let

      See also Let, -let, and lét

      English

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      Wikipedia

      Pronunciation

      Etymology 1

      From Middle English leten, læten, from Old English lǣtan (“to allow, let go, bequeath, leave, rent”), from Proto-Germanic *lētaną (“to leave behind, allow”), from Proto-Indo-European *lēd- (“to let, leave behind”). Cognate with Scots lat, lete (“to let, leave”), North Frisian lete (“to let”), West Frisian litte (“to let”), Dutch laten (“to let, leave”), German lassen (“to let, leave, allow”), Swedish låta (“to let, allow, leave”), Icelandic láta (“to let”), Albanian lë (“to allow, let, leave”).

      Verb

      let (third-person singular simple present lets, present participle letting, simple past let or obsolete leet, past participle let or rarely letten)

      1. (transitive) To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to).
        After he knocked for hours, I decided to let him come in. [= allow him to come in]
      2. (transitive) To allow the release of (a fluid).
        The physicians let about a pint of his blood, but to no avail.
      3. (transitive) To allow possession of (a property etc.) in exchange for rent.
        I decided to let the farmhouse to a couple while I was working abroad.
      4. (transitive) Used to introduce an imperative in the first or third person.
        Let's put on a show!
        Let us have a moment of silence.
        Let me just give you the phone number.
        Let P be the point where AB and OX intersect.
      5. (obsolete except with know) To cause (+ bare infinitive).
        • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book IV:
          Thenne the kyng lete serche how moche people of his party ther was slayne.
        • 1818, John Keats, "To—":
          Time's sea hath been five years at its slow ebb, / Long hours have to and fro let creep the sand [...].
        Can you let me know what time you'll be arriving?
      Synonyms
      Usage notes

      The use of "let" to introduce an imperative may sometimes be confused with its use, as its own imperative, in the sense of "to allow". For example, the sentence "Let me go to the store." could either be a second-person imperative of "let" (addressing someone who might prevent the speaker from going to the store) or a first-person singular imperative of "go" (not implying any such preventer).

      Translations
      to allow
      to put up for rent

      Etymology 2

      Middle English letten (“to hinder, delay”), from Old English lettan (“to hinder, delay"; literally, "to make late”), from Proto-Germanic *latjaną. Akin to Old English latian (“to delay”), Dutch letten, Old English læt (“late”). More at late, delay.

      Verb

      let (third-person singular simple present lets, present participle letting, simple past letted, past participle let)

      1. (archaic) To hinder, prevent; to obstruct (someone or something).
      2. (obsolete) To prevent or obstruct to do something, or that something happen.
        • 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Acts VIII:
          And as they went on their waye, they cam unto a certayne water, and the gelded man sayde: Se here is water, what shall lett me to be baptised?

      Noun

      let (plural lets)

      1. An obstacle or hindrance.
        • 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essays, II.16:
          Paulus Emilius going to the glorious expedition of Macedon, advertised the people of Rome during his absence not to speake of his actions: For the licence of judgements is an especiall let in great affaires.
      2. (tennis) The hindrance caused by the net during serve, only if the ball falls legally.
      Translations
      a hindrance
      hindrance caused by the net during serve at tennis

      Statistics

      Anagrams

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      Czech

      Pronunciation

      Etymology 1

      From letět.

      Noun

      let m

      1. flight (the act of flying)
      Declension
          declension of let
      singular plural
      nominative let lety
      genitive letu letů
      dative letu letům
      accusative let lety
      vocative lete lety
      locative letu letech
      instrumental letem lety
      Derived terms
      • letový

      Etymology 2

      Noun

      let

      1. Genitive plural of léto
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      Danish

      Etymology

      From Old Norse léttr, from Proto-Germanic *linhtaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lengʷʰ-.

      Pronunciation

      • IPA: /lɛt/, [lɛd̥]

      Adjective

      let (neuter let, definite and plural lette, comparative lettere, superlative lettest)

      1. light
      2. easy
      3. slight
      4. mild

      Synonyms

      Adverb

      let

      1. lightly
      2. easily
      3. slightly
      4. mildly

      Verb

      let

      1. imperative of lette
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      Dutch

      Pronunciation

      Verb

      let

      1. first-, second- and third-person singular present indicative of letten
      2. imperative of letten

      Anagrams

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      French

      Etymology

      Borrowing from English let.

      Interjection

      let

      1. (tennis) indicates a let on service
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      Gothic

      Romanization

      lēt

      1. See 𐌻𐌴𐍄
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      Lojban

      Rafsi

      let

      1. rafsi of gletu.
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      Norwegian Bokmål

      Etymology 1

      From Old Norse leita (“to search”), related to líta (“to see”)

      Verb

      let

      1. Imperative form of lete (to search)

      Alternative forms

      Etymology 2

      From Old Norse litr (“colour”), related to líta (“to see”)

      Noun

      let m

      1. colour
      Synonyms
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      Norwegian Nynorsk

      Etymology

      From Old Norse litr (“colour”), related to líta (“to see”)

      Noun

      let m

      1. colour

      Alternative forms

      Synonyms

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      Serbo-Croatian

      Noun

      lȇt m (Cyrillic spelling ле̑т)

      1. flight

      Declension

          declension of let
      singular plural
      nominative lȇt létovi
      genitive leta lètōvā
      dative letu letovima
      accusative let letove
      vocative lete letovi
      locative letu letovima
      instrumental letom letovima

      Related terms

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      Slovene

      Noun

      let m inan.

      1. flight
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      Tok Pisin

      Etymology

      From English leather.

      Noun

      let

      1. leather
      2. strap (of leather)
      3. belt
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      Last modified on 19 June 2013, at 19:16