list¹ / list/ • n. 1. a number of connected items or names written or printed consecutively, typically one below the other: consult the list of drugs on page 326 writing a shopping list. ∎  a set of items considered as being in the same category or having a particular order of priority: tourism is at the top of the list of potential job creators. ∎ Comput. a formal structure analogous to a list by which items of data can be stored or processed in a definite order. [ORIGIN: late 16th cent.: from French liste, of Germanic origin.]2. (lists) hist. barriers enclosing an area for a jousting tournament. ∎  the scene of a contest or combat. [ORIGIN: late Middle English: from Old French lisse.]3. a selvage of a piece of fabric. [ORIGIN: Middle English, from Old English liste ‘border,’ of Germanic origin; related to Dutch lijst and German Leiste.]• v. [tr.] 1. make a list of: I have listed four reasons below. ∎  (often be listed) include or enter in a list: 93 men were still listed as missing. ∎  [intr.] (list at/for) be on a list of products at (a specified price): the bottom-of-the-line Mercedes lists for $52,050.2. archaic enlist for military service.PHRASES: enter the lists issue or accept a challenge.DERIVATIVES: list·a·ble adj.list² • v. [intr.] (of a ship) lean to one side, typically because of a leak or unbalanced cargo.Compare with heel² .• n. an instance of a ship leaning over in such a way.list³ archaic • v. [intr.] want; like: let them think what they list. • n. desire; inclination: I have little list to write.

list A finite ordered sequence of items (x₁,x₂,…x_n), where n ≥ 0. If n = 0, the list has no elements and is called the null list (or empty list). If n > 0, the list has at least one element, x₁, which is called the head of the list (see also header). The list consisting of the remaining items is called the tail of the original list. The tail of the null list is the null list, as is the tail of a list containing only one element.

The items in a list can be arbitrary in nature, unless stated otherwise. In particular it is possible for an item to be another list, in which case it is known as a sublist. For example, let L be the list (A,B,(C,D),E)

then the third item of L is the list (C,D), which is a sublist of L. If a list has one or more sublists it is called a list structure. If it has no sublists it is a linear list. The two basic representation forms for lists are sequentially allocated lists and linked lists, the latter being more flexible.

list3 (arch.) listen. OE. hlystan, f. hlyst hearing = OS., ON. hlust :- Gmc. *χlustiz :- IE. *k̂lustis (cf. Skr. śru⋅⃛i- obedience), f. *klus-, extension of *klu- hear (see LOUD).
So listen OE. hlysnan, corr. to MHG. lüsenen :- WGmc. *χlusinōjan.

list2 †be pleasing OE.; (arch.) desire. XIV. OE. lystan = OS. lustian (Du. lusten), OHG. lusten (G. lüsten), ON. lysta :- Gmc. *lustjan, f. *lust- pleasure, LUST.
Hence sb. †pleasure, desire XIII; whence listless without zest or spirit XV.

list1
A. border, edging, strip OE.;

B. †boundary; pl. barrier enclosing space for tilting XIV. OE. līste = MDu. lijste (Du. lijst), OHG. līsta (G. leiste) :- Gmc. *līstōn (whence F. liste). In its application to tilting used to repr. OF. lisse (mod. lice).