Definitions for: Let


[n] a serve that strikes the net before falling into the receiver's court; the ball must be served again
[v] cause to move; cause to be in a certain position or condition; "He got his squad on the ball"; "This let me in for a big surprise"; "He got a girl into trouble"
[v] leave unchanged; "let it be"
[v] actively cause something to happen; "I let it be known that I was not interested"
[v] give permission; "She permitted her son to visit her estranged husband"; "I won't let the police search her basement"; "I cannot allow you to see your exam"
[v] grant use or occupation of under a term of contract; "I am leasing my country estate to some foreigners"
[v] make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen; "This permits the water to rush in"; "This sealed door won't allow the water come into the basement"; "This will permit the rain to run off"



Webster (1913) Definition: -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.]

Synonyms: allow, allow, countenance, get, have, lease, net ball, permit, permit, rent

Antonyms: disallow, forbid, interdict, keep, prevent, prohibit, proscribe, veto

See Also: abide, admit, allow in, authorise, authorize, bear, brook, cause, clear, decriminalise, decriminalize, endure, farm out, favor, favour, furlough, get, give, give, have, hire out, include, induce, intromit, leave, leave alone, leave behind, legalise, legalize, legitimate, legitimatise, legitimatize, legitimise, legitimize, let in, make, make, pass, pass, privilege, put up, rent out, serve, service, stand, stimulate, stomach, sublease, sublet, suffer, support, tolerate, trust

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