Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - like

 I. verb  (~d; liking)  Etymology: Middle English, from Old English lician; akin to Old English gelic a~  Date: before 12th century  transitive verb  1. chiefly dialect to be suitable or agreeable to I ~ onions but they don't ~ me  2.  a. to feel attraction toward or take pleasure in ; enjoy ~s baseball  b. to feel toward ; regard how would you ~ a change  3. to wish to have ; want would ~ a drink  4. to do well in this plant ~s dry soil my car does not ~ cold weather  intransitive verb  1. dialect approve  2. to feel inclined ; choose, prefer leave any time you ~  II. noun  Date: 1851  1. liking, preference  2. something that one ~s  III. adjective  Etymology: Middle English, alteration of ilich, from Old English gelic ~, a~, from ge-, associative prefix + lic body; akin to Old High German gilih ~, a~, Lithuanian lygus ~ — more at co-  Date: 13th century  1.  a. the same or nearly the same (as in appearance, character, or quantity) suits of ~ design — formerly used with as, unto, of it behoved him to be made ~ unto his brethren — Hebrews 2:17(Authorized Version)  b. chiefly British closely resembling the subject or original the portrait is very ~  2. ~ly the importance of statistics as the one discipline ~ to give accuracy of mind — H. J. Laski  IV. preposition  Date: 13th century  1.  a. having the characteristics of ; similar to his house is ~ a barn it's ~ when we were kids  b. typical of was ~ him to do that  c. comparable to ; approximating costs something ~ fifty cents  2. in the manner of ; similarly to acts ~ a fool  3. as though there would be looks ~ rain  4. such as a subject ~ physics  5. — used to form intensive or ironic phrases fought ~ hell ~ fun he did laughed ~ anything  V. noun  Date: 13th century  1.  a. one that is similar ; counterpart, equal have…never seen the ~ before — Sir Winston Churchill  b. kind 4a — usually used with a preceding possessive put him and his ~ to some job — J. R. R. Tolkien  2. one of many that are similar to each other — used chiefly in proverbial expressions ~ breeds ~  VI. adverb  Date: 14th century  1. archaic equally  2. ~ly, probably you'll try it, some day, ~ enough — Mark Twain  3.  a. to some extent ; rather, altogether saunter over nonchalantly ~ — Walter Karig  b. — used interjectionally in informal speech often to emphasize a word or phrase (as in “He was, ~, gorgeous”) or for an apologetic, vague, or unassertive effect (as in “I need to, ~, borrow some money”)  4. nearly ; approximately the actual interest is more ~ 18 percent — used interjectionally in informal speech with expressions of measurement it was, ~, five feet long goes there every day, ~  VII. conjunction  Date: 14th century  1.  a. as if middle-aged men who looked ~ they might be out for their one night of the year — Norman Mailer  b. — used in intensive phrases drove ~ mad hurts ~ crazy  2. in the same way that ; as they raven down scenery ~ children do sweetmeats — John Keats  3.  a. in the way or manner that the violin sounds ~ an old masterpiece should did it ~ you told me  b. — used interjectionally in informal speech often with the verb be to introduce a quotation, paraphrase, or thought expressed by or imputed to the subject of the verb, or with it's to report a generally held opinion so I'm ~, “Give me a break” it's ~, “Who cares what he thinks?”  4. such as a bag ~ a doctor carries when your car has trouble — ~ when it won't start — used interjectionally in informal speech often stays up late, until ~ three in the morning Usage:  Like has been used as a conjunction since the 14th century. In the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries it was used in serious literature, but not often; in the 17th and 18th centuries it grew more frequent but less literary. It became markedly more frequent in literary use again in the 19th century. By mid-century it was coming under critical fire, but not frOM GRAMMARIANS, ODDLY ENOUGH, WHO WERE WRANGLING OVER WHETHER IT COULD BE CALLED A PREPOSITION OR NOT. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT, AFTER 600 YEARS OF USE, CONJUNCTIVE ~ IS FIRMLY ESTABLISHED. IT HAS BEEN USED BY MANY PRESTIGIOUS LITERARY FIGURES OF THE PAST, THOUGH PERHAPS NOT IN THEIR MOST ELEVATED WORKS; IN MODERN USE IT MAY BE FOUND IN LITERATURE, JOURNALISM, AND SCHOLARLY WRITING. WHILE THE PRESENT OBJECTION TO IT IS PERHAPS MORE HEATED THAN RATIONAL, SOMEONE WRITING IN A FORMAL PROSE STYLE MAY WELL PREFER TO USE AS, AS IF, SUCH AS, OR AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT CONSTRUCTION INSTEAD.  VIII. verbal auxiliary  or ~d  Date: 15th century chiefly dialect came near ; was near so loud I ~ to fell out of bed — Helen Eustis LIKE  adjective combining form resembling or characteristic of bell~ ladylike