large

Etymology

From Middle English large, from Old French large, from Latin larga, feminine of largus (“abundant, plentiful, copious, large, much”), of uncertain ultimate origin; see there for more. Mostly displaced Middle English stoor, stour (“large, great”) (from Old English stōr) and muchel (“large, great”) (from Old English myċel).

adj

1. Of considerable or relatively great size or extent.
   Russia is a large country. The fruit-fly has large eyes for its body size. He has a large collection of stamps.
2. (especially clothing, food or drink) That is large (the manufactured size).
3. (obsolete) Abundant; ample.
4. (archaic) Full in statement; diffuse; profuse.
   And where hit please yow to saye that I haue holden my lady youre Quene yeres and wynters / vnto that I shal euer make a large ansuer "And where it please you to say that I have holden my lady your queen years and winters, unto that I shall ever make a large answer" 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur Book XX, Chapter xj, leaf 408r-v
   I might be very large upon the importance and advantages of education. 1711, Henry Felton, Dissertation on Reading the Classics
5. (obsolete) Free; unencumbered.
6. (obsolete) Unrestrained by decorum; said of language.
7. (nautical) Crossing the line of a ship's course in a favorable direction; said of the wind when it is abeam, or between the beam and the quarter.

noun

1. (music, obsolete) An old musical note, equal to two longas, four breves, or eight semibreves.
2. (obsolete) Liberality, generosity.
3. (slang, plural: large) A thousand dollars/pounds.
   Getting a car tricked out like that will cost you 50 large.
   "We'll call you anything we want," Dave said. "You owe us eighty-five large, Ace, and what we've got for collateral on that money so far is a shitload of Arm & Hammer baking soda worth about a buck-fifty. We'll call you Hubert J. Motherfucker if we want to." 1991, Stephen King, Needful Things
   So send my sister a hundred large, and next time you come down to Jessup it won't be my grill talking at you. My word on that. January 13, 2008, David Simon, “Unconfirmed Reports” (30:16 from the start), in The Wire, season 2, episode 2, spoken by Avon Barksdale
4. (uncountable, especially clothing, food or drink) One of several common sizes to which an item may be manufactured.
5. (countable, especially clothing, food or drink) An item labelled or denoted as being that size.
   One small coffee and two larges, please.
6. (countable, especially with respect to clothing) One who fits an item of that size.

adv

1. (nautical) Before the wind.