let

let

let¹ [let]

vt.

let, letting [ME leten < OE lætan, to leave behind, akin to Ger lassen < IE * lēd- < base * lēi-, to neglect, leave behind > LATE, L letum, death]

1. to leave; forsake; abandon: now only in phrases let alone or let be or let be, to refrain from bothering, disturbing, touching, etc.

2.

a) to give the use of (a house, room, etc.) to a tenant in return for rent; rent; hire out

b) to give out (work), assign (a contract), etc.

3. to allow or cause to escape; cause to flow or come out, as by shedding, emitting, etc. [to let blood]

4. to allow to pass, come, or go [let me in]

5. 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 ]

6. to cause to; make: usually with know or hear [let me hear from you]: When used in commands, suggestions, or dares with a noun or pronoun as object, let serves as an auxiliary [let us give generously; just let him make one false move ]

vi.

to be rented or leased [house to let]

SYN.- HIRE

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let alone

see LET¹ vt. 1 above & see the phrase under ALONE

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let down

1. to lower

2. to slow up; relax; slacken

3. to disappoint or fail

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let off

1. to give forth (steam, etc.)

2. to excuse from work for a short time

3. to deal leniently with; release with light punishment or none

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let on Informal

1. to indicate one's awareness of a fact

2. to pretend

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let out

1. to allow to flow, run, etc. away; release

2. to give forth; emit

3. to lease or rent out

4. to reveal (a secret, etc.)

5. to make a garment larger by reducing (the seams, hem, etc.)

6. to cut (fur pelts) into strips that are then sewn together to achieve suppleness, attractive shading, etc.

☆ 7. to dismiss or be dismissed, as school

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let someone have it

to attack, hit, shoot, etc. someone

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let up

1. to slacken; relax

2. to cease

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☆ let up on

Informal to stop dealing harshly or severely with

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let well enough alone

see the phrase under ALONE

SYN.- LET¹ may imply positive consent but more often stresses the offering of no opposition or resistance, sometimes connoting negligence, lack of power, etc. [don't let this happen again ]; ALLOW and PERMIT¹ imply power or authority to give or deny consent, ALLOW connoting a refraining from the enforcement of usual requirements [honor students were allowed to miss the examinations ], and PERMIT¹ more positively suggesting formal consent or authorization [he was permitted to talk to the prisoner ]; SUFFER, now somewhat rare in this sense, is closely synonymous with ALLOW and may connote passive consent or reluctant tolerance

let² [let]

vt.

letted or let, letting [ME letten < OE lettan, to hinder, lit., to make late (akin to Goth latjan, to delay) < base of læt, LATE]

Archaic to hinder; obstruct; prevent

n.

1. an obstacle or impediment: used in the legal phrase without let or hindrance

2. 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