Meaning & use
lake
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Meanings
nouncountable
A large area of water with land all around it.
Grammar: Countable: use 'a lake' or 'lakes'.
Patterns
- a lake
- by the lake
- in the lake
- on the lake
We swam in the lake near our hotel.
The lake was calm and blue in the morning sun.
They live by a small lake in the mountains.
nouncountablefigurative
A pool of liquid, especially one formed by accident or in a machine.
Grammar: Often used in compounds like 'oil lake' or 'lake of blood'.
Patterns
- a lake of something
- an oil lake
A lake of spilled oil spread across the floor.
The broken pipe left a small lake in the basement.
Word forms
| plural | lakes |
|---|
Common combinations
- a lake shore
- We walked along the lake shore at sunset.
- a lake house
- They rented a lake house for the summer.
- a lake bed
- The dry lake bed was cracked and white.
- swim in a lake
- It is safe to swim in this lake.
- a frozen lake
- The children skated on the frozen lake.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- lakefront noun
- The land at the edge of a lake.
- lakeside noun
- The area beside a lake.
Commonly confused: lake or lack?
lake vs lack
Lack means not having enough of something; lake is a body of water.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'lake' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Lake' is a body of water, so 'in the lake behind the house' is correct. 'Lack' is a different word meaning shortage.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lake”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.