laver

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A large basin used in the ancient Jewish Temple by a priest for ablutions before making a sacrificial offering.
2. n. Archaic A vessel, stone basin, or trough used for washing.
3. n. Any of several dried, edible seaweeds of the genera Porphyra (the red algae) and Ulva (the green algae).

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A basin, bowl, trough, or cistern to wash in. The laver mentioned in the Old Testament was a large basin which stood upon a foot or pedestal in the court of the Jewish tabernacle, and subsequently in the temple, and contained water for the ablutions of the priests, and for the washing of the sacrifices in the temple service.
2. n. In heraldry, a colter or plowshare when used as a bearing.
3. n. Either of two species of algæ. of the genus Porphyra, P. laciniata and P. vulgaris, known in Ireland and Scotland as sloke or Sloakan. They are used as food, either stewed or pickled, and eaten with pepper, vinegar, and oil; and they are said to be useful in scrofulous affections and glandular swellings. Also laverwort.
4. n. A dish composed of one of the above algæ or of some similar seaweed. See laver-bread.
5. Hanging.
6. n. Figuratively, the baptismal font; the spiritual regeneration of baptism; any cleansing of the spirit.

Wiktionary

1. n. A red alga of the genus Porphyra.
2. n. A wash-basin.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A vessel for washing; a large basin.
2. n. A large brazen vessel placed in the court of the Jewish tabernacle where the officiating priests washed their hands and feet.
3. n. One of several vessels in Solomon's Temple in which the offerings for burnt sacrifices were washed.
4. n. That which washes or cleanses.
5. n. obsolete One who laves; a washer.
6. n. The fronds of certain marine algæ used as food, and for making a sauce called laver sauce. Green laver is the Ulva latissima; purple laver, Porphyra laciniata and Porphyra vulgaris. It is prepared by stewing, either alone or with other vegetables, and with various condiments; -- called also sloke, or sloakan.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. Australian tennis player who in 1962 was the second man to win the Australian and French and English and United States singles titles in the same year; in 1969 he repeated this feat (born in 1938)
2. n. seaweed with edible translucent crinkly green fronds
3. n. edible red seaweeds
4. n. (Old Testament) large basin used by a priest in an ancient Jewish temple to perform ritual ablutions