lie

name

1. Initialism of Long Island Expressway (“I-495”).

noun

Etymology: From Middle English lie, from Old English lyġe (“lie”), from Proto-Germanic *lugiz (“lie”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewgʰ- (“to announce, tell publicly”). Cognates Cognate with Saterland Frisian Löägene (“a lie”), Dutch leugen, logen, loogen (“a lie”), German Lug, Lüge, Lügen (“a lie”), German Low German Lögen (“a lie”), Luxembourgish Ligen (“a lie”), Yiddish ליגן (lign, “a lie”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål løgn (“a lie”), Icelandic lygi, lygn (“a lie”), Norwegian Nynorsk lygn, løgn (“a lie”), Swedish lögn (“a lie”); also Bulgarian лъжа́ (lǎžá, “а lie”), Czech lež (“a lie”), Russian ложь (ložʹ, “а lie”), Polish łeż (“a lie”), Serbo-Croatian ла̑ж, laž (“a lie”), Slovak lož (“a lie”), Slovene lȃž (“a lie”).

1. An intentionally false statement; an intentional falsehood.

   “I knew he was telling a lie by his facial expression.”

   “Man everywhere is the born enemy of lies.”

2. A statement intended to deceive, even if literally true.
3. Anything that misleads or disappoints.

   “Wishing this lie of life was o'er.”

   “The cake is a lie.”

4. A liar; a dishonest person.

verb

Etymology: From Middle English lien (“to lie, tell a falsehood”), from Old English lēogan (“to lie”), from Proto-West Germanic *leugan, from Proto-Germanic *leuganą (“to lie”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewgʰ- (“to announce, tell publicly”). Cognates Cognate with Scots lee (“to lie”), North Frisian jooge, leeg, löög (“to lie”), Saterland Frisian ljooge (“to lie”), West Frisian lige (“to lie”), Bavarian liagn (“to lie”), Dutch liegen (“to lie”), German lügen (“to lie”), Luxembourgish léien (“to lie”), Danish lyve (“to lie”), Faroese lúgva (“to lie”), Icelandic ljúga (“to lie”), Norwegian Bokmål juge, lyge, lyve (“to lie”), Norwegian Nynorsk ljuga, ljuge, lyga, lyge (“to lie”), Scanian ljuğa (“to lie”), Swedish ljuga (“to lie”), Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐌿𐌲𐌰𐌽 (liugan, “to lie”); also Breton le (“vow”), Cornish li (“oath”), Welsh llw (“oath, pledge, vow; curse, swear word”), Latvian lùgt (“to ask; to request; to seek; to plead; to solicit; to invoke; to desire”), Belarusian ілга́ць (ilhácʹ), лга́ць (lhácʹ, “to lie”), Bulgarian лъжа (lǎža, “to lie”), Czech lhát (“to lie”), Kashubian łżec (“to lie”), Macedonian ла́же (láže, “to lie”), Polish łgać (“to lie”), Russian лгать (lgatʹ, “to lie”), Serbo-Croatian ла̀гати, làgati (“to lie”), Slovak luhať (“to lie”), Slovene lagáti (“to lie”).

1. To give false information intentionally with intent to deceive.

   “When Pinocchio lies, his nose grows.”

   “If you are found to have lied in court, you could face a penalty.”

2. To convey a false image or impression.

   “Photographs often lie.”

3. To be mistaken or unintentionally spread false information.

   “Sorry, I haven't seen your keys anywhere...wait, I lied! They're right there on the coffee table.”

   “Well, he was up in Wyoming / And drew a bull no man could ride / He promised her he'd turn out / Well, it turned out that he lied”