alife

See also: Alife, ALife, aLife, a-life, A-Life, and A-life

English

Etymology 1

Compare lief (“dear”).

Alternative forms

a-life

Adverb

alife (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) with all one's heart; dearly.
   • 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “(please specify |book=I to XXXVII)”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], (please specify |tome=1 or 2), London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC:

     Saffron loueth a-life to be trampled and trod vpon.

   • 1603, Plutarch, translated by Philemon Holland, The Philosophie, Commonlie Called, The Morals […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield, →OCLC:

     A busie fellow loveth a-life to step secretly into a house.

   • c. 1604–1626, doubtfully attributed to Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “The Faithful Friends”, in Henry [William] Weber, editor, The Works of Beaumont and Fletcher, in Fourteen Volumes: […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] F[rancis] C[harles] and J[ohn] Rivington;  […], published 1812, →OCLC, Act II, scene ii, page 50:

     Fla[via]. Come, Sir Pergamus, till your horse come, you and I'll go play at shuttle-cock. / Per[gamus]. A match i'faith. I love that sport a' life. Yet my mother charged me not to use it for fear of putting my arm out of joint.

Usage notes

Always collocated with "love" e.g. to love someone/something alife

Etymology 2

Abbreviation of artificial life.

Noun

alife (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of A-life

Anagrams

• Alfie, Faile, alief, faile

Middle English

Adjective

alife

1. Alternative form of alyve