What does this word "love" means?

Love has been described as the greatest need humans have. From the cradle to the grave, people srtive after love, thrive in its warmth, even pine away and die for lack of it. Nonetheless,it is surpassingly difficult to define. Of course, people talk a lot about love. There is an endless stream of books, songs and poems about it. The results do not always clarify the meaning of love. If anything, the word is so overused that its true meaning seems ever more elusive.