# lake

/ˈɫeɪk/ (US) · /lˈeɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/lake
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. body of water

noun · CEFR A2

a large area of water that is surrounded by land.

For teachers: a large inland body of standing water, typically fresh but occasionally saline.

- We spent the afternoon swimming in the lake and having a picnic on the shore.
- The cottage overlooks a secluded lake, where the surface remains perfectly still until the morning breeze begins to ripple the water.

### 2. pigment

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a type of red paint or dye made from organic materials.

For teachers: a pigment produced by precipitating a dye with a metallic mordant, traditionally used in oil painting and food colouring.

- The artist used a crimson lake to get that deep red colour in the sunset.
- Restorers identified the presence of madder lake in the shadows of the portrait, noting that the organic pigment had faded significantly over the centuries.

### 3. to play

verb · CEFR C2 · British English · Dialect

to play or have fun.

For teachers: to engage in play, sport, or physical exertion.

- The children were out laking in the fields until it got dark.
- In certain Northern English communities, older generations still use the term to describe children laking out in the street after school.

Teaching tip: This sense is highly regional to Northern England; most English speakers will only know the 'body of water' meaning.

## Examples

- We went swimming in the lake yesterday.
- The family rented a small wooden cabin near the lake for their summer vacation.
- Reflecting the surrounding mountains like a mirror, the alpine lake remained perfectly still until a light breeze rippled across its surface at dawn.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.