a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
"We spent our entire summer vacation swimming and fishing in that crystal-clear lake nestled deep within the forest."
a purplish red pigment prepared from lac or cochineal
"The artist mixed crushed lake into her oil paints to achieve that vibrant crimson hue for the sunset."
any of numerous bright translucent organic pigments
"The artist carefully mixed lake pigment into her watercolor palette to achieve a vibrant, translucent red hue."
A small stream of running water; a channel for water; a drain.
"The artist carefully applied the lake to the red sash, knowing that its vibrant hue would likely fade once the piece was washed with soap and water."
An offering, sacrifice, gift.
A kind of fine, white linen.
In dyeing and painting, an often fugitive crimson or vermillion pigment derived from an organic colorant (cochineal or madder, for example) and an inorganic, generally metallic mordant.
In plain English: A lake is a large body of water surrounded by land.
"We spent the afternoon swimming in the calm lake behind our house."
Usage: A lake is a specific type of powdered pigment used in dyes and paints that has been treated with a metal salt to fix the color onto fibers or surfaces. Do not use this term to refer to a large natural body of water surrounded by land.
To present an offering.
"The sunset turned the water a deep crimson, making the entire lake appear as though it had been dyed lake-red by the fading light."
To make lake-red.
In plain English: To lake something means to fill it with water, though this is rarely used in everyday conversation.
"The sunset began to lake-red the calm surface of the water."
Usage: The verb form of "lake" means to dye something with lake red, a specific crimson pigment derived from insects or minerals. Use this term only when describing the act of coloring fabric or other materials with this particular dye, not as a general synonym for painting or staining.
A surname.
"My neighbor, Mr. Lake, invited us over for dinner last night."
The word "lake" comes from the Old English lacu, which originally meant a stream or pool where water collects. It entered modern usage as a general term for any large body of standing water, evolving from earlier roots meaning to leak or drain.