1. A removable or hinged cover for a hollow receptacle or box.
2. An eyelid.
3. Biology A flaplike covering, such as an operculum.
4. A curb, restraint, or limit: approved a new lid on corporate spending.
5. Informal An act of concealment; a cover: told us to keep a lid on the report until the campaign was over.
6. Slang A hat.
7. Slang An ounce of marijuana.
[Middle English, from Old English hlid; see klei- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.