Lake
/leɪk/
Definitions
2 meaningsA large inland body of standing water.
/leɪk/
A large body of water surrounded by land.
We went swimming in the lake.
💡 Simply: A lake is like a giant puddle that's too big to step over! Imagine a big, still pool of water surrounded by land. It's a great place to swim, boat, or just enjoy the view.
👶 For kids: A lake is a big pool of water!
More Examples
The house has a beautiful view of the lake.
The lake froze over during the winter.
How It's Used
"The lake is a popular spot for boating and fishing."
"They spent the summer swimming in the lake."
(Archaic or poetic) To supply with or cause to resemble a lake.
/leɪk/
To supply or fill with lakes (archaic or poetic).
The rain laked the fields after hours of relentless downpour.
💡 Simply: Imagine 'laking' a landscape: you're making it have a lake-like quality, maybe with a mirror-like water surface, even though no lake is actually there.
👶 For kids: To make something look like a lake, but usually in an old story.
How It's Used
"The valley, laked by the melting snow, offered respite."
Idioms & expressions
like a fish out of water
Feeling uncomfortable or out of place in a situation.
"He felt like a fish out of water at the formal party."
From Middle English lake, from Old English lacu (small body of water, pond, stream), from Proto-Germanic *lakō (body of water, pond). Cognate with Old High German lahha (pond, pool), Old Norse lǫk (lake).
Historically used in poetry and literature to describe landscapes and natural settings.
Memory tip
Think of the large body of water you see when you're looking at a map.
Word Origin
"body of water, pond"