n. [ AS. lyft air. See Loft. ] The sky; the atmosphere; the firmament. [ Obs. or Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Lifted; p. pr. & vb. n. Lifting. ] [ Icel. lypta, fr. lopt air; akin to Sw. lyfta to lift, Dan. löfte, G. lüften; -- prop., to raise into the air. See Loft, and cf. 1st Lift. ] 1. To move in a direction opposite to that of gravitation; to raise; to elevate; to bring up from a lower place to a higher; to upheave; sometimes implying a continued support or holding in the higher place; -- said of material things; as, to lift the foot or the hand; to lift a chair or a burden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To raise, elevate, exalt, improve, in rank, condition, estimation, character, etc.; -- often with up. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Roman virtues lift up mortal man. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lest, being lifted up with pride. 1 Tim. iii. 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To bear; to support. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To collect, as moneys due; to raise. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. [ Perh. a different word, and akin to Goth. hliftus thief, hlifan to steal, L. clepere, Gr. kle`ptein. Cf. Shoplifter. ] To steal; to carry off by theft (esp. cattle); as, to lift a drove of cattle. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In old writers, lift is sometimes used for lifted. [ 1913 Webster ]

He ne'er lift up his hand but conquered. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To lift up, to raise or elevate; in the Scriptures, specifically, to elevate upon the cross. John viii. 28. --
To lift up the eyes. To look up; to raise the eyes, as in prayer. Ps. cxxi. 1. --
To lift up the feet, to come speedily to one's relief. Ps. lxxiv. 3. --
To lift up the hand. (a) To take an oath. Gen. xiv. 22. (b) To pray. Ps. xxviii. 2. (c) To engage in duty. Heb. xii. 12. --
To lift up the hand against, to rebel against; to assault; to attack; to injure; to oppress. Job xxxi. 21. --
To lift up one's head, to cause one to be exalted or to rejoice. Gen. xl. 13. Luke xxi. 28. --
To lift up the heel against, to treat with insolence or unkindness. John xiii.18. --
To lift up the voice, to cry aloud; to call out. Gen. xxi. 16. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To try to raise something; to exert the strength for raising or bearing. [ 1913 Webster ]

Strained by lifting at a weight too heavy. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To rise; to become or appear raised or elevated; as, the fog lifts; the land lifts to a ship approaching it. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. [ See Lift, v. t., 5. ] To steal; also, to live by theft. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Act of lifting; also, that which is lifted. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The space or distance through which anything is lifted; as, a long lift. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Help; assistance, as by lifting. Hence: A ride in a vehicle, given by the vehicle's owner to another person as a favor -- usually in “give a lift” or “got a lift”; as, to give one a lift in a wagon; Jack gave me a lift into town. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

The goat gives the fox a lift. L'Estrange.

4. That by means of which a person or thing lifts or is lifted; as: (a) A hoisting machine; an elevator; a dumb waiter. [ Chiefly Brit. ] (b) An exercising machine. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A rise; a degree of elevation; as, the lift of a lock in canals. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A lift gate. See Lift gate, below. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Naut.) A rope leading from the masthead to the extremity of a yard below; -- used for raising or supporting the end of the yard. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Mach.) One of the steps of a cone pulley. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. (Shoemaking) A layer of leather in the heel. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. (Horology) That portion of the vibration of a balance during which the impulse is given. Saunier. [ 1913 Webster ]

11. A brightening of the spirits; encouragement; as, the campaign workers got a lift from the President's endorsement. [ PJC ]

Dead lift. See under Dead. Swift. --
Lift bridge, a kind of drawbridge, the movable part of which is lifted, instead of being drawn aside. --
Lift gate, a gate that is opened by lifting. --
Lift hammer. See Tilt hammer. --
Lift lock, a canal lock. --
Lift pump, a lifting pump. --
Lift tenter (Windmills), a governor for regulating the speed by adjusting the sails, or for adjusting the action of grinding machinery according to the speed. --
Lift wall (Canal Lock), the cross wall at the head of the lock. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Such as can be lifted. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. turned upward; as, she left the room with her face lifted.
Syn. -- upraised. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. One who, or that which, lifts. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Founding) A tool for lifting loose sand from the mold; also, a contrivance attached to a cope, to hold the sand together when the cope is lifted. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Used in, or for, or by, lifting. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lifting bridge, a lift bridge. --
Lifting jack. See 2d Jack, 5. --
Lifting machine. See Health lift, under Health. --
Lifting pump. (Mach.) (a) A kind of pump having a bucket, or valved piston, instead of a solid piston, for drawing water and lifting it to a high level. (b) A pump which lifts the water only to the top of the pump, or delivers it through a spout; a lift pump. --
Lifting rod, a vertical rod lifted by a rock shaft, and imparting motion to a puppet valve; -- used in the engines of river steamboats. --
Lifting sail (Naut.), one which tends to lift a vessel's bow out of water, as jibs and square foresails. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Rocketry) the initial ascent of a rocket from its launching pad. [ WordNet 1.5 ]