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alive

adj
/əˈlaɪv/

Etymology

From Middle English alive, alife, olive, olife, on live, on life, from Old English on līfe (“alive”, literally “in life" or "in (the) body”), from on (“on, in”) + līfe, dative singular of līf (“life”). In this sense, replaced Old English cwic (whence English quick). Equivalent to a- + life. Compare Dutch in leven (“alive”, literally “in life”), German am Leben (“alive”, literally “at life" or "at living”).

  1. inherited from on līfe — “alive”
  2. inherited from alive

Definitions

  1. Having life

    Having life; living; not dead.

    • As long as the plant is alive, he will continue to water it.
    • I am hee that liueth, and was dead : and behold, I am aliue foꝛ euermoꝛe,Amen,and haue the keyes of hell and of death.

  2. In a state of action

    In a state of action; in force or operation; existent.

    • to keep the fire alive
    • to keep the affections alive

  3. Busy with activity of many living beings

    Busy with activity of many living beings; swarming; thronged; busy.

    • Although quite dull during the day, the main street comes alive at night, with many bars and clubs opening.
    • The Boyne, for a quarter of a mile, was alive with muskets and green boughs.
  4. ›+ 6 more definitions

    1. Carrying electrical current

      Carrying electrical current; energized.

      • DANGER: OVERHEAD CATENARY—WIRE IS ALIVE

    2. Aware of

      Aware of; sensitive to.

      • We are alive to the ongoing potential for terrorist attacks.
      • We may be sure that the Church would be alive to the dangers of allowing the plays to be performed outside the sacred edifice.
      • The railways are fully alive to the position, and are sparing neither effort nor expense to provide more attractive trains and to effect economies, but in such circumstances some curtailment of services is inevitable.

    3. Sprightly

      Sprightly; lively; brisk.

      • Smouch, requesting Mr. Pickwick in a surly manner ‘to be as alive as he could, for it was a busy time,’ drew up a chair by the door and sat there, until he had finished dressing.
      • Liverpool’s equaliser came within four minutes. James Milner swung the ball over from a corner on the right and Sadio Mané, Liverpool’s most dangerous player, was alive in the six-yard area.

    4. Susceptible, sensitive

      Susceptible, sensitive; easy to impress; having keen feelings, as opposed to apathy.

      • Though tremblingly alive to Nature's laws, Yet ever firm to Honour's sacred cause
      • This was a reproach to John, and a slur upon the dog; and both were alive to their misfortune.
      • Beedel raised his slow, meditative eyes and wondered for the hundredth time at the strangely alive expression in the gaze that really seemed to meet his own.

    5. Out of all living creatures.

      • The Whitest Boy Alive
      • The Earl of Northumberland 'was the proudest man alive' and 'was in all his deportment a very great man.
      • I'm the toughest girl alive / I walked through the fire and I survived.

    6. Synonym of live.

The neighborhood

Derived

alive and kicking, alive and well, alive internet theory, alively, aliveness, born-alive, catch-'em-alive-O, Christ alive, come alive, dead-alive, dead-and-alive, dead or alive, eat someone alive, flay someone alive, for land's sake alive, for land's sakes alive, for the land's sake alive, for the land's sakes alive, keepalive, keep hope alive, land sake alive, land sakes alive, land's sake alive, land's sakes alive, look alive, man alive, mercy sake's alive, more dead than alive, nonalive, saints alive, sakes alive, skin someone alive, snakes alive, unalive, working alive

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at alive. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01alive02force03energy04motion05respect06death07life08inanimate

A definitional loop anchored at alive. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

8 hops · closes at alive

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA