scientific word-forming element meaning "smooth," from Greek leios "smooth, level, flat; plain, unembroidered; beardless." E.g. leiotrichy, in ethnology, of races, "condition of having straight, lank hair" (1924).

word-forming element used from 19c. and meaning "fine, small, thin, delicate," from Greek leptos "small, slight, slender, delicate" (see lepton).

before vowels leuk-, also sometimes in Latinized form leuco-/leuc-, word-forming element used from 19c. and meaning "white" (or, in medicine, "leukocyte"), from Greek leukos "clear, white," from PIE *leuko-, suffixed form of root *leuk- "light, brightness."

also laevo-, word-forming element meaning "toward the left," from French lévo-, from Latin laevus "left," from PIE *laiwo- "left" (see left (adj.)).

word-forming element, "pertaining to words or lexicons; lexical and," from Latinized form of Greek lexikos "pertaining to words" (see lexicon).

word-forming element meaning "spleen, pertaining to the spleen, spleen and," from Latin lien "spleen" (see spleen).

sometimes ligno-, word-forming element used from late 19c. and meaning "wood," from Latin lignum "wood (for fuel or construction), firewood," from PIE *leg-no-, literally "that which is collected," from root *leg- (1) "to collect, gather." Related: Lignify; lignification.

word-forming element used scientifically, "of or pertaining to lakes and fresh water," from Greek limne "pool of standing water, tidal pool, marsh, lake," a word of uncertain origin; the most likely guess is that it is related to Latin limus "mud," from PIE root *(s)lei- "slime" (see slime (n.)), via the notion of "moistness, standing water" [Beekes].

before vowels lipar-, word-forming element meaning "oily," from Greek liparos "oily, shiny with oil, fatty, greasy," used of rich soil and smooth skin; figuratively "rich, comfortable; costly, splendid," from lipos "fat" (from PIE root *leip- "to stick, adhere," also used to form words for "fat").

word-forming element meaning "fat" (n.), from Greek lipos "fat" (n.), from PIE root *leip- "to stick, adhere," also used to form words for "fat."