Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Relative position or rank on a scale.
  • noun A relative degree, as of achievement, intensity, or concentration.
  • noun A natural or proper position, place, or stage.
  • noun Position along a vertical axis; height or depth.
  • noun A horizontal line or plane at right angles to the plumb.
  • noun The position or height of such a line or plane.
  • noun A flat, horizontal surface.
  • noun A land area of uniform elevation.
  • noun An instrument for ascertaining whether a surface is horizontal, vertical, or at a 45° angle, consisting essentially of an encased, liquid-filled tube containing an air bubble that moves to a center window when the instrument is set on an even plane.
  • noun Such a device combined with a telescope and used in surveying.
  • noun A computation of the difference in elevation between two points by using such a device.
  • adjective Having a flat, smooth surface.
  • adjective Being on a horizontal plane.
  • adjective Being at the same height or position as another; even.
  • adjective Being at the same degree of rank, standing, or advantage as another; equal.
  • adjective Being or relating to a specified rank or standing. Often used in combination.
  • adjective Exhibiting no abrupt variations; steady.
  • adjective Rational and balanced; sensible.
  • adjective Filled evenly to the top.
  • intransitive verb To make horizontal, flat, or even.
  • intransitive verb To place on the same rank; equalize.
  • intransitive verb To tear down (a building, for example); raze.
  • intransitive verb To knock down, as with a blow; lay low.
  • intransitive verb To aim along a horizontal plane.
  • intransitive verb To direct emphatically or forcefully toward someone: synonym: aim.
  • intransitive verb To measure the different elevations of (a tract of land) with a level.
  • intransitive verb To bring persons or things to an equal level; equalize.
  • intransitive verb To aim a weapon horizontally.
  • intransitive verb Informal To be frank and open.
  • adverb Along a flat or even line or plane.
  • idiom ((one's) level best) The best one can do in an earnest attempt.
  • idiom (on the level) Without deception; honest.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The correction for level of an astronomical instrument; the deviation of its axis from exact horizontality.
  • noun In landscape-gardening, one of the horizontal surfaces in which an irregular piece of land may be arranged. By the use of different levels the designer may place various features of his design above or below the eye.
  • noun An instrument for determining the plane of the horizon, or the plane perpendicular to the direction in which bodies fall under the action of gravity.
  • noun An imaginary surface everywhere perpendicular to the plumb-line, or line of gravity, so that it might be the free surface of a liquid at rest.
  • noun Hence Figuratively, degree of elevation as regards standing, condition, or action; a height reached or aimed at, from a social, intellectual, or moral point of view.
  • noun An extent of land-surface approximately horizontal and unbroken by irregularities; a plain.
  • noun The point-blank aim of a missile weapon, including the line of fire and the range or distance the missile is carried without deflection; hence, purpose; aim.
  • noun In mining, a drift or nearly horizontal excavation made in opening a mine. Levels are run to connect shafts and winzes, so as to open and make ready for stoping a certain amount of ground. In a mine regularly opened on a permanent vein, the levels are usually from 60 to 100 feet apart, but vary in position with the varying richness of the lode.
  • noun A leveling-instrument. See clinometer-level and leveling-instrument.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, an instrument to check that a surface is horizontal, from Old French livel, from Vulgar Latin *lībellum, from Latin lībella, diminutive of lībra, balance.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English level, from Old French livel, liveau, later nivel, niveau, from Latin libella ("a balance, a level"), diminutive of libra ("a balance, a level"); see libra, librate.

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Examples

  • Public Service Commission shall ensure provincial representation in national processes while simultaneously ensuring that there is full and direct accountability at provincial level for the implementation that takes place at that level*.

    Building a United Nation 1995

  • But Germany, let us help Lamprecht to say, since he does not himself draw this conclusion, has failed to emerge upon the level of an exalted ecstasy, failed to produce the philosophical, the moral and religious fruit of its new impulses, _failed, in a word, to find its dominant on a high level_, precisely as often the promising individual fails and has expressed his truly great nature in low forms of activity.

    The Psychology of Nations A Contribution to the Philosophy of History G.E. Partridge

  • I'd like to turn the following function into a MySQL stored function, but I'm fairly new to the concept: int getCharacterLevel (int numXP) int level = 1; while (numXP > 4 + level) numXP - = 4 + level++; return level;

    unknown title 2008

  • Specifically, drugs work when a certain level is present in the bloodstream; therefore, the weight of a person is important.

    Vaccines and Society 2010

  • Technical skill of a certain level is only the starting point.

    In the ballpark Matthew Guerrieri 2009

  • The potential pain level is extremely high, although hard to predict.

    Sound Politics: "Peak Oil" Despair Versus Energy Innovation 2007

  • It is true in a certain way, but not the way that makes me rich, and the SMT is one way that you can design software automatically at the word level rather than the bit level.

    Site Home Surf4Fun 2011

  • The ability to move from the bit level to the word level is quite an improvement.

    Site Home Surf4Fun 2011

  • It is true in a certain way, but not the way that makes me rich, and the SMT is one way that you can design software automatically at the word level rather than the bit level.

    Site Home Surf4Fun 2011

  • The ability to move from the bit level to the word level is quite an improvement.

    Site Home Surf4Fun 2011

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