/ˈlɛv.l̩/
OriginBorrowed from French Level.
- The same height at all places; parallel to a flat ground.
“This table isn't quite level; see how this marble rolls off it?”
“the smooth and level pavement”
- At the same height as some reference; constructed as level with.
“We tried to hang the pictures so that the bottom of the frames were level with the dark line in the wallpaper.”
“Nanny Broome was looking up at the outer wall. Just under the ceiling there were three lunette windows, heavily barred and blacked out in the normal way by centuries of grime. Their bases were on a le”
- Unvaried in frequency.
“His pulse has been level for 12 hours.”
- Unvaried in volume.
“His voice has been unchanged. It has been level for 12 hours.”
- Calm.
“He kept a level head under stress.”
“He kept a level gaze.”
- In the same position or rank.
“Young boys and girls
Are level now with men.”
“After a poor start to the season, Roy Hodgson's men are now unbeaten in four matches and 10th in the Premier League table, level with Aston Villa on 11 points.”
- Straightforward; direct; clear.
“a very plain and level account”
- Well balanced; even; just; steady; impartial.
“a level head; a level understanding”
“a level consideration”
- Of even tone; without rising or falling inflection; monotonic.
“Intonation or tone is either level, rising, or falling, marked respectively”
- Perpendicular to a gravitational force.
“The earth's oceans remain level in relation to the pull of gravity.”
- countable, uncountableA tool for finding whether a surface is level, or for creating a horizontal or vertical line of reference.
“Hand me the level so I can tell if this is correctly installed.”
- countable, uncountableA distance relative to a given reference elevation.
“By the end of the day, we'd dug down to the level of the old basement floor.”
- countable, uncountableDegree or amount.
“This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless, she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, semps”
“In order to grant the rich these pleasures, the social contract is reconfigured. […] The public realm is privatised, the regulations restraining the ultra–wealthy and the companies they control are ab”
“The sound level is much too high; this hurts my ears.”
- countable, uncountableAchievement or qualification.
“She achieved a high level of distinction.”
- countable, uncountableDistance from the root node of a tree structure.
- countable, uncountableOne of several discrete segments of a game, generally increasing in difficulty and representing different locations in the game world.
“Many of the levels change over time, from day to night or from one location to another, and some undergo a total transformation.”
“It took me weeks to get to level seven. Watch out for the next level; the bad guys there are really overpowered.”
- countable, uncountableA numeric value given to a character (or other element of a game) that represents its relative power, challenge or eligibility to do things, used as a game mechanic to govern progression through a game.
“My half-orc barbarian reached fifth level before he was squashed by a troll.”
- countable, uncountableA floor of a multi-storey building.
“Take the elevator and get off at the promenade level.”
- British, countable, uncountableAn area of almost perfectly flat land.
“The troops grow mutinous—the revenue fails—
There’s something rotten in us—for the level
Of the State slopes, its very bases topple,
The boldest turn their backs upon themselves!”
- Singapore, countable, uncountableA school grade or year.
- countable, uncountableOne of the specific values which may be taken by a categorical variable.
“The most common level of the colour variable is red. The other levels are blue and green.”
- transitiveTo adjust so as to make as flat or perpendicular to the ground as possible.
“You can level the table by turning the pads that screw into the feet.”
“This pitfall, beginning in February and finishing in May, resulted in a drop of about 3 ft. in the platform level; during this period it was necessary to level the track three times weekly, and impose”
“The work involved a complete rewiring of the system, while the addition of four higher-capacity Mechan jacks and the increased length of the new train meant the entire floor (the length of four train ”
- transitiveTo destroy by reducing to ground level; to raze.
“The hurricane leveled the forest.”
“He levels mountains and he raises plains.”
- intransitiveTo progress to the next level.
“I levelled after defeating the dragon.”
- transitiveTo aim or direct (a weapon, a stare, an accusation, etc).
“He levelled an accusation of fraud at the directors. The hunter levels the gun before taking a shot.”
“Bertram de Gordon, standing on the castle wall, levelled a quarrel out of a crossbow.”
“But then I had the [massive] flintlock by me for protection. ¶[…]The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of th”
- transitiveTo direct or impose (a penalty, fine, etc) at or upon (someone) with on or against or at.
“If the right of killing salmon belong exclusively to the King, and consequently to his donatories, why has not the Legislature secured the right by levelling penalties against such as should encroach ”
“How can the Minister reconcile the first statement with the clause, when he is in fact levelling punishment at the woman and not at the errant father … ?”
“There is no purpose in levelling fines because they would be merely paid from the £1.8 billion which the BBC collects.”
- intransitiveTo make the score of a game equal.
“Holt was furious referee Michael Oliver refused to then award him a penalty after Ledley King appeared to pull his shirt and his anger was compounded when Spurs immediately levelled.”
- figuratively, transitiveTo bring to a common level or plane, in respect of rank, condition, character, privilege, etc.
“to level all the ranks and conditions of men”
- transitiveTo adjust or adapt to a certain level.
“to level remarks to the capacity of children”
“For all his mind on honour fixed is, / To which he levels all his purposes.”
- intransitiveTo speak honestly and openly with with ‘someone’ (see: level with).
“Sean, I'll level with you. This could get ugly. Do you have a gun?”
Formsleveler(comparative) · leveller(comparative) · levelest(superlative) · levellest(superlative) · levels(plural) · levels(present, singular, third-person) · leveling(US, participle, present) · levelling(UK, participle, present) · leveled(US, participle, past) · leveled(US, past) · levelled(UK, participle, past) · levelled(UK, past) · Levels(plural)