let
let (let)
transitive verb let, letting let′·ting
- to leave; forsake; abandon: now only in phrases let alone or let be, to refrain from bothering, disturbing, touching, etc.
- to give the use of (a house, room, etc.) to a tenant in return for rent; rent; hire out
- to give out (work), assign (a contract), etc.
- to allow or cause to escape; cause to flow or come out, as by shedding, emitting, etc. to let blood
- to allow to pass, come, or go let me in
- to allow; permit: followed by an infinitive, normally without to[let me help], or by an adverb, etc. with the verb itself unexpressed [let me up]
- to cause to; make: usually with know or hear let me hear from you
Etymology: ME leten < OE lætan, to leave behind, akin to Ger lassen < IE *lēd- < base *lēi-, to neglect, leave behind > late, L letum, death
intransitive verb
let down
- to lower
- to slow up; relax; slacken
- to disappoint or fail
let off
- to give forth (steam, etc.)
- to excuse from work for a short time
- to deal leniently with; release with light punishment or none
let on
Informal- to indicate one's awareness of a fact
- to pretend
let out
- to allow to flow, run, etc. away; release
- to give forth; emit
- to lease or rent out
- to reveal (a secret, etc.)
- to make a garment larger by reducing (the seams, hem, etc.)
- to cut (fur pelts) into strips that are then sewn together to achieve suppleness, attractive shading, etc.
- ☆ to dismiss or be dismissed, as school
let someone have it
let up
- to slacken; relax
- to cease
let up on
☆let well enough alone
let (let)
transitive verb letted let′·ted or let, letting let′·ting
Etymology: ME letten < OE lettan, to hinder, lit., to make late (akin to Goth latjan, to delay) < base of læt, late
noun
- an obstacle or impediment: used in the legal phrase without let or hindrance
- Tennis, etc. an interference with the course of the ball in some way specified in the rules, making it necessary to play the point over again
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
| Topic | Replies | Latest Post |
|---|---|---|
| let down | 6 | 11 months ago |
| LET"S NOT and LET"S DON'T? | 24 | 5 years ago |
| Let's hear it for the one-liner... | 39 | 6 years ago |
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