1. A large inland body of fresh water or salt water.
2. A scenic pond, as in a park.
3. A large pool of liquid: a lake of spilled coffee on my desk.

[Middle English, from Old French lac and from Old English lacu, both from Latin lacus.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.