LD
Abbreviation with 5 meanings
| Stands for | Liberal Democrats |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 5 |
| Categories | Government & Politics, Medical, Science & Engineering, Military, Arts & Entertainment |
LD has five meanings. The most common are Liberal Democrats (UK government) and Loading dose (prescription); it can also stand for Linkage disequilibrium, Line of departure and Lighting designer.
Meanings of LD at a glance
| # | LD stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liberal Democrats | Government & Politics › UK Government |
| 2 | Loading dose | Medical › Prescription |
| 3 | Linkage disequilibrium | Science & Engineering › Genetics |
| 4 | Line of departure | Military › Military Term |
| 5 | Lighting designer | Arts & Entertainment › Film, Television and Theater |
1. Liberal Democrats
Government & Politics · UK Government Abbreviations
UK centrist party, commonly called the Lib Dems, formed in 1988 by a merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party. It favors close relations with Europe, electoral reform and civil liberties.
Example: The LD candidate overturned a 20,000-vote majority in the by-election.
The party served in a coalition government with the Conservatives from 2010 to 2015, after which it lost most of its seats. In 2024 it won 72 seats, its best result and the most for a third party in a century. Election tables use LD or LDem, and members are called Lib Dems.
2. Loading dose
Medical · Prescription Abbreviations
Initial larger dose given to reach a therapeutic drug level quickly, after which smaller maintenance doses keep it there. Drugs commonly loaded include vancomycin, amiodarone, phenytoin, digoxin and clopidogrel.
Example: Vancomycin LD 25 mg/kg IV once, then 15 mg/kg q12h per pharmacy.
A loading dose is calculated from the drug's volume of distribution and target concentration, while maintenance doses depend on clearance. Drugs with long half-lives benefit most, since without a load they would take four to five half-lives to reach steady state. LD also abbreviates lethal dose in toxicology, as in LD50.
3. Linkage disequilibrium
Science & Engineering · Genetics Abbreviations
Non-random association of alleles at nearby positions on a chromosome, so that knowing one variant predicts another. LD exists because recombination rarely separates close variants, and it lets GWAS detect disease regions by genotyping only a subset of SNPs.
Example: The associated SNP is in strong LD with a missense variant in the same gene.
LD is measured with statistics called D' and r-squared. The International HapMap Project (2002-2009) mapped LD patterns across populations. LD decays over shorter distances in African populations, which carry the most genetic diversity, a pattern used to fine-map causal variants.
4. Line of departure
Military · Military Term Abbreviations
Line, usually a terrain feature, that attacking units cross at a specified time to begin an attack in coordinated fashion. It is a key coordinating measure in an operation order.
Example: Lead elements crossed the LD at 0500 exactly on schedule.
The time of crossing is called H-hour in many orders. Commanders choose an LD that is secure and easily identified. In education LD means learning disability, and in public health LD can mean lethal dose.
5. Lighting designer
Arts & Entertainment · Film, Television and Theater Abbreviations
Theater, concert or TV professional who designs the lighting for a production, choosing fixtures, colors and cues to create mood and focus.
Example: The LD reworked the cues after the first preview.
Lighting designers work with a programmer who enters cues into the lighting console. The Tony Awards have honored lighting design since 1970. In medicine LD can mean learning disability or lethal dose.
Related abbreviations
More UK government abbreviations
- HSE – Health and Safety Executive
- ILR – Indefinite leave to remain
- JSA – Jobseeker's Allowance
- Lab – Labour Party
- MBE – Member of the Order of the British Empire
- MHCLG – Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- MHRA – Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
- MI5 – Security Service
See all 91 UK government abbreviations →
More prescription abbreviations
- gr – Grain
- gtt/min – Drops per minute
- HS – Hora somni (at bedtime)
- IU – International unit
- mane – Mane (in the morning)
- mcg – Microgram
- mcg/kg/min – Micrograms per kilogram per minute
- mEq – Milliequivalent
See all 77 prescription abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.