LP
Abbreviation with 10 meanings
| Stands for | Long-playing record |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 10 |
| Categories | Arts & Entertainment, Medical, Business & Finance, Technology & Computing, Texting & Internet Slang |
LP has ten meanings. The most common are Long-playing record (music) and Lumbar puncture (neurology); it can also stand for Limited partner, Limited partnership, Lichen planus, Light perception and Liquidity provider, plus 3 more listed below.
Meanings of LP at a glance
| # | LP stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long-playing record | Arts & Entertainment › Music |
| 2 | Lumbar puncture | Medical › Neurology |
| 3 | Limited partner | Business & Finance › Finance |
| 4 | Limited partnership | Business & Finance › Company Type |
| 5 | Lichen planus | Medical › Dermatology |
| 6 | Light perception | Medical › Ophthalmology & ENT |
| 7 | Liquidity provider | Technology & Computing › Cryptocurrency & Blockchain |
| 8 | Landing page | Business & Finance › Marketing & Advertising |
| 9 | Loss prevention | Business & Finance › E-commerce & Retail |
| 10 | Let's Play | Texting & Internet Slang › Gaming Slang |
1. Long-playing record
Arts & Entertainment · Music Abbreviations
Album format, originally a 12-inch vinyl disc played at 33 1/3 revolutions per minute with about 20 minutes per side. "LP" is still used to mean a full-length album in any format.
Example: The band's third LP comes out on vinyl, CD and streaming in March.
Columbia Records launched the LP in June 1948, replacing fragile 78 rpm shellac discs that held only a few minutes per side. Vinyl revenue overtook CDs in the US in 2020 for the first time since the 1980s. Pronounced as letters.
2. Lumbar puncture
Medical · Neurology Abbreviations
Procedure in which a thin needle is inserted between lumbar vertebrae, usually at L3-L4 or L4-L5 below the end of the spinal cord, to measure opening pressure and collect cerebrospinal fluid. It diagnoses meningitis, subarachnoid hemorrhage, multiple sclerosis and other conditions and can deliver drugs or relieve pressure.
Example: LP: opening pressure 18 cm H2O, WBC 450 with 90% neutrophils, glucose 22, protein 210; empiric meningitis coverage continued.
Commonly called a spinal tap. German physician Heinrich Quincke introduced the technique in 1891. Post-dural puncture headache, worse when upright, is the most common complication and is less frequent with atraumatic pencil-point needles; an epidural blood patch treats persistent cases. Imaging is often done first if a mass lesion or raised pressure is suspected. Unrelated meanings include long-playing record and limited partnership.
3. Limited partner
Business & Finance · Finance Abbreviations
Investor in a private equity, venture capital, hedge or real estate fund who contributes capital but plays no role in managing the fund and whose liability is limited to the amount committed. Typical LPs include pension funds, endowments, sovereign wealth funds, insurers and family offices.
Example: The fund closed at $1.5 billion with commitments from 80 LPs, led by two state pension plans.
LPs commit capital up front and transfer it when the general partner issues capital calls. They monitor funds through advisory committees and quarterly reports, and the Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA) publishes widely used reporting templates. In company law, LP also designates a limited partnership, the legal structure most funds use.
4. Limited partnership
Business & Finance · Company Type Abbreviations
Partnership with at least one general partner, who manages the business and has unlimited liability, and one or more limited partners, who invest capital but are liable only up to their contribution and generally do not take part in management. It is the standard legal structure for private equity, venture capital and real estate funds.
Example: The fund is organized as a Delaware LP, with an affiliate of the manager serving as general partner.
In the US, LPs are formed under state laws based on uniform limited partnership acts, and Delaware is the most popular jurisdiction for funds. Under some older statutes, limited partners risked losing their protection if they took part in control of the business. The UK has had limited partnerships since the Limited Partnerships Act 1907, and Scottish LPs have separate legal personality. In finance, LP also refers to an individual limited partner.
5. Lichen planus
Medical · Dermatology Abbreviations
Inflammatory skin and mucous membrane disease that produces itchy, flat-topped, purple, polygonal papules, often on the wrists and ankles, and lacy white patches inside the mouth. Skin disease often clears within a year or two, while oral and genital forms tend to be chronic.
Example: Oral LP with lacy white striae on buccal mucosa; check hepatitis C, start topical clobetasol gel.
Students remember the skin lesions as the "six Ps": purple, pruritic, polygonal, planar papules and plaques. Fine white lines on the surface are called Wickham striae. Hepatitis C infection is associated in some populations, and certain drugs cause lichenoid eruptions. In neurology LP means lumbar puncture.
6. Light perception
Medical · Ophthalmology & ENT Abbreviations
Visual acuity level in which an eye can detect only whether a light is on or off. Clinicians may note whether the patient can tell the direction the light comes from (LP with projection).
Example: VA OD LP with accurate projection; plan B-scan before cataract surgery.
Light perception with good projection suggests the retina may still function, which affects surgical decisions. It is a step above no light perception (NLP). In neurology LP means lumbar puncture, and in dermatology lichen planus.
7. Liquidity provider
Technology & Computing · Cryptocurrency & Blockchain Abbreviations
A user who deposits pairs of tokens into a decentralized exchange pool so others can trade against it, earning a share of trading fees in return. LP also names the receipt tokens issued for such deposits.
Example: Stake your LP tokens in the farm to earn extra rewards on top of trading fees.
LP tokens represent a claim on a share of the pool and can be redeemed for the underlying assets. Providers risk impermanent loss and smart-contract failures. In traditional finance LP means a limited partner in an investment fund, and in music a long-playing record.
8. Landing page
Business & Finance · Marketing & Advertising Abbreviations
Standalone web page built for a specific campaign, where visitors arrive after clicking an ad, email or social post, designed around a single goal such as a signup, download or purchase.
Example: Each ad group points to its own LP that repeats the keyword in the headline.
Effective landing pages remove navigation and distractions and keep a close match between the ad's promise and the page. Ad platforms factor landing page experience into ad quality ratings. In finance, LP means limited partner.
9. Loss prevention
Business & Finance · E-commerce & Retail Abbreviations
Retail function that reduces "shrink," the loss of inventory to shoplifting, employee theft, fraud, damage and administrative errors, through security staff, cameras, tags, audits and investigations.
Example: LP is reviewing camera footage after the register shortages.
Shrink is commonly reported as a percentage of sales, and the National Retail Federation publishes an annual survey on it. Policies often bar ordinary employees from chasing shoplifters for safety and liability reasons. In marketing, LP means landing page.
10. Let's Play
Texting & Internet Slang · Gaming Slang Abbreviations
Video or stream in which a player records themselves playing a game while commenting, a major genre on YouTube and Twitch. Also used as a verb ("LPing a horror game").
Example: Watching an LP of the new Zelda since I can't afford it yet.
The term grew out of the Something Awful forums in the mid-2000s and became a YouTube staple through creators such as PewDiePie. Publishers once debated LPs' legality, but most now encourage them as free marketing. In music LP means long-playing record.
Related abbreviations
More music abbreviations
- FOH – Front of house
- IFPI – International Federation of the Phonographic Industry
- K. – Köchel catalogue number
- LFO – Low-frequency oscillator
- MC – Master of ceremonies
- mf – Mezzo-forte
- MIDI – Musical Instrument Digital Interface
- MPC – Music Production Center
See all 56 music abbreviations →
More neurology abbreviations
- LEMS – Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome
- LKW – Last known well
- LMN – Lower motor neuron
- LOC – Loss of consciousness
- LVO – Large vessel occlusion
- MCI – Mild cognitive impairment
- MG – Myasthenia gravis
- MMSE – Mini-Mental State Examination
See all 131 neurology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.