg, from M.Fr. ligue "confederacy, league," from It. lega, from legare "to tie, to bind," from L. ligare "to bind" (see ligament). Originally among nations, subsequently extended to political associations (1846) and sports associations (1879). League of Nations first attested 1917 (created 1919).

league  (n.2)
"distance of about three miles," 1387, from L.L. leuga (cf. Fr. lieue, Sp. legua, It. lega), said by L. writers to be from Gaulish. A vague measure (perhaps originally an hour's hike) never in official use in England, where the record of it is more often poetic than practical.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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League

a treaty or confederacy. The Jews were forbidden to enter into an alliance of any kind (1) with the Canaanites (Ex. 23:32, 33; 34:12-16); (2) with the Amalekites (Ex. 17:8, 14; Deut. 25:17-19); (3) with the Moabites and Ammonites (Deut. 2:9, 19). Treaties were permitted to be entered into with all other nations. Thus David maintained friendly intercourse with the kings of Tyre and Hamath, and Solomon with the kings of Tyre and Egypt.

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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league

see big league; in league with; in the same league.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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league

any of several European units of measurement ranging from 2.4 to 4.6 statute miles (3.9 to 7.4 km). In English-speaking countries the land league is generally accepted as 3 statute miles (4.83 km), although varying lengths from 7,500 feet to 15,000 feet (2.29 to 4.57 km) were sometimes employed. An ancient unit derived from the Gauls and introduced into England by the Normans, the league was estimated by the Romans to be equal to 1,500 paces-a pace, or passus, in Roman measure being nearly 5 feet (1.5 metres).

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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