live

Etymology 1

From Middle English lyven, libben, from Old English lifian, libban (“to live; be alive”), from Proto-West Germanic *libbjan, from Proto-Germanic *libjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“leave, cling, linger”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian líeuwje (“to live”), West Frisian libje (“to live”), Dutch leven (“to live”), German Low German leven, lęven (“to live”), German leben (“to live”), Swedish leva (“to live”), Icelandic lifa (“to live”), Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽 (liban, “to live”).

verb

1. (intransitive) To be alive; to have life.
   He's not expected to live for more than a few months.
2. (intransitive) To have permanent residence somewhere, to inhabit, to reside.
   I live at 2a Acacia Avenue.  He lives in LA, but he's staying here over the summer.
   1. (intransitive, informal) (of an object) to have its proper place; to normally be stored.
      I washed your gravy boat. Where does it live?
3. (intransitive) To survive; to persevere; to continue.
4. (intransitive) To endure in memory; to escape oblivion.
   Her memory lives in that song.
   He has now overseen three straight victories since taking over from Claudio Ranieri and this latest win, against one of the best teams in Europe, will live long in the memory for every Leicester supporter. March 14, 2017, Stuart James, “Leicester stun Sevilla to reach last eight after Kasper Schmeichel save”, in the Guardian
5. (intransitive, hyperbolic) To cope.
   You'll just have to live with it!  I can't live in a world without you.
6. (intransitive) To pass life in a specified manner.
   It is difficult to live in poverty.   And they lived happily ever after.
7. (transitive) To spend, as one's life; to pass; to maintain; to continue in, constantly or habitually.
   To live an idle or a useful life.
   Many people write their romances, others live them; Honore de Balzac did both. 1921, Juanita Helm Floyd, Women in the Life of Balzac
   By 1980, South Korea had overtaken its northern neighbour, and was well on its way to being one of the Asian tigers – high-performing economies, with democratic movements ultimately winning power in the 1990s. The withdrawal of most Soviet aid in 1991, with the fall of the Soviet empire, pushed North Korea further down. Kim Il-sung had held a genuine place on North Korean people's affections. His son was regarded as a shadowy playboy, with rumours circulating over the years that he imported Russian and Chinese prostitutes, and lived a life of profligacy and excess. December 19, 2011, Kerry Brown, “Kim Jong-il obituary”, in The Guardian
   But poverty’s scourge is fiercest below $1.25 (the average of the 15 poorest countries’ own poverty lines, measured in 2005 dollars and adjusted for differences in purchasing power): people below that level live lives that are poor, nasty, brutish and short. 2013-06-01, “Towards the end of poverty”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 11
8. (transitive) To act habitually in conformity with; to practice; to exemplify in one's way of life.
   Change happens from the inside out and this great resource can show you how to live the habits that build personal and professional effectiveness. 2006, Laura Cardone, Motivation at Work
9. (transitive, obsolete) To live as; to live being.
10. (intransitive) To outlast danger; to float (said of a ship, boat, etc).
    No ship could live in such a storm.
11. (intransitive, followed by on, upon, or by) To maintain or support one's existence; to provide for oneself; to feed; to subsist.
    It is hard to live on the minimum wage.   They lived on stale bread.   Man shall not live by bread alone.
12. (intransitive, informal) To make the most of life; to experience a full, rich life.
    I'm sick of spending every day studying at home: I want to go out there and live!

Etymology 2

An aphetic form of alive.

adj

1. (only used attributively) Having life; that is alive.
   The post office will not ship live animals.
2. Being in existence; actual.
   He is a live example of the consequences of excessive drinking.
3. Having active properties; being energized.
   Because the vaccinia virus is live, it is important to follow care instructions for the vaccination site.
4. Operational; in actual use rather than in testing etc.
   1. (programming) Of an object or value: that may potentially be used in the future execution of a program.
      An object in the heap is live if its address is held in a root, or there is a pointer to it held in another live heap node. 1996, Richard Jones, Rafael Lins, Garbage Collection, page 4
5. Taken from a living animal.
   live feathers
6. (engineering) Imparting power; having motion.
   the live spindle of a lathe
   a live, or driving, axle
7. (sports) Still in active play.
   a live ball
8. (card games) Of a card: not yet dealt or played.
   As a beginner, when you are in a hand, you should practice counting your outs, or those live cards left in the deck that can improve your hand. 2005, Alison M. Pendergast, Play Winning Poker in No Time, page 57
9. (broadcasting) Being broadcast ("on the air"), as it happens.
   The station presented a live news program every evening.
   Are we live?
10. (of a performance or speech) In person.
    This nightclub has a live band on weekends.
11. (entertainment, performing) Recorded from a performance in front of an audience.
    a live album
12. Of firearms or explosives, capable of causing harm.
    The air force practices dropping live bombs on the uninhabited island.
13. Of an environment where sound is recorded: having noticeable reverberation.
    A good experiment is to have a friend stand in a fixed position in a moderately live room and talk in a clear voice. 2002, John Eargle, Chris Foreman, Audio Engineering for Sound Reinforcement, page 21
    It sounds like the instruments were recorded in a fairly live room with reverb added. 2016, Jason Corey, Audio Production and Critical Listening: Technical Ear Training, page 136
14. (circuitry) Electrically charged or energized, usually indicating that the item may cause electrocution if touched.
    Use caution when working near live wires.
15. (poker) Being a bet which can be raised by the bettor, usually in reference to a blind or straddle.
    Tommy's blind was live, so he was given the option to raise.
16. (film) Featuring humans; not animated, in the phrases “live actors” or “live action”.
17. Being in a state of ignition; burning.
    a live coal; live embers
    Call it a dead language if you want to—it looks to me like those Latinites were the live boys when it came to putting a whole lot of meaning into just two or three words. 25 March 1916, Irvin S. Cobb, “"Unaccustomed as I am—"”, in Saturday Evening Post
18. (obsolete) Vivid; bright.
    the live carnation
19. (slang)
    1. (dated) Energetic, attentive, active.
       a live man, or orator
       Now then, Bill, I've recommended to the troop that they take you in, and the fellows have all voted in favor of you. These scouts are a live bunch and they all expect you to make good. 1915, “In the Scout Cave”, in Boys' Life, volume 5, number 3, page 23
    2. Outstanding, top-notch, exhilarating.
       The party was live, and the music was jammin. All over the beach people in colorful swimsuits were moving to the beat. 1998, Kimberly S. Phillips, Purpose Lies Within, Messenger Publishing, page 119

adv

1. Of an event, as it happens; in real time; direct.
   The concert was broadcast live by radio.
2. Of making a performance or speech, in person.
   He'll be appearing live at the auditorium.