live

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Performed or broadcast at the moment it happens, not recorded.

   We watched a live television program last night.

2. 2
   adj

   Alive; having life.

   They study live animals in their natural habitat.

3. 3
   adj

   Carrying electricity or energy and able to cause harm.

   Don't touch that wire; it's live.

4. 4
   adv

   As it happens, not recorded beforehand.

   The concert was broadcast live around the world.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

The verb live, meaning “to be alive,” goes back to Old English and shares its root with life. The differently pronounced adjective live arose in the mid-16th century as a shortening of Old English alive.

From Middle English lefe, lifen, libbe, libben, live, luvien, lyven, from Old English libban, lifian (“to live; be alive”), from Proto-West Germanic *libbjan, from Proto-Germanic *libjaną (“to live”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to stick”). Cognates Cognate with Yola live (“to live”), North Frisian laawe, lawe, lewe, lewi, lewwe, lääwe (“to live”), Saterland Frisian lieuwje, líeuwje (“to live”), West Frisian libje (“to live”), Alemannic German lëëbe (“to live”), Cimbrian and Mòcheno lem (“to live”), Dutch leeven, leven (“to live”), German leben (“to live”), German Low German lęven (“to l…

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External links

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