Lawrence

English

Alternative forms

• (surname): Lieurance

Etymology

See Laurence.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈlɒ.ɹəns/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈlɔɹəns/
• (NYC) IPA^(key): /ˈlɑɹəns/
• Rhymes: -ɒɹəns, -ɔɹəns

Proper noun

Lawrence (countable and uncountable, plural Lawrences)

1. A male given name from Latin, the usual spelling of Laurence in the U.S.; masculine of Lauren
   • 2003, Elise Title, Inside Out: A Mystery, St.Martin's Minotaur, published 2003, →ISBN, page 69:

     "I named him Lawrence. After my father. Pete, that's my husband, he never really liked the name Lawrence. He thought it wasn't very..." she shut her eyes for a moment, shaking her head slowly, "...very masculine." She opened her eyes and smiled ruefully. " That's a good one, isn't it?"

2. A surname originating as a patronymic.
   • 2007, John Dunning, The Bookworm's Last Fling, Simon & Schuster, published 2007, →ISBN, page 321:

     "My name is Richard Lawrence."
     Candice thought he had a storybook name. Like Lawrence of Arabia, she said, but what she always called him was Ricky. Just a jump away from Tricky Dicky.

3. A placename:
   1. A number of places in the United States:
      1. A census-designated place in Chemung Township, McHenry County, Illinois.
      2. A city in Marion County, Indiana.
      3. A city, the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas.
      4. A city in Massachusetts, and one of the two county seats of Essex County.
      5. A township and village therein, in Van Buren County, Michigan.
      6. An extinct village in St. Lawrence Township, Scott County, Minnesota.
      7. An unincorporated community in Newton County, Mississippi.
      8. A village in Nuckolls County, Nebraska.
      9. A village in the town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York.
      10. A town in St. Lawrence County, New York.
      11. A census-designated place in Cecil Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania.
      12. An unincorporated community in Kaufman County, Texas.
      13. An unincorporated community in Emery County, Utah.
      14. An unincorporated community in Whatcom County, Washington.
      15. A town in Brown County, Wisconsin.
      16. An unincorporated community in the town of Westfield, Marquette County, Wisconsin.
      17. A town in Rusk County, Wisconsin.
      18. A number of other townships in the United States, listed under Lawrence Township.
   2. A town in Clarence Valley council area, New South Wales, Australia.
   3. A small town in Otago, New Zealand, named after Henry Montgomery Lawrence.
4. (US, law, sexuality, US politics, informal, uncountable) Ellipsis of Lawrence v. Texas. A 2003 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex sexual relations; and reaffirmed the existence of a right to privacy under due process following the 14th Amendment.

   Coordinate terms: Eisenstadt, Obergefell, substantive due process

5. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) A haze caused by heat; named after a third-century Christian killed by Emperor Valerian by being burned.

Derived terms

• lawrencate
• Lawrence Hill
• lawrencium
• lazy Lawrence
• St Lawrence
• St. Lawrence
• St. Lawrence Island
• Saint Lawrence River, St. Lawrence River
• St. Lawrence County
• Waltham St Lawrence
• Wick St Lawrence
• Wootton St Lawrence

Translations

male given name — see Laurence