lifes

English

Noun

lifes (obsolete)

1. (possibly not standard in any era) plural of life
2. genitive of life
   • 1598, Robert Tofte, “The Third Part of the Moneths Mind of a Melancholy Lover.”, in Alba. The Month's Minde of a Melancholy Lover.‎ (Poetry), published 1880, →OCLC, page 106:

     My lifes Cataſtrophe is at an end, / The Staffe whereon my ſickly Loue did leane / And which from falling (ſtill) did him defend, / Is through miſchance in ſunder broken cleane. / Gone is my Mediatrix, my beſt Aduocate, / Who vſde for me to interceſsionate.

   • c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 140, column 2:

     Duncane is in his Graue:
     After Lifes fitfull Feuer, he ſleepes well,
     Treaſon ha's done his worſt: not Steele, not Poyſon,
     Mallice domeſtique, forraine Leuie, nothing,
     Can touch him further.

   • 1608, [Guillaume de Salluste] Du Bartas, “[Du Bartas His Second Weeke, […]. Noah. […].] The Arke. The I. Part of the II. Day of the II. Week.”, in Josuah Sylvester, transl., Du Bartas His Deuine Weekes and Workes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Humfrey Lownes [and are to be sold by Arthur Iohnson […]], published 1611, →OCLC, page 302:

     The heavy hand of the high Thunderer
     Shall light on thee; and thou I doubt ſhalt be
     His Furies object, and ſhalt teſtifie
     By thine infamous lifes accurſed ſtate,
     VVhat now thy ſhame-leſs lips ſophiſticate.

Related terms

• lowlifes, low-lifes
• no-lifes
• still lifes

Verb

lifes

1. third-person singular simple present indicative of life

Anagrams

• Files, files, flies

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈliː.fes/, [ˈliː.ves]

Noun

līfes

1. genitive singular of līf