level
Pronunciation
  • (British, America) IPA: /ˈlɛv.əl/
Adjective

level (comparative leveler, superlative levelest)

  1. The same height at all places; parallel to a flat ground.
    This table isn't quite level; see how this marble rolls off it?
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book 1”, in Paradise Lost. A Poem Written in Ten Books, London: Printed [by Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […] [a]nd by Robert Boulter […] [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], OCLC 228722708 ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: The Text Exactly Reproduced from the First Edition of 1667: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554 ↗:
      the smooth#English|smooth and level pavement#English|pavement
  2. 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.
  3. Unvaried in frequency.
    His pulse has been level for 12 hours.
  4. Unvaried in volume.
    His voice has been unchanged. It has been level for 12 hours.
  5. Calm.
    He kept a level head under stress.
  6. In the same position or rank.
    • c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act IV, scene xv]:
      Young boys and girls / Are level now with men#English|men.
  7. Straightforward; direct; clear.
  8. Well balanced; even; just; steady; impartial.
    a level head; a level understanding
    • c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act II, scene i]:
      a level consideration#English|consideration
  9. (phonetics) Of even tone; without rising or falling inflection; monotonic.
  10. (physics) Perpendicular to a gravitational force.
    The earth's oceans remain level in relation to the pull of gravity.
Antonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations Noun

level

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Degree or amount.
    The sound level is much too high; this hurts my ears.   We've reached a new level of success.
  4. Achievement or qualification.
    She achieved a high level of distinction.
  5. (computer science) Distance from the root node of a tree structure.
  6. (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.
    Synonyms: stage, zone, world
  7. (role-playing games, video games) A numeric value that quantifies a character's experience and power.
    My half-orc barbarian reached fifth level before he was squashed by a troll.
  8. A floor of a multi-storey building.
    Take the elevator and get off at the promenade level.
  9. (British) An area of almost perfectly flat land.
    • 1820, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Oedipus Tyrannus; Or, Swellfoot The Tyrant: A Tragedy in Two Acts:
      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!
  10. (Singapore, education) A school grade or year.
Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Verb

level (levels, present participle leveling; past and past participle leveled)

  1. 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.
  2. To destroy by reducing to ground level; to raze.
    The hurricane leveled the forest.
    • He levels mountains and he raises plains.
  3. (RPG, video games) To progress to the next level.
    I levelled after defeating the dragon.
  4. 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.
    • Bertram de Gordon, standing on the castle wall, levelled a quarrel out of a crossbow.
    • 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], OCLC 752825175 ↗:
      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 the window […], and a 'bead' could be drawn upon Molly, the dairymaid, kissing the fogger behind the hedge, little dreaming that the deadly tube was levelled at them.
  5. To direct or impose (a penalty, fine, etc) at or upon (someone).
    • 1809, William Ross (Jr.), Abridgement of the laws of Scotland relating to hunting [etc], page 60:
      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 upon it [...] ?
    • 1978, Parliamentary Debates of the New Zealand House of Representatives, page 4955:
      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 [...] ?
    • 1995, The Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) of the [Great British] House of Lords:
      There is no purpose in levelling fines because they would be merely paid from the £1.8 billion which the BBC collects.
    • 2007, Mary Jacoby, EU investigators endorse charges against Intel, Wall Street Journal Europe, 17 January, page 32, column 5:
      Ultimately, Ms. Kroes [European Union Antitrust Commissioner] could level a fine and order Intel to change its business practices.
  6. (sports) To make the score of a game equal.
  7. (figurative) To bring to a common level or plane, in respect of rank, condition, character, privilege, etc.
    to level all the ranks and conditions of men
  8. To 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.
  9. (usually with "with") To speak honestly and openly with.
Translations Translations Translations
  • German: empor steigen
  • Portuguese: avançar, passar
  • Russian: получи́ть у́ровень
Translations


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