Definition lib
Etymology 1
Abbreviation for various words beginning in lib-.
Noun
lib (countable and uncountable, plural libs)
- liberal
- liberation
- library
- libertarian
Etymology 2
From Middle English libbe, from Old English lybb (“medicine, drug, potion, poison, charm”), from Proto-Germanic *lubją (“wort, herb, drug, poison”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ-, *lewb- (“to peel, break, damage”), from Proto-Indo-European *lew- (“to cut, remove, prune, separate”). Cognate with German Luppe, Lüppe (“salve, ointment, plant juice, medicine, magic”), Icelandic lyf (“medicine, drug”).
Noun
lib (plural libs)
- (Britain dialectal, Scotland) A potion; magic potion; charm.
Etymology 3
From Middle English libben, related to Dutch lubben (“to castrate, emasculate”), Dutch libbe (“a steer”), lubbert (“a eunuch”). Further relation uncertain. Possibly related to Old English *lybbian (“to doctor”), from lybb (see above); or perhaps related to Old English lappa, læppa (“lappet, piece, section, lobe, portion, district”). More at lop.
Verb
lib (third-person singular simple present libs, present participle libbing, simple past and past participle libbed)
- (transitive, Britain dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) To geld; castrate; emasculate (usually said of animals).