leave

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Middle English leven, from Old English lǣfan (“to leave”), from Proto-Germanic *laibijaną (“to let stay, leave”), causative of Proto-Germanic *lībaną (“to stay, remain”). Cognate with Old Frisian lēva (“to leave”), Old High German leiban (“to leave”), Old Norse leifa (“leave over”), lifna (“to be left”) (whence Danish levne). More at lave, belive.

Verb

leave (third-person singular simple present leaves, present participle leaving, simple past and past participle left)

  1. (transitive) To cause or allow (something) to remain as available; to refrain from taking (something) away; to stop short of consuming or otherwise depleting (something) entirely.
    I left my car at home and took a bus to work.
    The ants did not leave so much as a crumb of bread.
    There's not much food left, we'd better go to the shops.
  2. (transitive) To transfer possession of after death.
    When my father died, he left me the house.
  3. (transitive) To give (something) to someone; to deliver (something) to a repository; to deposit.
    I'll leave the car in the station so you can pick it up there.
  4. (transitive) To transfer responsibility or attention of (something) (to someone); to stop being concerned with.
    Can't we just leave this to the experts?
  5. (transitive) To depart from; to end one's connection or affiliation with.
    I left the country and I left my wife.
  6. (transitive) To end one's membership in (a group); to terminate one's affiliation with (an organization); to stop participating in (a project).
    I left the band.
  7. (intransitive) To depart; to go away from a certain place or state.
    I think you'd better leave.
  8. (intransitive, obsolete) To remain (behind); to stay.
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book VII:
      And by myssefortune Sir Bors smote Sir Launcelot thorow the shylde into the syde, and the speare brake and the hede leffte stylle in the syde.
  9. (transitive, archaic) To stop, desist from; to "leave off" (+ noun / gerund).
    • 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Luke V:
      When he had leeft speakynge, he sayde vnto Simon: Cary vs into the depe, and lett slippe thy nette to make a draught.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Terms derived from the verb leave
Translations
To cause to remain as available, not take away, refrain from depleting
To transfer possession after death
To give (something) to someone; to deliver (something) to a repository; to deposit
To transfer responsibility or attention
To depart from, end one's connection or affiliation with
To end one's membership in
To depart (intransitive)
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Translations to be checked

Noun

leave (plural leaves)

  1. (cricket) The action of the batsman not attempting to play at the ball.
  2. (billiards) The arrangement of balls in play that remains after a shot is made (which determines whether the next shooter — who may be either the same player, or an opponent — has good options, or only poor ones).
    • 1890 February 27, "Slosson's Close Shave", in The New York Times:
      Having counted 38 points he tried a beautiful massé out of the corner, hit the first ball just a trife too hard and kissed his own ball off just when victory seemed to be his. The leave was unfortunate for Ives. Slosson played brilliantly and ran the game out, a close winner, with 22 points.

Etymology 2

From Middle English leve, from Old English lēaf (“permission, privilege”), from Proto-Germanic *laubō, *laubą (“permission, privilege, favour, worth”), from Proto-Indo-European *leubʰ- (“to love, hold dear”). Cognate with obsolete German Laube (“permission”), Swedish lov (“permission”), Icelandic leyfi (“permission”). Related to Dutch verlof, German Erlaubnis. See also love.

Noun

leave (uncountable)

  1. Permission to be absent; time away from one's work.
    I've been given three weeks' leave by my boss.
  2. (dated or law) Permission.
    Might I beg leave to accompany you?
    The applicant now seeks leave to appeal and, if leave be granted, to appeal against these sentences.
  3. (dated) Farewell, departure.
    I took my leave of the gentleman without a backward glance.
Derived terms
Terms derived from the noun leave
Translations
permission
absence from work
departure

Etymology 3

From Middle English leven, from Old English līefan (“to allow, grant, concede; believe, trust, confide in”), from Proto-Germanic *laubijaną (“to allow, praise”), from Proto-Indo-European *leubʰ- (“to love, hold dear”). Cognate with German lauben (“to allow, believe”), Icelandic leyfa (“to allow”).

Verb

leave (third-person singular simple present leaves, present participle leaving, simple past and past participle leaved)

  1. (transitive) To give leave to; allow; permit; let; grant.

Etymology 4

From Middle English leven, from lef (“leaf”). More at leaf.

Verb

leave (third-person singular simple present leaves, present participle leaving, simple past and past participle left)

  1. (intransitive, rare) To produce leaves or foliage.[1]
    • 1868, Edward Fitzgerald, The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, 2nd edition:
      Each Morn a thousand Roses brings, you say:
      Yes, but where leaves the Rose of Yesterday?
Synonyms

References

  1. ^ Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed.

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Last modified on 20 May 2013, at 05:22