league

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. An association of states, organizations, or individuals for common action; an alliance.
2. n. Sports An association of teams or clubs that compete chiefly among themselves. Also called loop¹.
3. n. A class or level of competition: The ski jump was out of his league.
4. v. To come together in or as if in a league.
5. v. To bring together in or as if in a league.
6. n. A unit of distance equal to 3.0 statute miles (4.8 kilometers).
7. n. Any of various other units of about the same length.
8. n. A square league.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A compact or covenant between persons for the maintenance of joint interests or mutual service; hence, union; close affinity; friendship.
2. n. Specifically A political or military confederation; a covenanted alliance or coalition, as of persons or parties in a state, or more commonly of the ruling powers of different states, for the promotion of common objects or interests; a compact for mutual aid and support in public policy or war: as, the Hanseatic League; the Holy League in France; the league of Schmalkald.
3. n. A combination of different associations or bodies of persons for the promotion of common purposes: as, a base-ball league.
4. n. Synonyms Confederacy, Coalition, etc. (see alliance), society, federation, association, fraternity.
5. To form a league; join in friendship or interest; combine for mutual support; confederate.
6. To combine; band; confederate.
7. n. An itinerary unit not now in English use, except as a marine league. (See below.) The league as a unit of length originated in ancient Gaul, where it was equal to 1½, Roman miles, or 1.4 statute miles, improperly termed the Gallic mile. Afterward it was 2,000 paces, and in the middle ages it was in England 2 miles, or nearly 3 statute miles. It is a conventional, not a legal measure. A land-league is sometimes said to be 3 statute miles. The common league of France was 2.764 statute miles; the French posting-league was 2.422 statute miles; the Spanish league was 4.214 statute miles; the Spanish judicial league was 2.634 statute miles; the Flanders league was 3.9 statute miles; the Brabant league was the marine league. The league is still in use in parts of the United States acquired from Mexico, where it is held to be about 2.63 English miles, and a square league 4,428.4 acres. The league is much used in South America. In the greater part of the Argentine Republic, as in Uruguay before 1864, it is equal to 6,000 varas, which, however, are of different lengths in different provinces; and the so-called Argentine league of 5,000 varas exists only in Santiago Del Estero. The postal league, however, varies from 4,000 to 5,000 varas; and in Tucuman the league is sometimes 4,980, sometimes 3,320 varas. The old league of Cuba was 4,906 varas. In Buenos Ayres the league is 5,200 meters, in Rioja 5,035.20 meters, in Colombia 5,000 meters, in Chili 4,513.892 meters, and in Paraguay 4,193 meters.

Wiktionary

1. n. measurement The distance that a person can walk in one hour, commonly taken to be approximately three English miles (about five kilometers).
2. n. A group or association of cooperating members.
3. n. An organization of sports teams which play against one another for a championship.
4. v. To form an association.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A measure of length or distance, varying in different countries from about 2.4 to 4.6 English statute miles of 5,280 feet each, and used (as a land measure) chiefly on the continent of Europe, and in the Spanish parts of America. The marine league of England and the United States is equal to three marine, or geographical, miles of 6080 feet each.
2. n. obsolete A stone erected near a public road to mark the distance of a league.
3. n. An alliance or combination of two or more nations, parties, organizations, or persons, for the accomplishment of a purpose which requires a continued course of action, as for mutual defense, or for furtherance of commercial, religious, or political interests, etc.
4. n. (Sports) An association of sports teams that establishes rules of play, decides questions of membership in the league, and organizes matches between the member teams. In some cases a sports league is called a conference, as in the National Football Conference.
5. v. To unite in a league or confederacy; to combine for mutual support; to confederate.
6. v. To join in a league; to cause to combine for a joint purpose; to combine; to unite.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. an association of states or organizations or individuals for common action
2. v. unite to form a league
3. n. an obsolete unit of distance of variable length (usually 3 miles)
4. n. an association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members