level
/ˈlɛvəl/ adjective, noun, verb, proper noun
Forms leveler leveller levelest levellest levels leveling levelling leveled levelled
- adjective The same height at all places; parallel to a flat ground. “This table isn't quite level; see how this marble rolls off it?”
- adjective 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.”
- adjective Unvaried in frequency. “His pulse has been level for 12 hours.”
- adjective Unvaried in volume. “His voice has been unchanged. It has been level for 12 hours.”
- adjective Calm. “He kept a level head under stress.”
- adjective In the same position or rank.
- adjective Straightforward; direct; clear.
- adjective Well balanced; even; just; steady; impartial. “a level head; a level understanding”
- noun A 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.”
- noun A 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.”
- noun Degree or amount. “The sound level is much too high; this hurts my ears.”
- noun Achievement or qualification. “She achieved a high level of distinction.”
- noun (computer science) Distance from the root node of a tree structure.
- noun (video games) One of several discrete segments of a game, generally increasing in difficulty and representing different locations in the game world. “It took me weeks to get to level seven. Watch out for the next level; the bad guys there are really overpowered.”
- noun (roleplaying games, video games) A 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.”
- noun A floor of a multi-storey building. “Take the elevator and get off at the promenade level.”
- verb (transitive) To 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.”
- verb (transitive) To destroy by reducing to ground level; to raze. “The hurricane leveled the forest.”
- verb (intransitive, roleplaying games, video games) To progress to the next level. “I levelled after defeating the dragon.”
- verb (transitive) To 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.”
Synonyms
flush scale stage zone world level up levy equalize degree grade tier point spirit level horizontal surface layer stratum floor storey story raze rase dismantle tear down take down pull down even out even charge level off flat
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English level, from Old French livel, liveau m, later nivel, niveau, from Latin libella f (“a balance, a level”), diminutive of libra f (“a balance, a level”); see libra, librate. Doublet of libella and niveau.
The verb is from Middle English levelen, from the noun.
Borrowed from French Level.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A line or surface to which, at every point, a vertical or plumb line is perpendicular; a line or surface which is everywhere parallel to the surface of still water; --this is the true level, and is a curve or surface in which all points are equally distant from the center of the earth, or rather would be so if the earth were an exact sphere.
- noun A horizontal line or plane; that is, a straight line or a plane which is tangent to a true level at a given point and hence parallel to the horizon at that point; --this is the apparent level at the given point.
- adjective Even; flat; having no part higher than another; having, or conforming to, the curvature which belongs to the undisturbed liquid parts of the earth's surface; as, a level field; level ground; the level surface of a pond or lake.
- adjective Coinciding or parallel with the plane of the horizon; horizontal; as, the telescope is now level.
Etymology [OE. level, livel, OF. livel, F. niveau, fr. L. libella level, water level, a plumb level, dim. of libra pound, measure for liquids, balance, water poise, level. Cf. Librate, Libella.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “level”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details