Note: these 'words' (valid or invalid) are all the permutations of the word law. These words are obtained by scrambling the letters in law.
Definitions and meaning of law
law
Pronunciation
(UK) enPR: lô, IPA(key): /lɔː/
Rhymes: -ɔː
(US) enPR: lô, IPA(key): /lɔ/
(cot–caught merger) enPR: lä, IPA(key): /lɑ/
Homophone: lore(in non-rhotic accents with the horse-hoarse merger)
Etymology 1
From Middle Englishlawe, laȝe, from Old Englishlagu(“law”), from Old Norselǫg(“law”, literally “things laid down or fixed”), originally the plural of lag(“layer, stratum, a laying in order, measure, stroke”), from Proto-Germanic*lagą(“that which is laid down”), from Proto-Indo-European*legʰ-(“to lie”). Cognate with Icelandiclög(“things laid down, law”), Swedishlag(“law”), Danishlov(“law”). Replaced Old Englishǣ and ġesetnes. More at lay. Unrelated to French loi nor Spanish ley, since they both derive from *leǵ-(“to gather”).
Noun
law (countable and uncountable, plurallaws)
The body of binding rules and regulations, customs, and standards established in a community by its legislative and judicial authorities.
The body of such rules that pertain to a particular topic.
Common law, as contrasted with equity.
A binding regulation or custom established in a community in this way.
(more generally)A rule, such as:
Any rule that must or should be obeyed, concerning behaviours and their consequences. (Compare mores.)
A rule or principle regarding the construction of language or art.
A statement (in physics, etc) of an (observed, established) order or sequence or relationship of phenomena which is invariable under certain conditions. (Compare theory.)
1992 March 2, Richard Preston, The New Yorker, "The Mountains of Pi":
Observing pi is easier than studying physical phenomena, because you can prove things in mathematics, whereas you can’t prove anything in physics. And, unfortunately, the laws of physics change once every generation.
(mathematics, logic) A statement (of relation) that is true under specified conditions; a mathematical or logical rule.
Any statement of the relation of acts and conditions to their consequences.
(cricket) One of the official rules of cricket as codified by the its (former) governing body, the MCC.
The control and order brought about by the observance of such rules.
(informal) A person or group that act(s) with authority to uphold such rules and order (for example, one or more police officers).
The profession that deals with such rules (as lawyers, judges, police officers, etc).
Jurisprudence, the field of knowledge which encompasses these rules.
Litigation, legal action (as a means of maintaining or restoring order, redressing wrongs, etc).
(now uncommon) An allowance of distance or time (a head start) given to a weaker (human or animal) competitor in a race, to make the race more fair.
(fantasy) One of two metaphysical forces ruling the world in some fantasy settings, also called order, and opposed to chaos.
(law, chiefly historical) An oath sworn before a court, especially disclaiming a debt. (Chiefly in the phrases "wager of law", "wage one's law", "perform one's law", "lose one's law".)
Derived terms
Translations
Verb
law (third-person singular simple presentlaws, present participlelawing, simple past and past participlelawed)
(obsolete) To work as a lawyer; to practice law.
(transitive, intransitive, chiefly dialectal) To prosecute or sue (someone), to litigate.
1860, George Eliot (Mary Anne Lewes), The Mill on the Floss:
Your husband's [...] so given to lawing, they say. I doubt he'll leave you poorly off when he dies.
(nonstandard) To rule over (with a certain effect) by law; govern.
(informal) To enforce the law.
To subject to legal restrictions.
See also
Appendix:Legal terms
Appendix:Glossary of legal terms
Category:Law
lawe
Etymology 2
From Middle Englishlawe, from Old Englishhlāw(“burial mound”). Also spelled low.
Noun
law (plurallaws)
(obsolete) A tumulus of stones.
(Scotland and Northern England, archaic) A hill.
Etymology 3
Compare la.
Interjection
law
(dated) An exclamation of mild surprise; lawks.
References
Etymology in ODS
Anagrams
AWL, WAL, WLA, Wal., awl, lwa
Khumi Chin
Etymology
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan*s/ɡ-la. Cognate to Burmeseလ(la.).
Noun
law
moon
Lower Sorbian
Etymology
From Proto-Slavic*lьvъ, from Proto-Indo-European*lewo-.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /law/
Noun
lawm (diminutivelawk, feminine equivalentlawowka)
lion (Panthera leo)
Declension
Derived terms
lawica
lawik
lawowy
Further reading
law in Ernst Muka/Mucke (St. Petersburg and Prague 1911–28): Słownik dolnoserbskeje rěcy a jeje narěcow / Wörterbuch der nieder-wendischen Sprache und ihrer Dialekte. Reprinted 2008, Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag.
law in Manfred Starosta (1999): Dolnoserbsko-nimski słownik / Niedersorbisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag.
Middle English
Noun
law
Alternative form of lawe
Scots
Noun
law (plurallaws)
law
rounded hill (usually conical, frequently isolated or conspicuous)
Sranan Tongo
Verb
law
To be crazy
To drive somebody crazy
Upper Sorbian
Etymology
From Proto-Slavic*lьvъ, from Proto-Indo-European*lewo-.