Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The sixth tone of the diatonic scale in solfeggio.
  • interjection Used to express emphasis or indicate surprise.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • An expression of mild admiration, wonder, or surprise, and formerly of asseveration: as, O la! that is strange.
  • noun In solmization, the syllable used for the sixth tone of the scale—that is, the submediant.
  • noun The feminine form of the definite article in French, occurring in some names and phrases used in English.
  • noun In chem., the symbol for lanthanum.
  • noun A contraction of Louisiana.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A syllable applied to the sixth tone of the scale in music in solmization.
  • noun The tone A; -- so called among the French and Italians.
  • interjection obsolete Look; see; behold; -- sometimes followed by you.
  • interjection Low An exclamation of surprise; -- commonly followed by me

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Prefixed to the name of a woman, with ironic effect (as though an opera prima donna).
  • noun music A syllable used in solfège to represent the sixth note of a major scale.
  • interjection obsolete Used to introduce a statement with emphatic or intensive effect.
  • interjection archaic Expressing surprise, anger etc.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a state in southern United States on the Gulf of Mexico; one of the Confederate states during the American Civil War
  • noun a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
  • noun the syllable naming the sixth (submediant) note of a major or minor scale in solmization

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Medieval Latin; see gamut.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French la, Italian la.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Originally as the first syllable of Latin labii.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Old English .

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Examples

  • Jeudi, la presse italienne s'est longuement attardée sur «la Carla».

    Archive 2009-07-01 2009

  • Jeudi, la presse italienne s'est longuement attardée sur «la Carla».

    [carla bruni-sarkozy] déchaîne les passions italiennes 2009

  • He's sweet la .. i know .. but he need not spend this kinda $$ on me de lo ... i can seriously protect myself. but i guess he didnt think so la~ haha!

    kimmiology Diary Entry kimmiology 2008

  • Are we that fermented and pungent that we have to perfume ourselves with the more refined *ooh la la* Japanese?

    Archive 2005-10-01 2005

  • There is a wine list that has the *ooh la la* wines, but they also have a list of wines that are $10 a bottle.

    Red and Roasted Peppers to the Rescue - San Gennaro Cafe, Brentwood 2005

  • Are we that fermented and pungent that we have to perfume ourselves with the more refined *ooh la la* Japanese?

    Crouching Liger, Hidden Korean - Miyako Japanese Restaurant 2005

  • J'ai toujours pensé que la mémoire était *la* grande affaire de la langue... et de la vie, en fait.

    languagehat.com: ARCHIVE(S). 2005

  • It begins, “Deck the halls with boughs of holly;/Fa la la la la, la la la la….

    "Deck the Halls" 2002

  • Vol. 5: Oeuvres anonymes du XVIIIe siècle (III): du Père Dirrag et de Mademoiselle Eradice Le Triomphe des religieuses ou les nonnes babillardes Lettres galantes et philosophiques de deux nonnes La Messaline française ou les nuits de la duchesse de Pol… et aventures mystérieuses de la princesse d'H… et de la…

    Sex for Thought Darnton, Robert 1994

  • J'ai entendu un des hommes de loi les plus éclairés, et dont à tout autre égard les opinions sont libérales, soutenir que "ce serait attenter à _la propriété_ que de déclarer libres même les enfans à naître des femmes esclaves, parce que, disait-il, les maîtres qui out acheté ou hérité des esclaves, les possèdent dans la confiance que leur _issue_ sera leur propriété utile et disponible."

    The Journal of Negro History, Volume 1, January 1916 Various

Comments

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  • La. Chemical element symbol for Lanthanum.

    December 16, 2007