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Law definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LAW, n. [L. lex; from the root of lay. See lay. A law is that which is laid, set or fixed, like statute, constitution, from L. statuo.]
1. A rule, particularly an established or permanent rule, prescribed by the supreme power of a state to its subjects, for regulating their actions, particularly their social actions. Laws are imperative or mandatory, commanding what shall be done; prohibitory, restraining from what is to be forborn; or permissive, declaring what may be done without incurring a penalty. The laws which enjoin the duties of piety and morality, are prescribed by God and found in the Scriptures.
Law is beneficence acting by rule.
2. Municipal law, is a rule of civil conduct prescribed by the supreme power of a state, commanding what its subjects are to do, and prohibiting what they are to forbear; a statute.
Municipal or civil laws are established by the decrees, edicts or ordinances of absolute princes, as emperors and kings, or by the formal acts of the legislatures of free states. Law therefore is sometimes equivalent to decree, edict, or ordinance.
3. Law of nature, is a rule of conduct arising out of the natural relations of human beings established by the Creator, and existing prior to any positive precept. Thus it is a law of nature, that one man should not injure another, and murder and fraud would be crimes, independent of any prohibition from a supreme power.
4. Laws of animal nature, the inherent principles by which the economy and functions of animal bodies are performed, such as respiration, the circulation of the blood, digestion, nutrition, various secretions, etc.
5. Laws of vegetation, the principles by which plats are produced, and their growth carried on till they arrive to perfection.
6. Physical laws, or laws of nature. The invariable tendency or determination of any species of matter to a particular form with definite properties, and the determination of a body to certain motions, changes, and relations, which uniformly take place in the same circumstances, is called a physical law. These tendencies or determinations, whether called laws or affections of matter, have been established by the Creator, and are, with a peculiar felicity of expression, denominated in Scripture, ordinances of heaven.
7. Laws of nations, the rules that regulate the mutual intercourse of nations or states. These rules depend on natural law, or the principles of justice which spring from the social state; or they are founded on customs, compacts, treaties, leagues and agreements between independent communities.
By the law of nations, we are to understand that code of public instruction, which defines the rights and prescribes the duties of nations, in their intercourse with each other.
8. Moral law, a law which prescribes to men their religious and social duties, in other words, their duties to God and to each other. The moral law is summarily contained in the decalogue or ten commandments, written by the finger of God on two tables of stone, and delivered to Moses on mount Sinai.
Exodus 20.
9. Ecclesiastical law, a rule of action prescribed for the government of a church; otherwise called canon law.
10. Written law, a law or rule of action prescribed or enacted by a sovereign, and promulgated and recorded in writing; a written statute, ordinance, edict or decree.
11. Unwritten or common law, a rule of action which derives its authority from long usage, or established custom, which has been immemorially received and recognized by judicial tribunals. As this law can be traced to no positive statutes, its rules or principles are to be found only in the records of courts, and in the reports of judicial decisions.
12. By-law, a law of a city, town or private corporation. [See By.]
13. Mosaic law, the institutions of Moses, or the code of laws prescribed to the Jews, as distinguished from the gospel.
14. Ceremonial law, the Mosaic institutions which prescribe the external rites and ceremonies to be observed by the Jews, as distinct from the moral precepts, which are of perpetual obligation.
15. A rule of direction; a directory; as reason and natural conscience.
These, having not the law, as a law to themselves. Romans 2.
16. That which governs or has a tendency to rule; that which has the power of controlling.
But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Romans 7.
17. The word of God; the doctrines and precepts of God, or his revealed will.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. Psalms 1.
18. The Old Testament.
Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods? John 10.
19. The institutions of Moses, as distinct from the other parts of the Old Testament; as the law and the prophets.
20. A rule or axiom of science or art; settled principle; as the laws of versification or poetry.
21. Law martial, or martial law, the rules ordained for the government of an army or military force.
22. Marine laws, rules for the regulation of navigation, and the commercial intercourse of nations.
23. Commercial law, law-merchant, the system of rules by which trade and commercial intercourse are regulated between merchants.
24. Judicial process; prosecution of right in courts of law.
Tom Touchy is a fellow famous for taking the law of every body.
Hence the phrase, to go to law, to prosecute; to seek redress in a legal tribunal.
25. Jurisprudence; as in the title, Doctor of Laws.
26. In general, law is a rule of action prescribed for the government of rational beings or moral agents, to which rule they are bound to yield obedience, in default of which they are exposed to punishment; or law is a settled mode or course of action or operation in irrational beings and in inanimate bodies.
Civil law, criminal law. [See Civil and Criminal.]
Laws of honor. [See Honor.]
Law language, the language used in legal writings and forms, particularly the Norman dialect or Old French, which was used in judicial proceedings from the days of William the conqueror to the 36th year of Edward III.
Wager of law, a species of trial formerly used in England, in which the defendant gave security that he would, on a certain day, make his law, that is, he would make oath that he owed nothing to the plaintiff, and would produce eleven of his neighbors as compurgators, who should swear that they believed in their consciences that he had sworn the truth.
LAW'-BREAKER, n. One who violates the law.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order" [syn: law, jurisprudence]
2: legal document setting forth rules governing a particular kind of activity; "there is a law against kidnapping"
3: a rule or body of rules of conduct inherent in human nature and essential to or binding upon human society [syn: law, natural law]
4: a generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature; "the laws of thermodynamics" [syn: law, law of nature]
5: the branch of philosophy concerned with the law and the principles that lead courts to make the decisions they do [syn: jurisprudence, law, legal philosophy]
6: the learned profession that is mastered by graduate study in a law school and that is responsible for the judicial system; "he studied law at Yale" [syn: law, practice of law]
7: the force of policemen and officers; "the law came looking for him" [syn: police, police force, constabulary, law]

Merriam Webster's

I. biographical name (Andrew) Bonar 1858-1923 British (Canadian-born) statesman II. biographical name Edward 1750-1818 1st Baron Ellenborough English jurist III. biographical name John 1671-1729 Scottish financier & speculator IV. biographical name William 1686-1761 English writer

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English lagu, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse l?g law; akin to Old English licgan to lie — more at lie Date: before 12th century 1. a. (1) a binding custom or practice of a community ; a rule of conduct or action prescribed or formally recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority (2) the whole body of such customs, practices, or rules (3) common law b. (1) the control brought about by the existence or enforcement of such law (2) the action of laws considered as a means of redressing wrongs; also litigation (3) the agency of or an agent of established law c. a rule or order that it is advisable or obligatory to observe d. something compatible with or enforceable by established law e. control, authority 2. a. often capitalized the revelation of the will of God set forth in the Old Testament b. capitalized the first part of the Jewish scriptures ; Pentateuch, Torah — see bible table 3. a rule of construction or procedure <the laws of poetry> 4. the whole body of laws relating to one subject 5. a. the legal profession b. law as a department of knowledge ; jurisprudence c. legal knowledge 6. a. a statement of an order or relation of phenomena that so far as is known is invariable under the given conditions b. a general relation proved or assumed to hold between mathematical or logical expressions Synonyms: law, rule, regulation, precept, statute, ordinance, canon mean a principle governing action or procedure. law implies imposition by a sovereign authority and the obligation of obedience on the part of all subject to that authority <obey the law>. rule applies to more restricted or specific situations <the rules of the game>. regulation implies prescription by authority in order to control an organization or system <regulations affecting nuclear power plants>. precept commonly suggests something advisory and not obligatory communicated typically through teaching <the precepts of effective writing>. statute implies a law enacted by a legislative body <a statute requiring the use of seat belts>. ordinance applies to an order governing some detail of procedure or conduct enforced by a limited authority such as a municipality <a city ordinance>. canon suggests in nonreligious use a principle or rule of behavior or procedure commonly accepted as a valid guide <the canons of good taste>. Synonym: see in addition hypothesis. II. verb Date: circa 1550 intransitive verb litigate transitive verb chiefly dialect to sue or prosecute at law

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a a rule enacted or customary in a community and recognized as enjoining or prohibiting certain actions and enforced by the imposition of penalties. b a body of such rules (the law of the land; forbidden under Scots law). 2 the controlling influence of laws; a state of respect for laws (law and order). 3 laws collectively as a social system or subject of study (was reading law). 4 (with defining word) any of the specific branches or applications of law (commercial law; law of contract). 5 binding force or effect (their word is law). 6 (prec. by the) a the legal profession. b colloq. the police. 7 the statute and common law (opp. EQUITY). 8 (in pl.) jurisprudence. 9 a the judicial remedy; litigation. b the lawcourts as providing this (go to law). 10 a rule of action or procedure, e.g. in a game, social context, form of art, etc. 11 a regularity in natural occurrences, esp. as formulated or propounded in particular instances (the laws of nature; the law of gravity; Parkinson's law). 12 a divine commandments as expressed in the Bible or other sources. b (Law of Moses) the precepts of the Pentateuch. Phrases and idioms: at (or in) law according to the laws. be a law unto oneself do what one feels is right; disregard custom. go to law take legal action; make use of the lawcourts. law-abiding obedient to the laws. law-abidingness obedience to the laws. law agent (in Scotland) a solicitor. law centre Brit. an independent publicly-funded advisory service on legal matters. Law Lord a member of the House of Lords qualified to perform its legal work. law of diminishing returns see DIMINISH. law of nature = natural law. laws of war the limitations on belligerents' action recognized by civilized nations. law term a period appointed for the sitting of lawcourts. lay down the law be dogmatic or authoritarian. take the law into one's own hands redress a grievance by one's own means, esp. by force. Etymology: OE lagu f. ON lag something 'laid down' or fixed, rel. to LAY(1)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Law Law (l[add]), n. [OE. lawe, laghe, AS. lagu, from the root of E. lie: akin to OS. lag, Icel. l["o]g, Sw. lag, Dan. lov; cf. L. lex, E. legal. A law is that which is laid, set, or fixed; like statute, fr. L. statuere to make to stand. See Lie to be prostrate.] 1. In general, a rule of being or of conduct, established by an authority able to enforce its will; a controlling regulation; the mode or order according to which an agent or a power acts. Note: A law may be universal or particular, written or unwritten, published or secret. From the nature of the highest laws a degree of permanency or stability is always implied; but the power which makes a law, or a superior power, may annul or change it. These are the statutes and judgments and law, which the Lord made. --Lev. xxvi. 46. The law of thy God, and the law of the King. --Ezra vii. 26. As if they would confine the Interminable . . . Who made our laws to bind us, not himself. --Milton. His mind his kingdom, and his will his law. --Cowper. 2. In morals: The will of God as the rule for the disposition and conduct of all responsible beings toward him and toward each other; a rule of living, conformable to righteousness; the rule of action as obligatory on the conscience or moral nature. 3. The Jewish or Mosaic code, and that part of Scripture where it is written, in distinction from the gospel; hence, also, the Old Testament. What things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law . . . But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. --Rom. iii. 19, 21. 4. In human government: (a) An organic rule, as a constitution or charter, establishing and defining the conditions of the existence of a state or other organized community. (b) Any edict, decree, order, ordinance, statute, resolution, judicial, decision, usage, etc., or recognized, and enforced, by the controlling authority. 5. In philosophy and physics: A rule of being, operation, or change, so certain and constant that it is conceived of as imposed by the will of God or by some controlling authority; as, the law of gravitation; the laws of motion; the law heredity; the laws of thought; the laws of cause and effect; law of self-preservation. 6. In matematics: The rule according to which anything, as the change of value of a variable, or the value of the terms of a series, proceeds; mode or order of sequence. 7. In arts, works, games, etc.: The rules of construction, or of procedure, conforming to the conditions of success; a principle, maxim; or usage; as, the laws of poetry, of architecture, of courtesy, or of whist. 8. Collectively, the whole body of rules relating to one subject, or emanating from one source; -- including usually the writings pertaining to them, and judicial proceedings under them; as, divine law; English law; Roman law; the law of real property; insurance law. 9. Legal science; jurisprudence; the principles of equity; applied justice. Reason is the life of the law; nay, the common law itself is nothing else but reason. --Coke. Law is beneficence acting by rule. --Burke. And sovereign Law, that state's collected will O'er thrones and globes elate, Sits empress, crowning good, repressing ill. --Sir W. Jones. 10. Trial by the laws of the land; judicial remedy; litigation; as, to go law. When every case in law is right. --Shak. He found law dear and left it cheap. --Brougham. 11. An oath, as in the presence of a court. [Obs.] See Wager of law, under Wager. Avogadro's law (Chem.), a fundamental conception, according to which, under similar conditions of temperature and pressure, all gases and vapors contain in the same volume the same number of ultimate molecules; -- so named after Avogadro, an Italian scientist. Sometimes called Amp[`e]re's law. Bode's law (Astron.), an approximative empirical expression of the distances of the planets from the sun, as follows: -- Mer. Ven. Earth. Mars. Aste. Jup. Sat. Uran. Nep. 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 0 3 6 12 24 48 96 192 384 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --- --- 4 7 10 16 28 52 100 196 388 5.9 7.3 10 15.2 27.4 52 95.4 192 300 where each distance (line third) is the sum of 4 and a multiple of 3 by the series 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, etc., the true distances being given in the lower line. Boyle's law (Physics), an expression of the fact, that when an elastic fluid is subjected to compression, and kept at a constant temperature, the product of the pressure and volume is a constant quantity, i. e., the volume is inversely proportioned to the pressure; -- known also as Mariotte's law, and the law of Boyle and Mariotte. Brehon laws. See under Brehon. Canon law, the body of ecclesiastical law adopted in the Christian Church, certain portions of which (for example, the law of marriage as existing before the Council of Tent) were brought to America by the English colonists as part of the common law of the land. --Wharton. Civil law, a term used by writers to designate Roman law, with modifications thereof which have been made in the different countries into which that law has been introduced. The civil law, instead of the common law, prevails in the State of Louisiana. --Wharton. Commercial law. See Law merchant (below). Common law. See under Common. Criminal law, that branch of jurisprudence which relates to crimes. Ecclesiastical law. See under Ecclesiastical. Grimm's law (Philol.), a statement (propounded by the German philologist Jacob Grimm) of certain regular changes which the primitive Indo-European mute consonants, so-called (most plainly seen in Sanskrit and, with some changes, in Greek and Latin), have undergone in the Teutonic languages. Examples: Skr. bh[=a]tr, L. frater, E. brother, G. bruder; L. tres, E. three, G. drei, Skr. go, E. cow, G. kuh; Skr. dh[=a] to put, Gr. ti-qe`-nai, E. do, OHG, tuon, G. thun. Kepler's laws (Astron.), three important laws or expressions of the order of the planetary motions, discovered by John Kepler. They are these: (1) The orbit of a planet with respect to the sun is an ellipse, the sun being in one of the foci. (2) The areas swept over by a vector drawn from the sun to a planet are proportioned to the times of describing them. (3) The squares of the times of revolution of two planets are in the ratio of the cubes of their mean distances. Law binding, a plain style of leather binding, used for law books; -- called also law calf. Law book, a book containing, or treating of, laws. Law calf. See Law binding (above). Law day. (a) Formerly, a day of holding court, esp. a court-leet. (b) The day named in a mortgage for the payment of the money to secure which it was given. [U. S.] Law French, the dialect of Norman, which was used in judicial proceedings and law books in England from the days of William the Conqueror to the thirty-sixth year of Edward III. Law language, the language used in legal writings and forms. Law Latin. See under Latin. Law lords, peers in the British Parliament who have held high judicial office, or have been noted in the legal profession. Law merchant, or Commercial law, a system of rules by which trade and commerce are regulated; -- deduced from the custom of merchants, and regulated by judicial decisions, as also by enactments of legislatures.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Law of Charles (Physics), the law that the volume of a given mass of gas increases or decreases, by a definite fraction of its value for a given rise or fall of temperature; -- sometimes less correctly styled Gay Lussac's law, or Dalton's law. Law of nations. See International law, under International. Law of nature. (a) A broad generalization expressive of the constant action, or effect, of natural conditions; as, death is a law of nature; self-defense is a law of nature. See Law, 4. (b) A term denoting the standard, or system, of morality deducible from a study of the nature and natural relations of human beings independent of supernatural revelation or of municipal and social usages. Law of the land, due process of law; the general law of the land. Laws of honor. See under Honor. Laws of motion (Physics), three laws defined by Sir Isaac Newton: (1) Every body perseveres in its state of rest or of moving uniformly in a straight line, except so far as it is made to change that state by external force. (2) Change of motion is proportional to the impressed force, and takes place in the direction in which the force is impressed. (3) Reaction is always equal and opposite to action, that is to say, the actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal and in opposite directions. Marine law, or Maritime law, the law of the sea; a branch of the law merchant relating to the affairs of the sea, such as seamen, ships, shipping, navigation, and the like. --Bouvier. Mariotte's law. See Boyle's law (above). Martial law.See under Martial. Military law, a branch of the general municipal law, consisting of rules ordained for the government of the military force of a state in peace and war, and administered in courts martial. --Kent. Warren's Blackstone. Moral law,the law of duty as regards what is right and wrong in the sight of God; specifically, the ten commandments given by Moses. See Law, 2. Mosaic, or Ceremonial, law. (Script.) See Law, 3. Municipal, or Positive, law, a rule prescribed by the supreme power of a state, declaring some right, enforcing some duty, or prohibiting some act; -- distinguished from international and constitutional law. See Law, 1. Periodic law. (Chem.) See under Periodic. Roman law, the system of principles and laws found in the codes and treatises of the lawmakers and jurists of ancient Rome, and incorporated more or less into the laws of the several European countries and colonies founded by them. See Civil law (above). Statute law, the law as stated in statutes or positive enactments of the legislative body. Sumptuary law. See under Sumptuary. To go to law, to seek a settlement of any matter by bringing it before the courts of law; to sue or prosecute some one. To take, or have, the law of, to bring the law to bear upon; as, to take the law of one's neighbor. --Addison. Wager of law. See under Wager. Syn: Justice; equity. Usage: Law, Statute, Common law, Regulation, Edict, Decree. Law is generic, and, when used with reference to, or in connection with, the other words here considered, denotes whatever is commanded by one who has a right to require obedience. A statute is a particular law drawn out in form, and distinctly enacted and proclaimed. Common law is a rule of action founded on long usage and the decisions of courts of justice. A regulation is a limited and often, temporary law, intended to secure some particular end or object. An edict is a command or law issued by a sovereign, and is peculiar to a despotic government. A decree is a permanent order either of a court or of the executive government. See Justice.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Law of Charles (Physics), the law that the volume of a given mass of gas increases or decreases, by a definite fraction of its value for a given rise or fall of temperature; -- sometimes less correctly styled Gay Lussac's law, or Dalton's law. Law of nations. See International law, under International. Law of nature. (a) A broad generalization expressive of the constant action, or effect, of natural conditions; as, death is a law of nature; self-defense is a law of nature. See Law, 4. (b) A term denoting the standard, or system, of morality deducible from a study of the nature and natural relations of human beings independent of supernatural revelation or of municipal and social usages. Law of the land, due process of law; the general law of the land. Laws of honor. See under Honor. Laws of motion (Physics), three laws defined by Sir Isaac Newton: (1) Every body perseveres in its state of rest or of moving uniformly in a straight line, except so far as it is made to change that state by external force. (2) Change of motion is proportional to the impressed force, and takes place in the direction in which the force is impressed. (3) Reaction is always equal and opposite to action, that is to say, the actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal and in opposite directions. Marine law, or Maritime law, the law of the sea; a branch of the law merchant relating to the affairs of the sea, such as seamen, ships, shipping, navigation, and the like. --Bouvier. Mariotte's law. See Boyle's law (above). Martial law.See under Martial. Military law, a branch of the general municipal law, consisting of rules ordained for the government of the military force of a state in peace and war, and administered in courts martial. --Kent. Warren's Blackstone. Moral law,the law of duty as regards what is right and wrong in the sight of God; specifically, the ten commandments given by Moses. See Law, 2. Mosaic, or Ceremonial, law. (Script.) See Law, 3. Municipal, or Positive, law, a rule prescribed by the supreme power of a state, declaring some right, enforcing some duty, or prohibiting some act; -- distinguished from international and constitutional law. See Law, 1. Periodic law. (Chem.) See under Periodic. Roman law, the system of principles and laws found in the codes and treatises of the lawmakers and jurists of ancient Rome, and incorporated more or less into the laws of the several European countries and colonies founded by them. See Civil law (above). Statute law, the law as stated in statutes or positive enactments of the legislative body. Sumptuary law. See under Sumptuary. To go to law, to seek a settlement of any matter by bringing it before the courts of law; to sue or prosecute some one. To take, or have, the law of, to bring the law to bear upon; as, to take the law of one's neighbor. --Addison. Wager of law. See under Wager. Syn: Justice; equity. Usage: Law, Statute, Common law, Regulation, Edict, Decree. Law is generic, and, when used with reference to, or in connection with, the other words here considered, denotes whatever is commanded by one who has a right to require obedience. A statute is a particular law drawn out in form, and distinctly enacted and proclaimed. Common law is a rule of action founded on long usage and the decisions of courts of justice. A regulation is a limited and often, temporary law, intended to secure some particular end or object. An edict is a command or law issued by a sovereign, and is peculiar to a despotic government. A decree is a permanent order either of a court or of the executive government. See Justice.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Law Law, v. t. Same as Lawe, v. t. [Obs.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Law Law, interj. [Cf. La.] An exclamation of mild surprise. [Archaic or Low]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(laws) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. The law is a system of rules that a society or government develops in order to deal with crime, business agreements, and social relationships. You can also use the law to refer to the people who work in this system. Obscene and threatening phone calls are against the law... They are seeking permission to begin criminal proceedings against him for breaking the law on financing political parties... There must be changes in the law quickly to stop this sort of thing ever happening to anyone else... The book analyses why women kill and how the law treats them. N-SING: the N 2. Law is used to refer to a particular branch of the law, such as criminal law or company law. He was a professor of criminal law at Harvard University law school... Important questions of constitutional law were involved. N-UNCOUNT: usu adj N 3. A law is one of the rules in a system of law which deals with a particular type of agreement, relationship, or crime. ...the country's liberal political asylum law... The law was passed on a second vote. N-COUNT: oft n N 4. The laws of an organization or activity are its rules, which are used to organize and control it. ...the laws of the Church of England... Match officials should not tolerate such behaviour but instead enforce the laws of the game. = rule N-PLURAL: the N of n, supp N 5. A law is a rule or set of rules for good behaviour which is considered right and important by the majority of people for moral, religious, or emotional reasons. ...inflexible moral laws. = code N-COUNT 6. A law is a natural process in which a particular event or thing always leads to a particular result. The laws of nature are absolute. N-COUNT: with supp 7. A law is a scientific rule that someone has invented to explain a particular natural process. ...the law of gravity. N-COUNT: with supp 8. Law or the law is all the professions which deal with advising people about the law, representing people in court, or giving decisions and punishments. A career in law is becoming increasingly attractive to young people... Nearly 100 law firms are being referred to the Solicitors' Disciplinary Tribunal. 9. Law is the study of systems of law and how laws work. He came to Oxford and studied law... He holds a law degree from Bristol University. N-UNCOUNT 10. see also court of law, rule of law 11. If you accuse someone of thinking they are above the law, you criticize them for thinking that they are so clever or important that they do not need to obey the law. One opposition member of parliament accuses the government of wanting to be above the law... PHRASE: v-link PHR [disapproval] 12. The law of averages is the idea that something is sure to happen at some time, because of the number of times it generally happens or is expected to happen. On the law of averages we just can't go on losing. PHRASE 13. If you have to do something by law or if you are not allowed to do something by law, the law states that you have to do it or that you are not allowed to do it. By law all restaurants must display their prices outside... PHRASE: PHR with cl 14. If you say that someone lays down the law, you are critical of them because they give other people orders and they think that they are always right. ...traditional parents, who believed in laying down the law for their offspring. PHRASE: V inflects [disapproval] 15. If someone takes the law into their own hands, they punish someone or do something to put a situation right, instead of waiting for the police or the legal system to take action. The speeding motorist was pinned to the ground by angry locals who took the law into their own hands until police arrived. PHRASE: V inflects 16. If you say that someone is a law unto himself or herself, you mean that they behave in an independent way, ignoring laws, rules, or conventional ways of doing things. Some of the landowners were a law unto themselves. There was nobody to check their excesses and they exploited the people. PHRASE: v-link PHR 17. Sod's law: see sod

Easton's Bible Dictionary

a rule of action. (1.) The Law of Nature is the will of God as to human conduct, founded on the moral difference of things, and discoverable by natural light (Rom. 1:20; 2:14, 15). This law binds all men at all times. It is generally designated by the term conscience, or the capacity of being influenced by the moral relations of things.

(2.) The Ceremonial Law prescribes under the Old Testament the rites and ceremonies of worship. This law was obligatory only till Christ, of whom these rites were typical, had finished his work (Heb. 7:9, 11; 10:1; Eph. 2:16). It was fulfilled rather than abrogated by the gospel.

(3.) The Judicial Law, the law which directed the civil policy of the Hebrew nation.

(4.) The Moral Law is the revealed will of God as to human conduct, binding on all men to the end of time. It was promulgated at Sinai. It is perfect (Ps. 19:7), perpetual (Matt. 5:17, 18), holy (Rom. 7:12), good, spiritual (14), and exceeding broad (Ps. 119:96). Although binding on all, we are not under it as a covenant of works (Gal. 3:17). (See COMMANDMENTS.)

(5.) Positive Laws are precepts founded only on the will of God. They are right because God commands them.

(6.) Moral positive laws are commanded by God because they are right.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Rule (prescribed by authority), regulation, statute, enactment, decree, ordinance, edict, order, canon, expressed command. 2. Formula, principle, form. 3. Code, body of rules. 4. Jurisprudence, science of laws, legal science. 5. [With The prefixed.] Mosaic code or dispensation, the old covenant. 6. Suit, process, litigation. 7. Controlling idea, governing principle, principle, determining rule (of the invariable sequence of events or forms). 8. Uniform and constant operation (of any natural force under the same conditions), method of the divine agency, God in nature, Nature.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

To give law to a hare; a sporting term, signifying to give the animal a chance of escaping, by not setting on the dogs till the hare is at some distance; it is also more figuratively used for giving any one a chance of succeeding in a scheme or project.

Airports

Landing Facility Type	AIRPORT
Airport Code	LAW
EFF_DATE	02/16/2006
FAA Region	ASW
FAA District	NONE
State	OK
State	OKLAHOMA
County	COMANCHE
County State	OK
City Name	LAWTON
Full Name	LAWTON-FORT SILL REGIONAL
Owner Type	PU
Facility Use	PU
Facility City, State, Zip	"LAWTON, OK 73502"
Elevation	1110
Aeronautical chart on which the airport facility appears	DALLAS-FT WORTH
Distance from the central business district of the associated city to the airport in nautical miles	02
Direction of airport from the central business district of the associated city	S
Airport Certification Type and Date	I AS 05/1973
NASP/Federal Agreement Code	NGY
Customs international airport	N
Customs Landing Rights Airport	N
Joint Use	N
Military Landing Rights	Y
Control Tower	Y
Based Single Engine General Aviation Aircraft	041
Based Multi-engine general aviation aircraft	004
Based Jet engine general aviation aircraft	003
Commercial Services	000078
Air Taxi	003132
General Aviation, Local Operations	002731
General Aviation - Itinerant Operations	008543
Military Aircraft Operations	044508
Latitude	34.5677144444
Longitude	-98.4166366667
State FIPS code	40
State Postal Code	OK
Total domestic enplanements (inbound plus outbound)	46211
Version	09

Moby Thesaurus

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