level

This table isn't quite level; see how this marble rolls off it?

the smooth and level pavement

1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

The same height at all places; parallel to a flat ground.

We tried to hang the pictures so that the bottom of the frames were level with the dark line in the wallpaper.

Nanny Broome was looking up at the outer wall. Just under the ceiling there were three lunette windows, heavily barred and blacked out in the normal way by centuries of grime. Their bases were on a level with the pavement outside, a narrow way which was several feet lower than the road behind the house.

1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 14, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

At the same height as some reference; constructed as level with.

His pulse has been level for 12 hours.

His voice has been unchanged. It has been level for 12 hours.

He kept a level head under stress.

He kept a level gaze.

Young boys and girls
 Are level now with men.

c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene xv]:

After a poor start to the season, Roy Hodgson's men are now unbeaten in four matches and 10th in the Premier League table, level with Aston Villa on 11 points.

2011 October 22, Sam Sheringham, “Aston Villa 1 - 2 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:

a very plain and level account

1873, Matthew Arnold, Literature and Dogma:

a level head; a level understanding

a level consideration

c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:

Well balanced; even; just; steady; impartial.

Intonation or tone is either level, rising, or falling, marked respectively

1891, Henry Sweet, A History of English Sounds from the Earliest Period:

(phonetics) Of even tone; without rising or falling inflection; monotonic.

The earth's oceans remain level in relation to the pull of gravity.

(physics) Perpendicular to a gravitational force.

en-adj

level (comparative leveler or leveller, superlative levelest or levellest)

leveler (comparative)
leveller (comparative)
levelest (superlative)
levellest (superlative)

From Middle English level, from Old French livel, liveau m, later nivel, niveau, from Latin libella f (“a balance, a level”), diminutive of libra f (“a balance, a level”); see libra, librate. Doublet of libella and niveau.
The verb is from Middle English levelen, from the noun.


level

Hand me the level so I can tell if this is correctly installed.

A tool for finding whether a surface is level, or for creating a horizontal or vertical line of reference.

By the end of the day, we'd dug down to the level of the old basement floor.

A distance relative to a given reference elevation.

This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless, she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, sempstress, anything. In a moment she had dropped to the level of a casual labourer.

1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XVII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

In order to grant the rich these pleasures, the social contract is reconfigured. […] The public realm is privatised, the regulations restraining the ultra–wealthy and the companies they control are abandoned, and Edwardian levels of inequality are almost fetishised.

2013 May 17, George Monbiot, “Money just makes the rich suffer”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 23, page 19:

The sound level is much too high; this hurts my ears. We've reached a new level of success.

She achieved a high level of distinction.

(computer science) Distance from the root node of a tree structure.

It took me weeks to get to level seven. Watch out for the next level; the bad guys there are really overpowered.

(video games) One of several discrete segments of a game, generally increasing in difficulty and representing different locations in the game world.

My half-orc barbarian reached fifth level before he was squashed by a troll.

(roleplaying games, video games) A numeric value that quantifies a character, ability, or item's experience and power.

Take the elevator and get off at the promenade level.

The troops grow mutinous—the revenue fails—
There’s something rotten in us—for the level
Of the State slopes, its very bases topple,
The boldest turn their backs upon themselves!

1820, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Oedipus Tyrannus; Or, Swellfoot The Tyrant: A Tragedy in Two Acts:

(British) An area of almost perfectly flat land.

(Singapore, education) A school grade or year.

The most common level of the colour variable is red. The other levels are blue and green.

categorical variable
categorical variable

(statistics) One of the specific values which may be taken by a categorical variable.

en-noun

level (countable and uncountable, plural levels)

→ German: Level

→ Irish: leibhéal

desctree

→ Japanese: レベル (reberu)
→ Korean: 레벨 (rebel)

→ Welsh: lefel

taso

computer science: distance from the root node of a tree structure

級 /级

gaming: numeric value for something or someone's experience and power


level

You can level the table by turning the pads that screw into the feet.

This pitfall, beginning in February and finishing in May, resulted in a drop of about 3 ft. in the platform level; during this period it was necessary to level the track three times weekly, and impose a service slack of 15 m.p.h. The subsidence appears now to have finished, and normal speed is once again permitted.

1939 June, “Pertinent Paragraphs: Pitfalls”, in Railway Magazine, page 456:

The work involved a complete rewiring of the system, while the addition of four higher-capacity Mechan jacks and the increased length of the new train meant the entire floor (the length of four train carriages) had to be dug up, levelled and strengthened to meet tolerance requirements.

2020 August 12, “Network News: Four new jacks at Clacton depot”, in Rail, page 18:

(transitive) To adjust so as to make as flat or perpendicular to the ground as possible.

The hurricane leveled the forest.

He levels mountains and he raises plains.

1700, [John] Dryden, “Sigismonda and Guiscardo, from Boccace”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

(transitive) To destroy by reducing to ground level; to raze.

I levelled after defeating the dragon.

(intransitive, roleplaying games, video games) To progress to the next level.

He levelled an accusation of fraud at the directors.  The hunter levels the gun before taking a shot.

Bertram de Gordon, standing on the castle wall, levelled a quarrel out of a crossbow.

1592, John Stow, The Annales of England:

But then I had the [massive] flintlock by me for protection. ¶[…]The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window […], and a 'bead' could be drawn upon Molly, the dairymaid, kissing the fogger behind the hedge, little dreaming that the deadly tube was levelled at them.

1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:

The force of her horror must have been palpable in the air, because Jorge's eyes opened as she raised the bayonet up. "Fina?"

2023 October 12, HarryBlank, “Fire in the Hole”, in SCP Foundation, archived from the original on 2024-05-22:

(transitive) To aim or direct (a weapon, a stare, an accusation, etc).

If the right of killing salmon belong exclusively to the King, and consequently to his donatories, why has not the Legislature secured the right by levelling penalties against such as should encroach upon it … ?

1809, William Ross (Jr.), Abridgement of the laws of Scotland relating to hunting [etc], page 60

How can the Minister reconcile the first statement with the clause, when he is in fact levelling punishment at the woman and not at the errant father … ?

1978, Parliamentary Debates of the New Zealand House of Representatives, page 4955

There is no purpose in levelling fines because they would be merely paid from the £1.8 billion which the BBC collects.

1995, The Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) of the [Great British] House of Lords:

Ultimately, Ms. Kroes [European Union Antitrust Commissioner] could level a fine and order Intel to change its business practices.

2007, Mary Jacoby, EU investigators endorse charges against Intel, Wall Street Journal Europe, 17 January, page 32, column 5

(transitive) To direct or impose (a penalty, fine, etc) at or upon (someone) [with on or against or at].

Holt was furious referee Michael Oliver refused to then award him a penalty after Ledley King appeared to pull his shirt and his anger was compounded when Spurs immediately levelled.

2012 April 9, Mandeep Sanghera, “Tottenham 1-2 Norwich”, in BBC Sport:

(intransitive, sports) To make the score of a game equal.

to level all the ranks and conditions of men

(transitive, figurative) To bring to a common level or plane, in respect of rank, condition, character, privilege, etc.

to level remarks to the capacity of children

For all his mind on honour fixed is, / To which he levels all his purposes.

1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “Prosopopoia. Or Mother Hubberds Tale.”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. […], London: […] William Ponsonbie, […], →OCLC:

(transitive) To adjust or adapt to a certain level.

Sean, I'll level with you. This could get ugly. Do you have a gun?

2010, James William Jones, Triple Crossed:

(intransitive) To speak honestly and openly [with with ‘someone’] (see: level with).

en-verb

level (third-person singular simple present levels, present participle (US) leveling or levelling, simple past and past participle (US) leveled or levelled)

levels (present singular third-person)
leveling (US participle present)
levelling (participle present)
leveled (US participle past)
leveled (US past)
levelled (participle past)
levelled (past)

鏟平 /铲平

to destroy by reducing to ground level; to raze

изравнявам

sports: to make the score of a game equal

võrtsustama

figurative: to bring to a common level or plane


level

From English level, from Middle English level, from Old French livel, liveau m, later nivel, niveau, from Latin libella f (“a balance, a level”), diminutive of libra f (“a balance, a level”).