a lifting device for heavy stone or concrete blocks consisting of a number of curved pieces of metal or wedges fitting into a dovetailed recess cut into the block
Word origin
C18: perhaps from the name of the inventor
Lewis in British English1
(ˈluːɪs)
noun
the N part of the island of Lewis with Harris, in the Outer Hebrides; site of Neolithic standing stones near the village of Callanish. Pop: about 17 000 (2001). Area: 1634 sq km (631 sq miles)
Lewis in British English2
(ˈluːɪs)
noun
1.
Carl. full name Frederick Carleton Lewis. born 1961, US athlete; winner of the long jump, 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1984 Olympic Games; winner of the 100 metres in the 1988 Olympic Games; winner of the long jumpin the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games
2. Day-Lewis
3.
C(live) S(taples). 1898–1963, English novelist, critic, and Christian apologist, noted for his critical work, Allegory of Love (1936), his theological study, The Screwtape Letters (1942), and for his children's books chronicling the land of Narnia
4.
Lennox. born 1965, Canadian and British boxer; won Olympic gold (1988) for Canada in the superheavyweight division; won various professional heavyweight titles between 1994 and 2004
5.
Matthew Gregory, known as Monk Lewis. 1775–1818, English novelist and dramatist, noted for his Gothic horror story The Monk (1796)
6.
Meriwether. 1774–1807, American explorer who, with William Clark, led an overland expedition from St Louis to the Pacific Ocean (1804–06)
7.
(John) Saunders (ˈsɔːndəz). 1893–1985, Welsh poet, dramatist, critic, and politician: founder (1926) and president (1926–39) of the Welsh Nationalist Party
8.
(Harry) Sinclair. 1885–1951, US novelist. He satirized the complacency and philistinism of American small-town life, esp in Main Street (1920) and Babbitt (1922): Nobel prize for literature 1930
9.
Wally. born 1959, Australian rugby league player; played 33 matches for Australia (1981–91), scoring 11 tries
10.
(Percy) Wyndham. 1884–1957, British painter, novelist, and critic, born in the US: a founder of vorticism. His writings include Time and Western Man (1927), The Apes of God (1930), and the trilogy The Human Age (1928–55)
Lewis in American English1
(ˈluɪs)
noun
a masculine name: dim. Lew, Lewie
see also Louis1
Lewis in American English2
(ˈluɪs)
1.
C(live) S(taples)1898-1963; Brit. writer, born in Ireland
2.
John L(lewellyn)1880-1969; U.S. labor leader
3.
ˈMeriˌwether (ˈmɛriˌwɛðər) 1774-1809; Am. explorer: co-leader of the Lewis & Clark expedition (1804-06) to theNorthwest
4.
Sinclair1885-1951; U.S. novelist
5.
ˈ(Percy) Wyndham (ˈwɪndəm) 1884-1957; Brit. author & painter, born in the U.S.
see Day-Lewis
lewis in American English
(ˈluɪs)
noun
a device for hoisting blocks of stone, consisting of a dovetailed iron tenon made in sections that fit into a mortise cut into the stone
Word origin
prob. < the name Lewis
All related terms of 'lewis'
Day-Lewis
C ( ecil ). 1904–72, British poet , critic , and (under the pen name Nicholas Blake ) author of detective stories ; poet laureate (1968–72)
Lewis gun
a light air-cooled drum-fed gas-operated machine gun used chiefly in World War I
Lewis acid
a substance capable of accepting a pair of electrons from a base to form a covalent bond
Lewis base
a substance capable of donating a pair of electrons to an acid to form a covalent bond
John Lewis list
a list used by clerks in the House of Commons to assess the amount that may reasonably be claimed for various items by Members of Parliament as living expenses
Lewis with Harris
an island in the Outer Hebrides, separated from the NW coast of Scotland by the Minch : consists of Lewis in the north and Harris in the south; many lakes and peat moors ; economy based chiefly on the Harris tweed industry , with some fishing. Chief town: Stornoway . Pop: 19 918 (2001). Area: 2134 sq km (824 sq miles)