level [ME] Latin libella, diminutive of libra ‘scales, balance’, is the source of level and libra of the sign of the zodiac Libra [LME]. It has many senses in English, the earliest being ‘an instrument used to determine if a surface is horizontal’, as in spirit level [E18th]. Since the 1970s the image of a level playing field has been a cliché of business and politics. In games, an uneven playing surface will favour the home side, who will be more familiar with its hazards. See also deliberate.