Wiktionary

level

See also: Level and levél

English

edit

Etymology

edit
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *leyH-der.
Proto-Indo-European *-dʰromder.
Proto-Italic *līðrā?
Latin lībra
Proto-Indo-European *-lós
Proto-Indo-European *-elós
Proto-Italic *-elos
Latin -la
Latin libella
Old French nivel
Old French livelbor.
Middle English level
English level

    From Middle English level, from Old French livel, liveau m, later nivel, niveau, from Latin libella f (“a balance, a level”), diminutive of libra f (“a balance, a level”); see libra, librate. Doublet of libella and niveau.

    The verb is from Middle English levelen, from the noun.

    Pronunciation

    edit
    • IPA(key): /ˈlɛvəl/, [ˈlɛvəl] ~ [ˈlɛvl̩]
    • Rhymes: -ɛvəl
    • Hyphenation: lev‧el

    Adjective

    edit

    level (comparative leveler or leveller, superlative levelest or levellest)

    1. The same height at all places; parallel to a flat ground.
      Synonym: flush
      This table isn't quite level; see how this marble rolls off it?
    2. At the same height as some reference; constructed as level with.
      We tried to hang the pictures so that the bottom of the frames were level with the dark line in the wallpaper.
      • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 14, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
        Nanny Broome was looking up at the outer wall. Just under the ceiling there were three lunette windows, heavily barred and blacked out in the normal way by centuries of grime. Their bases were on a level with the pavement outside, a narrow way which was several feet lower than the road behind the house.
    3. Unvaried in frequency.
      His pulse has been level for 12 hours.
    4. Unvaried in volume.
      His voice has been unchanged. It has been level for 12 hours.
    5. Calm.
      He kept a level head under stress.
      He kept a level gaze.
    6. In the same position or rank.
    7. Straightforward; direct; clear.
      • 1873, Matthew Arnold, Literature and Dogma:
        a very plain and level account
    8. Well balanced; even; just; steady; impartial.
      a level head; a level understanding
    9. (phonetics) Of even tone; without rising or falling inflection; monotonic.
      • 1891, Henry Sweet, A History of English Sounds from the Earliest Period:
        Intonation or tone is either level, rising, or falling, marked respectively
    10. (physics) Perpendicular to a gravitational force.
      The earth's oceans remain level in relation to the pull of gravity.

    Antonyms

    edit

    Derived terms

    edit

    Translations

    edit
    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    Noun

    edit

    level (countable and uncountable, plural levels)

    1. A tool for finding whether a surface is level, or for creating a horizontal or vertical line of reference.
      Hand me the level so I can tell if this is correctly installed.
    2. A distance relative to a given reference elevation.
      By the end of the day, we'd dug down to the level of the old basement floor.
    3. Degree or amount.
      • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XVII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
        This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless, she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, sempstress, anything. In a moment she had dropped to the level of a casual labourer.
      • 2013 May 17, George Monbiot, “Money just makes the rich suffer”, in The Guardian Weekly‎[2], volume 188, number 23, page 19:
        In order to grant the rich these pleasures, the social contract is reconfigured. […]  The public realm is privatised, the regulations restraining the ultra–wealthy and the companies they control are abandoned, and Edwardian levels of inequality are almost fetishised.
      The sound level is much too high; this hurts my ears.
      We've reached a new level of success.
    4. Achievement or qualification.
      She achieved a high level of distinction.
    5. (computer science) Distance from the root node of a tree structure.
    6. (video games) One of several discrete segments of a game, generally increasing in difficulty and representing different locations in the game world.
      Synonyms: stage, zone, world
      • 2007 December, Chris Slate, “Get Ready to Smash”, in Nintendo Power, volume 222, page 49:
        Many of the levels change over time, from day to night or from one location to another, and some undergo a total transformation.
      It took me weeks to get to level seven.   Watch out for the next level; the bad guys there are really overpowered.
    7. (roleplaying games, video games) A numeric value given to a character (or other element of a game) that represents its relative power, challenge or eligibility to do things, used as a game mechanic to govern progression through a game.
      My half-orc barbarian reached fifth level before he was squashed by a troll.
    8. A floor of a multi-storey building.
      Take the elevator and get off at the promenade level.
    9. (UK) An area of almost perfectly flat land.
      • 1820, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Oedipus Tyrannus; Or, Swellfoot The Tyrant: A Tragedy in Two Acts:
        The troops grow mutinous—the revenue fails—
        There’s something rotten in us—for the level
        Of the State slopes, its very bases topple,
        The boldest turn their backs upon themselves!
    10. (Singapore, education) A school grade or year.
    11. (statistics) One of the specific values which may be taken by a categorical variable.
      The most common level of the colour variable is red. The other levels are blue and green.

    Hyponyms

    edit

    Derived terms

    edit

    Descendants

    edit
    • → German: Level
    • → Irish: leibhéal
    • → Japanese: レベル (reberu)
    • → Tamil: லெவல் (leval)
    • → Turkish: level
    • → Welsh: lefel

    Translations

    edit
    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    See also

    edit

    Verb

    edit

    level (third-person singular simple present levels, present participle (US) leveling or (UK) levelling, simple past and past participle (US) leveled or (UK) levelled)

    1. (transitive) To adjust so as to make as flat or perpendicular to the ground as possible.
      You can level the table by turning the pads that screw into the feet.
      • 1939 June, “Pertinent Paragraphs: Pitfalls”, in Railway Magazine, page 456:
        This pitfall, beginning in February and finishing in May, resulted in a drop of about 3 ft. in the platform level; during this period it was necessary to level the track three times weekly, and impose a service slack of 15 m.p.h. The subsidence appears now to have finished, and normal speed is once again permitted.
      • 2020 August 12, “Network News: Four new jacks at Clacton depot”, in Rail, page 18:
        The work involved a complete rewiring of the system, while the addition of four higher-capacity Mechan jacks and the increased length of the new train meant the entire floor (the length of four train carriages) had to be dug up, levelled and strengthened to meet tolerance requirements.
    3. (transitive) To destroy by reducing to ground level; to raze.
      The hurricane leveled the forest.
    4. (intransitive, roleplaying games, video games) To progress to the next level.
      Synonym: level up
      I levelled after defeating the dragon.
    5. (transitive) To aim or direct (a weapon, a stare, an accusation, etc).
      He levelled an accusation of fraud at the directors.  The hunter levels the gun before taking a shot.
      • 1592, John Stow, The Annales of England:
        Bertram de Gordon, standing on the castle wall, levelled a quarrel out of a crossbow.
      • 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:
        But then I had the [massive] flintlock by me for protection. ¶ […] The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window […], and a 'bead' could be drawn upon Molly, the dairymaid, kissing the fogger behind the hedge, little dreaming that the deadly tube was levelled at them.
      • 2023 October 12, HarryBlank, “Fire in the Hole”, in SCP Foundation‎[3], archived from the original on 22 May 2024:

        The force of her horror must have been palpable in the air, because Jorge's eyes opened as she raised the bayonet up. "Fina?"

        "How...?" she managed.

        He sat bolt upright, and swung his feet over the bed. "Fina, it isn't safe here. You need to hide."

        She kept the bayonet levelled on him. "I thought you were dead."

    6. (transitive) To direct or impose (a penalty, fine, etc) at or upon (someone) [with on or against or at].
      Synonym: levy
      • 1809, William Ross (Jr.), Abridgement of the laws of Scotland relating to hunting [etc], page 60:
        If the right of killing salmon belong exclusively to the King, and consequently to his donatories, why has not the Legislature secured the right by levelling penalties against such as should encroach upon it [...] ?
      • 1978, Parliamentary Debates of the New Zealand House of Representatives, page 4955:
        How can the Minister reconcile the first statement with the clause, when he is in fact levelling punishment at the woman and not at the errant father [...] ?
      • 1995, The Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) of the [Great British] House of Lords:
        There is no purpose in levelling fines because they would be merely paid from the £1.8 billion which the BBC collects.
      • 2007, Mary Jacoby, EU investigators endorse charges against Intel, Wall Street Journal Europe, 17 January, page 32, column 5:
        Ultimately, Ms. Kroes [European Union Antitrust Commissioner] could level a fine and order Intel to change its business practices.
    7. (intransitive, sports) To make the score of a game equal.
      Synonym: equalize
      • 2012 April 9, Mandeep Sanghera, “Tottenham 1-2 Norwich”, in BBC Sport:
        Holt was furious referee Michael Oliver refused to then award him a penalty after Ledley King appeared to pull his shirt and his anger was compounded when Spurs immediately levelled.
    8. (transitive, figurative) To bring to a common level or plane, in respect of rank, condition, character, privilege, etc.
      to level all the ranks and conditions of men
    9. (transitive) To adjust or adapt to a certain level.
      to level remarks to the capacity of children
    10. (intransitive) To speak honestly and openly [with with ‘someone’] (see: level with).
      • 2010, James William Jones, Triple Crossed:
        Sean, I'll level with you. This could get ugly. Do you have a gun?
    12. (linguistics) To replace (an irregular form) with a more common form; to remove irregularities or complexities, such as within a paradigm; to regularize.

    Derived terms

    edit

    Translations

    edit

    See also

    edit
    etymologically unrelated terms containing "level"

    References

    edit

    Further reading

    edit

    Dutch

    edit
    Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:
    Wikipedia nl

    Etymology

    edit

    Borrowed from English level.

    Pronunciation

    edit
    • IPA(key): /ˈlɛ.vəl/
    • Audio:(file)
    • Hyphenation: le‧vel

    Noun

    edit

    level n (plural levels, diminutive leveltje n)

    1. (video games) level (segment of a game)
      Synonym: niveau
    2. (roleplaying games, video games) level (numeric value quantifying an ability, a character or an item)
      Synonym: niveau

    Indonesian

    edit

    Etymology

    edit

    From English level, from Middle English level, from Old French livel, liveau m, later nivel, niveau, from Latin libella f (“a balance, a level”), diminutive of libra f (“a balance, a level”).

    Pronunciation

    edit

    Noun

    edit

    level (plural level-level)

    1. (colloquial) level
      Synonyms: aras, tingkat, tingkatan, tataran, lapisan

    Further reading

    edit

    Turkish

    edit

    Etymology

    edit

    Borrowed from English level.

    Pronunciation

    edit
    • IPA(key): /ˈle.vel/, /ˈle.vɯɫ/
    • Hyphenation: le‧vel

    Noun

    edit

    level (definite accusative leveli or levelı, plural leveller or levellar).

    1. (gaming) level
      Synonym: bölüm
      level bir ― level one

    Usage notes

    edit
    • The vowel harmony shifts based on the pronunciation. Pronunciation as /ˈle.vel/ prefers front vowel harmony meanwhile a pronunciation as /ˈle.vɯɫ/ prefers a back vowel harmony.

    Declension

    edit
    Declension of level
    singular plural
    nominative level leveller
    definite accusative leveli levelleri
    dative levele levellere
    locative levelde levellerde
    ablative levelden levellerden
    genitive levelin levellerin
    Possessive forms
    nominative
    singular plural
    1st singular levelim levellerim
    2nd singular levelin levellerin
    3rd singular leveli levelleri
    1st plural levelimiz levellerimiz
    2nd plural leveliniz levelleriniz
    3rd plural levelleri levelleri
    definite accusative
    singular plural
    1st singular levelimi levellerimi
    2nd singular levelini levellerini
    3rd singular levelini levellerini
    1st plural levelimizi levellerimizi
    2nd plural levelinizi levellerinizi
    3rd plural levellerini levellerini
    dative
    singular plural
    1st singular levelime levellerime
    2nd singular leveline levellerine
    3rd singular leveline levellerine
    1st plural levelimize levellerimize
    2nd plural levelinize levellerinize
    3rd plural levellerine levellerine
    locative
    singular plural
    1st singular levelimde levellerimde
    2nd singular levelinde levellerinde
    3rd singular levelinde levellerinde
    1st plural levelimizde levellerimizde
    2nd plural levelinizde levellerinizde
    3rd plural levellerinde levellerinde
    ablative
    singular plural
    1st singular levelimden levellerimden
    2nd singular levelinden levellerinden
    3rd singular levelinden levellerinden
    1st plural levelimizden levellerimizden
    2nd plural levelinizden levellerinizden
    3rd plural levellerinden levellerinden
    genitive
    singular plural
    1st singular levelimin levellerimin
    2nd singular levelinin levellerinin
    3rd singular levelinin levellerinin
    1st plural levelimizin levellerimizin
    2nd plural levelinizin levellerinizin
    3rd plural levellerinin levellerinin
    Predicative forms
    singular plural
    1st singular levelim levellerim
    2nd singular levelsin levellersin
    3rd singular level
    leveldir     		leveller
    levellerdir
    1st plural leveliz levelleriz
    2nd plural levelsiniz levellersiniz
    3rd plural leveller levellerdir
    Declension of level
    singular plural
    nominative level levellar
    definite accusative levelı levelları
    dative levela levellara
    locative levelda levellarda
    ablative leveldan levellardan
    genitive levelın levelların
    Possessive forms
    nominative
    singular plural
    1st singular levelım levellarım
    2nd singular levelın levelların
    3rd singular levelı levelları
    1st plural levelımız levellarımız
    2nd plural levelınız levellarınız
    3rd plural levelları levelları
    definite accusative
    singular plural
    1st singular levelımı levellarımı
    2nd singular levelını levellarını
    3rd singular levelını levellarını
    1st plural levelımızı levellarımızı
    2nd plural levelınızı levellarınızı
    3rd plural levellarını levellarını
    dative
    singular plural
    1st singular levelıma levellarıma
    2nd singular levelına levellarına
    3rd singular levelına levellarına
    1st plural levelımıza levellarımıza
    2nd plural levelınıza levellarınıza
    3rd plural levellarına levellarına
    locative
    singular plural
    1st singular levelımda levellarımda
    2nd singular levelında levellarında
    3rd singular levelında levellarında
    1st plural levelımızda levellarımızda
    2nd plural levelınızda levellarınızda
    3rd plural levellarında levellarında
    ablative
    singular plural
    1st singular levelımdan levellarımdan
    2nd singular levelından levellarından
    3rd singular levelından levellarından
    1st plural levelımızdan levellarımızdan
    2nd plural levelınızdan levellarınızdan
    3rd plural levellarından levellarından
    genitive
    singular plural
    1st singular levelımın levellarımın
    2nd singular levelının levellarının
    3rd singular levelının levellarının
    1st plural levelımızın levellarımızın
    2nd plural levelınızın levellarınızın
    3rd plural levellarının levellarının
    Predicative forms
    singular plural
    1st singular levelım levellarım
    2nd singular levelsın levellarsın
    3rd singular level
    leveldır     		levellar
    levellardır
    1st plural levelız levellarız
    2nd plural levelsınız levellarsınız
    3rd plural levellar levellardır

    Further reading

    edit
    Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=level&oldid=90496221"