Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: French
Origin: limite, from Latin limes 'edge, boundary'

limit

1 noun
     
lim‧it1 S2 W2 [countable]
1

greatest/least allowed

the greatest or least amount, number, speed etc that is allowedCOLLOCATIONS COLLOCATIONS
set/impose a limit exceed a limit (=go beyond a limit) speed limit time limit age limit upper limit (=the highest point something can reach) lower limit (=the lowest point something can reach) above/below the limit strict limit legal limit
limit to/on
There's a limit on the time you have to take the test.
My wife and I set a limit on how much we spend on clothes.
The cheque must not exceed the limit set by the banker's card.
a 55 mph speed limit
The time limit for making claims is three months.
There's no age limit for applicants.
an upper limit for pollution levels
His blood alcohol level was 50% above the legal limit.
The public would like strict spending limits on political campaigns.
2

greatest amount possible

also limits the greatest possible amount of something that can exist or be obtained
limit of
the limits of human knowledge
He'd reached the limit of his patience.
Our finances are already stretched to the limit (=we do not have any extra money).
There's no limit to what you can do if you try.
3

place

also limits the furthest point or edge of a place, often one that must not be passed:
He had not been outside the limits of the prison walls for 20 years.
The public is not allowed within a 2-mile limit of the missile site.
Los Angeles city limits
4

off limits

a) beyond the area where someone is allowed to go:
That area of beach was off limits to us 'city kids'.
b) beyond what you are allowed to do or have:
His private life is off limits to the press.
5

within limits

within the time, level, amount etc considered acceptable:
You can come and go when you want - within limits.
6

be over the limit

to have drunk more alcohol than is legal or safe for driving
7

know your limits

informal to know what you are good at doing and what you are not good at:
I know my limits. I'm not an administrator.
8

have your limits

spoken to have a set of ideas about what is reasonable to do, and to not accept behaviour that does not follow those ideas:
I have my limits. You will not use that kind of nasty language in class.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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