Words that start with L

Leeches are in the same family as earthworms. Not all leeches are bloodsuckers, but the ones people are most familiar with are. They grow to around 2-5cm long but some species reach 30cm. Leeches live in damp, swampy areas.
Leeches have adapted one end of them into a sucker, so they can attach to a host. They inject anaesthetic in as they bite, so the host cannot feel them, and then an anti-clotting agent so the host's blood flows freely. Leeches stay stuck to their host until they are full, then they drop off.

Left is a direction. The child in the picture is pointing left. The opposite direction to left is right.

Lego is a system of building blocks that come all sorts of shapes, sizes and colors. Lego can be used to make almost anything. While it is a children's toy, many adults enjoy playing with it too, or making full-size sculptures out of it.

Lemmings are small rodents closely related to voles. They eat mainly leaves new shoots and grasses. Lemmings will sometimes migrate in large numbers, not stopping even if a cliff gets in the way, which has lead to many myths about their behaviour.

Lemon curd is a thick, smooth spread made from lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, eggs, and butter. It is gently cooked until it becomes creamy and bright yellow.

Lemon curd originated in England. It can be used like jam, or as a filling for pastries.

Lemonade is a drink made from lemon juice, water and sugar. Lemonade made commercially at a bottling plant is often carbonated, which means it is full of fizzy little bubbles.
Home-made lemonade tastes nicest if you dissolve the sugar in water by making it into a syrup first. Make sugar syrup by heating 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan until all the sugar is dissolved. Add this to the juice of about 5 lemons (1 cup of juice) and then add 3 or 4 cups of cold water. Put the mix in the fridge until it is cold, and then serve with ice and lemon slices.

A lens is a device that changes the way light bends. When you look through a lens things look different to when you don't look through the lens.

Lenses can be used to make things seem closer than they are, or in spectacles to correct poor vision.

Lentils are a pulse, which means they grow seeds in pods like beans and peas but they are harvested when the seeds are dry. Beans and peas that are not picked fresh but are left to dry out first are also called pulses.
Lentils are eaten all over the world, and are good food for people who do not eat meat. They can be made into soup, stews and curries. They cannot be eaten raw, and need to be cooked before you can eat them. If you soak lentils overnight before you cook them, they are easier to digest.

The leopard is the fourth largest big cat, after the jaguar. Leopards are very similar to jaguars, but are slightly smaller and have a different pattern of spots. Leopards are not fussy and will eat anything they can catch and kill.

A leprechaun is a kind of Irish fairy. Leprechauns are usually little, older men wearing a green suit. Leprechauns make mischief, and store gold in a pot at the end of the rainbow. They are said to be able to grant wishes.