love

 
Pronunciation: /lʌv/

noun

[mass noun]
  • 1a strong feeling of affection: babies fill parents with intense feelings of love their love for their country
  • a strong feeling of affection and sexual attraction for someone: they were both in love with her we were slowly falling in love
  • affectionate greetings conveyed to someone on one’s behalf: give her my love
  • a formula for ending an affectionate letter: take care, lots of love, Judy
  • 2a great interest and pleasure in something: his love for football we share a love of music
  • 3 [count noun] a person or thing that one loves: she was the love of his life their two great loves are tobacco and whisky
  • British informal a friendly form of address: it’s all right, love
  • (a love) informal used in affectionate requests: don’t fret, there’s a love
  • 4(in tennis, squash, and some other sports) a score of zero; nil: love fifteen
    [apparently from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money); folk etymology has connected the word with French l'oeuf 'egg', from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero]

verb

[with object]
  • feel deep affection or sexual love for (someone): do you love me?
  • like or enjoy very much: I’d love a cup of tea I just love dancing

Phrases

for love

for pleasure rather than profit: he played for the love of the game

for the love of God

used to accompany an urgent request or to express annoyance or surprise: for the love of God, get me out of here!

for the love of Mike

British informal used to accompany an exasperated request or to express dismay: for the love of Mike take off those shoes!

love me, love my dog

proverb if you love someone, you must accept everything about them, even their faults.

make love

  • 1have sexual intercourse: one of the young men makes love to a village girl in the morning they made love
  • 2 (make love to) dated pay amorous attention to (someone).

not for love or money

informal not in any circumstances: they’ll not return for love or money

there's no (or little or not much) love lost between

there is mutual dislike between (the people mentioned): there’s no love lost between Scott and me

Derivatives

loveworthy

adjective

Origin:

Old English lufu, of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit lubhyati 'desires', Latin libet 'it is pleasing', libido 'desire', also by leave2 and lief