Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Let?

\-let\ (-l[e^]t). [From two French dim. endings -el (L. -ellus) and -et, as in bracelet.] A noun suffix having a diminutive force; as in streamlet, wavelet, armlet.
\Let\ (l[e^]t), v. t. [OE. letten, AS. lettan to delay, to hinder, fr. l[ae]t slow; akin to D. letten to hinder, G. verletzen to hurt, Icel. letja to hold back, Goth. latjan. See {Late}.] To retard; to hinder; to impede; to oppose. [Archaic] He was so strong that no man might him let. --Chaucer. He who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. --2. Thess. ii. 7. Mine ancient wound is hardly whole, And lets me from the saddle. --Tennyson.
\Let\, n. 1. A retarding; hindrance; obstacle; impediment; delay; -- common in the phrase without let or hindrance, but elsewhere archaic. --Keats. Consider whether your doings be to the let of your salvation or not. --Latimer. 2. (Lawn Tennis) A stroke in which a ball touches the top of the net in passing over.
\Let\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Let} ({Letted} (l[e^]t"t[e^]d), [Obs].); p. pr. & vb. n. {Letting}.] [OE. leten, l[ae]ten (past tense lat, let, p. p. laten, leten, lete), AS. l[=ae]tan (past tense l[=e]t, p. p. l[=ae]ten); akin to OFries. l[=e]ta, OS. l[=a]tan, D. laten, G. lassen, OHG. l[=a]zzan, Icel. l[=a]ta, Sw. l[*a]ta, Dan. lade, Goth. l[=e]tan, and L. lassus weary. The original meaning seems to have been, to let loose, let go, let drop. Cf. {Alas}, {Late}, {Lassitude}, {Let} to hinder.] 1. To leave; to relinquish; to abandon. [Obs. or Archaic, except when followed by alone or be.] He . . . prayed him his voyage for to let. --Chaucer. Yet neither spins nor cards, ne cares nor frets, But to her mother Nature all her care she lets. --Spenser. Let me alone in choosing of my wife. --Chaucer. 2. To consider; to think; to esteem. [Obs.] --Chaucer. 3. To cause; to make; -- used with the infinitive in the active form but in the passive sense; as, let make, i. e., cause to be made; let bring, i. e., cause to be brought. [Obs.] This irous, cursed wretch Let this knight's son anon before him fetch. --Chaucer. He . . . thus let do slay hem all three. --Chaucer. Anon he let two coffers make. --Gower. 4. To permit; to allow; to suffer; -- either affirmatively, by positive act, or negatively, by neglecting to restrain or prevent. Note: In this sense, when followed by an infinitive, the latter is commonly without the sign to; as to let us walk, i. e., to permit or suffer us to walk. Sometimes there is entire omission of the verb; as, to let [to be or to go] loose. Pharaoh said, I will let you go. --Ex. viii. 28. If your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is. --Shak. 5. To allow to be used or occupied for a compensation; to lease; to rent; to hire out; -- often with out; as, to let a farm; to let a house; to let out horses. 6. To give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or contract; -- often with out; as, to let the building of a bridge; to let out the lathing and the plastering. Note: The active form of the infinitive of let, as of many other English verbs, is often used in a passive sense; as, a house to let (i. e., for letting, or to be let). This form of expression conforms to the use of the Anglo-Saxon gerund with to (dative infinitive) which was commonly so employed. See {Gerund}, 2. `` Your elegant house in Harley Street is to let.'' --Thackeray. In the imperative mood, before the first person plural, let has a hortative force. `` Rise up, let us go.'' --Mark xiv. 42. `` Let us seek out some desolate shade.'' --Shak. {To let alone}, to leave; to withdraw from; to refrain from interfering with. {To let blood}, to cause blood to flow; to bleed. {To let down}. (a) To lower. (b) To soften in tempering; as, to let down tools, cutlery, and the like. {To let} {drive or fly}, to discharge with violence, as a blow, an arrow, or stone. See under {Drive}, and {Fly}. {To let in} or into. (a) To permit or suffer to enter; to admit. (b) To insert, or imbed, as a piece of wood, in a recess formed in a surface for the purpose. {To let loose}, to remove restraint from; to permit to wander at large. {To let off.} (a) To discharge; to let fly, as an arrow; to fire the charge of, as a gun. (b) To release, as from an engagement or obligation. [Colloq.] {To let out}. (a) To allow to go forth; as, to let out a prisoner. (b) To extend or loosen, as the folds of a garment; to enlarge; to suffer to run out, as a cord. (c) To lease; to give out for performance by contract, as a job. (d) To divulge. {To let slide}, to let go; to cease to care for. [Colloq.] `` Let the world slide.'' --Shak.
\Let\, v. i. 1. To forbear. [Obs.] --Bacon. 2. To be let or leased; as, the farm lets for $500 a year. See note under {Let}, v. t. {To let on}, to tell; to tattle; to divulge something. [Low] {To let up}, to become less severe; to diminish; to cease; as, when the storm lets up. [Colloq.]