libel

From Old French libelle, from Latin libellus (“petition”).

• enPR: līʹbəl, IPA^(key): /ˈlaɪbəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪbəl

libel (countable and uncountable, plural libels)

1. (countable) A written or pictorial false statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation.
2. (uncountable) The act or crime of displaying such a statement publicly.
3. (countable) Any defamatory writing; a lampoon; a satire.
4. (law, countable) A written declaration or statement by the plaintiff of his cause of action, and of the relief he seeks.
   • United States Supreme Court, The Rio Grande, 86 U.S. 178,179 (1873)

     These provisions of law being in force, the steamer Rio Grande, owned, as was alleged, by persons in Mexico, being in the port of Mobile, in the Southern District of Alabama, certain materialmen, on the 26th of November, 1867, filed separate libels against her in the district court for the said district.

5. (countable) A brief writing of any kind, especially a declaration, bill, certificate, request, supplication, etc.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Chaucer to this entry?)

   • Wyclif Bible (Matthew v. 31)

     a libel of forsaking [divorcement]

• See also Thesaurus:slander

libel (third-person singular simple present libels, present participle (UK) libelling or (US) libeling, simple past and past participle (UK) libelled or (US) libeled)

1. (transitive) To defame someone, especially in a manner that meets the legal definition of libel.

   He libelled her when he published that.

   • Alexander Pope

     Some wicked wits have libelled all the fair.

2. (law) To proceed against (a ship, goods, etc.) by filing a libel.

• See also Thesaurus:defame

• defamation
• defame
• slander

• Belli, I'll be, Ibell, Liebl

• IPA^(key): /liˈbɛl/
• Hyphenation: li‧bel
• Rhymes: -ɛl

From Latin libellus, diminutive of liber (“book”).

libel n (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)

1. booklet, notably a libel

• schotschrift
• smaadschrift

• libelle

libel f (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)

1. dragonfly, insect of the infraorder Anisoptera
2. dragonfly or damselfly, insect of the order Odonata

• (insect of the order Odonata): beekjuffer, breedscheenjuffer, pantserjuffer, waterjuffer, winterjuffer

• M. J. Koenen & J. Endepols, Verklarend Handwoordenboek der Nederlandse Taal (tevens Vreemde-woordentolk), Groningen, Wolters-Noordhoff, 1969 (26th edition) [Dutch dictionary in Dutch]