large

English Online Dictionary. What means large‎? What does large mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English large, from Old French large, from Latin larga, feminine of largus (“abundant, plentiful, copious, large, much”), of uncertain ultimate origin; see there for more. Mostly displaced Middle English stoor, stour (“large, great”) (from Old English stōr) and muchel (“large, great”) (from Old English myċel).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /lɑːd͡ʒ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /lɑɹd͡ʒ/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /lɑɹd͡ʒ/, [läɹdʒ]
  • (Ottawa Valley) IPA^(key): /læɹd͡ʒ/
• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)dʒ

Adjective

large (comparative larger, superlative largest)

1. Of considerable or relatively great size or extent.
2. (especially clothing, food or drink) That is large (the manufactured size).
3. (obsolete) Abundant; ample.
4. (archaic) Full in statement; diffuse; profuse.
5. (obsolete) Free; unencumbered.
6. (obsolete) Unrestrained by decorum; said of language.
7. (nautical) Crossing the line of a ship's course in a favorable direction; said of the wind when it is abeam, or between the beam and the quarter.

Synonyms

• big, huge, giant, gigantic, enormous, stour, great, mickle, largeish
• See also Thesaurus:large

Antonyms

• small, tiny, minuscule

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

large (countable and uncountable, plural larges)

1. (music, obsolete) An old musical note, equal to two longas, four breves, or eight semibreves.

   Synonyms: maxima, octuple whole note

2. (obsolete) Liberality, generosity.
3. (slang, plural: large) A thousand dollars/pounds.

   Synonym: grand
4. (uncountable, especially clothing, food or drink) One of several common sizes to which an item may be manufactured.

   Synonym: L

5. (countable, especially clothing, food or drink) An item labelled or denoted as being that size.

6. (countable, especially with respect to clothing) One who fits an item of that size.

Derived terms

• at large

Adverb

large

1. (nautical) Before the wind.

Further reading

• “large”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “large”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Agler, Alger, Elgar, Ragle, ergal, glare, lager, regal

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French large, from Latin largus, larga, largum (“abundant, plentiful, copious, large, much”). The feminine is inherited, but for the masculine, Latin largum (the masculine and neuter accusative) developed into Old French larc, which was discarded.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /laʁʒ/
• Homophone: larges
• Hyphenation: large

Adjective

large (plural larges)

1. wide, broad
2. large
3. generous

Derived terms

• de long en large
• en long en large
• large d’esprit
• ratisser large

Related terms

• largesse

Descendants

• → Persian: لارژ (lârž)

Noun

large m (plural larges)

1. open sea

   Synonym: haute mer

2. width

   Synonym: largeur

Derived terms

Descendants

• Antillean Creole: laj
• Haitian Creole: laj
• Karipúna Creole French: laj
• Louisiana Creole: laj, larj

Further reading

• “large”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• Alger, grêla, régal, régla

Latin

Etymology 1

Adverb

largē (comparative largius, superlative largissimē)

1. munificently, generously, liberally.
2. abundantly, copiously.
3. to a great extent.

Etymology 2

Adjective

large

1. vocative masculine singular of largus

References

• “large”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “large”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers

Norman

Etymology

From Old French large, from Latin largus (“abundant, plentiful, copious, large, much”).

Adjective

large m or f

1. (Jersey) wide

Derived terms

Noun

large m (plural larges)

1. (Jersey, nautical) open sea, deep sea

   Synonym: plieine mé

Old French

Alternative forms

• larc (Roman de Renard, "wide")

Etymology

From Latin largus, larga.

Adjective

large m (oblique and nominative feminine singular large)

1. generous
2. large; big
3. wide (when used to differentiate between height, width and length)

Descendants

• Middle French: large
  • French: large
    • → Persian: لارژ (lârž)
• Norman: large (Guernsey, Jersey)
• → Middle English: large
  • English: large

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (large, supplement)
• large on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub