lexes

Noun (1)

lex (plural lexes)

1. A specific inflected form of a word; compare lexeme.

Noun (2)

lex (plural leges)

1. (uncommon) A Roman or Latin law (particularly in ancient Rome or in medieval Europe).
   • The 19th and 20th lines of the lex on the tablet (which decree the repeal of the rectigalia) seem to be conclusive in favour of this and against Rudorff's earlier theory.1891, William Smith, A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, page 55

See all 5 meanings of lex

Noun

lexis (countable and uncountable, plural lexises or lexes or lexeis)

1. The set of all words and phrases in a language; any unified subset of words from a particular language.
   • Thus, alongside current lexis, words and senses now obsolete find a place in a dictionary on historical principles.2018, James Lambert, “Anglo-Indian slang in dictionaries on historical principles”, in World Englishes, volume 37, page 249
2. Words, collocations, and common phrases in a language; vocabulary and word combinations.
   • By the 1980s, English language teachers generally had begun to realize that there had been a neglect of lexis in teaching methods and coursebooks. […] The basic truth that without vocabulary or lexis we can't express anything had to be restated and a new approach to teaching lexis was needed.2014, Paul Lindsay, Teaching English Worldwide, page 346
3. The vocabulary used by a writer.
   • In this broadsheet newspaper, the reporter uses a complicated and formal lexis which I find hard to understand.

See all 4 meanings of lexis