/lɑːd͡ʒ/, /lɑɹd͡ʒ/, /læɹd͡ʒ/
OriginFrom 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. Along with big, it mostly displaced Middle English stoor and muchel (the latter surviving in much under a different meaning).
- Of considerable or relatively great size or extent.
“Russia is a large country. The fruit-fly has large eyes for its body size. He has a large collection of stamps.”
“We drove back to the office with some concern on my part at the prospect of so large a case. Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke.”
“Hal Smith, manager of the Ferry Field theatre, Detroit, one of the largest and prettiest outskirt houses in town, played Metro's "Revelation" for three days last week”
- especiallyThat is large (the manufactured size).
- obsoleteAbundant; ample.
“We have yet large day.”
“He prefers teachers with large experience, but often has positions for beginners who have had a thorough preparation.”
- archaicFull in statement; diffuse; profuse.
“And where hit please yow to saye that I haue holden my lady youre Quene yeres and wynters / vnto that I shal euer make a large ansuer
"And where it please you to say that I have holden my lady your qu”
“I might be very large upon the importance and advantages of education.”
- obsoleteFree; unencumbered.
“Of burdens all he set the Paynims large.”
- obsoleteUnrestrained by decorum; said of language.
“Some large jests he will make.”
- 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.
- countable, obsolete, uncountableAn old musical note, equal to two longas, four breves, or eight semibreves.
- countable, obsolete, uncountableLiberality, generosity.
- countable, plural, slang, uncountableA thousand dollars/pounds.
“Getting a car tricked out like that will cost you 50 large.”
“"We'll call you anything we want," Dave said. "You owe us eighty-five large, Ace, and what we've got for collateral on that money so far is a shitload of Arm & Hammer baking soda worth about a buck-fi”
“So send my sister a hundred large, and next time you come down to Jessup it won't be my grill talking at you. My word on that.”
- especially, uncountableOne of several common sizes to which an item may be manufactured, larger than a medium.
- countable, especiallyAn item labelled or denoted as being that size.
“One small coffee and two larges, please.”
- countable, especiallyOne who fits an item of that size.
Formslarger(comparative) · largest(superlative) · larges(plural) · Larges(plural)