See Also:

let(4) (iou)



let verb1. Infl. -tt-. Pa. t. & pple let.

I. Leave; allow to pass.
verb trans. Allow to remain, leave behind; refrain from taking away, using, consuming, occupying, etc. OE-M17.
a. verb trans. Leave undone; leave out, omit; omit or forbear to do. Cf. LET verb2 2. OE-M17.
b. verb intrans. Desist, forbear. (Foll. by of, from.) Cf. LET verb2 2. ME-M16.
verb trans. Leave (a task, responsibility, bequest) to someone else. OE-E17.
verb trans. Allow the escape of (confined fluid); shed (tears, blood); emit (breath, a sound, etc.). Now rare exc. in let blood s.v. BLOOD noun. OE.
a. verb trans. Grant the possession and use of (land, a building, a room, movable property) to or to another in consideration of rent or hire; award (a contract). Formerly also, lend (money) at interest. OE.
S. Spender The West End is full of shops to let. P. Norman So she gravitated upwards, letting the ground floor to tenants. Daily Telegraph The contract has been let for the M40..road.
b. verb intrans. Of property etc.: be let. L18.
O. Onions That the old place should suddenly let over his head seemed..the slightest of risks.
verb trans. Set free, liberate. Also with adjective compl. Long obsolete exc. in let loose below. OE.
verb trans. & intrans. (with of). Omit or cease to speak of. Only in ME.
verb trans. Leave, abandon, forsake; abandon to the flames. ME-L16.
verb trans. Lose (one's life, virtue, honour, etc.). ME-L16.
verb trans. Allow to pass or go. Foll. by to, into, etc. LME.
A. T. Ellis She felt that she had let into her mind something evil.
II. Uses with a following inf. (usu. without to).
a. Not prevent or forbid; permit, allow. Also ellipt. with inf. understood. OE.
J. Keble If they be indulged and let to run wild. M. Morris They might march directly down upon Montrose's left flankif Montrose would let them. J. Steinbeck He stood aside and let the doctor and his man enter. I. Murdoch He never let himself doze in the mornings. Daily Mirror You're letting her spoil your sex life.
b. verb intrans. Give permission. M16-E18.
verb trans. Cause. Now only foll. by know exc. as passing into sense 11a above. OE.
Financial Times He has let it be known that he might be available to help.
verb trans. In imper. (with noun or pronoun as obj.) as aux. verb, with inf. serving as 1st or 3rd person imper. of the following verb, in exhortations, commands, and assumptions to be made. Also ellipt. with inf. understood. ME.
E. Nesbit 'There are steps down,' said Jimmy...'Don't let's,' said Kathleen. R. P. Jhabvala Let us be thankful for small mercies.
b. ellipt. Let us etc. go. arch. L16.
Sir W. Scott Let us home ere the storm begins to rage.
III. Behave, appear, think.
a. verb trans. With compl.: regard as. With obj. and inf., or clause: consider to be, that (a person or thing) is. OE-LME.
b. verb intrans. Think. ME-L15.
verb intrans. Behave, conduct oneself; have (a particular) behaviour or appearance; make as though, pretend. LOE-L18.
verb intrans. Think (highly, lightly, much, etc.) of. Also foll. by by, to. LOE-E17.
Phrases: (A selection of cross-refs. only is included: see esp. other verbs.) let alone: see ALONE 1. let a person blood: see BLOOD noun. let a person have it slang direct a blow or shot at a person; assail with blows or words. let at (now Scot.) discharge missiles at, assail. let be (a) verb phr. trans. = let alone (a) s.v. ALONE 1 above; (b) verb phr. intrans. desist; (c) verb phr. trans. (chiefly Scot.) = let alone (b) s.v. ALONE 1 above. let drive: see DRIVE verb 11. let drop (a) = let fall (b) below; (b) let it drop, let the matter end there, not continue with the matter (freq. in imper.). let 'em all come colloq.: expr. cheerful defiance. let fall (a) lower, cause to fall; (b) = DROP verb 11; (c) allow to lapse; proceed no further with; (d) Geometry draw (a perpendicular) to a line from a point not on it (foll. by on); (e) shed (tears). let fly: see FLY verb. let go (a) allow to escape or go free, set at liberty; release; (b) relax or relinquish (one's hold); (c) relax or relinquish one's hold (of); (d) dismiss from one's thoughts; cease to attend to or control; let it go at that: see GO verb; (e) cease to restrain; chiefly refl., give way to enthusiasm, an impulse, etc.; also, cease to take trouble about one's appearance, habits, etc.; (f) drop (an anchor); (g) dismiss (an employee). let know inform (a person). let loose set free, set at large, (esp. something fierce or uncontrollable); all hell let loose: see HELL noun. let me see: see SEE verb. let pass: see PASS verb. let rip: see RIP verb1. let's colloq. let us; let's pretend, a game of pretence or make-believe; let's you and me, let's you and I, let's us (US colloq.), let us do. let slip (a) verb phr. trans. & intrans. loose (a hound) from the lease in order to begin the chase; (b) verb phr. trans. allow to escape through carelessness; fail to take (an opportunity); let slip through one's fingers: see FINGER noun. let stew, let stew in one's own juice: see STEW verb. let the world wag (as it will): see WAG verb. let walk: see WALK verb1. let well alone: see WELL adjective. let wit: see WIT verb. not let the grass grow under one's feet: see GRASS noun.
With adverbs in specialized senses: let down (a) verb phr. trans. lower; cause or allow to descend by gradual motion or short stages; lower in status, intensity, or strength; let a person down gently, let a person down easily (colloq.), treat considerately so as to spare a person's self-respect; avoid humiliating a person abruptly; let one's hair down: see HAIR noun; (b) verb phr. trans. disappoint; fail in supporting, aiding, or justifying (a person, team, etc.); freq. in let the side down s.v. SIDE noun; (c) verb phr. intrans. (US) diminish, deteriorate; relax; (d) verb phr. trans. (of a cow) produce (milk); (e) verb phr. intrans. (of an aircraft or a pilot) descend prior to making a landing. (f) verb phr. trans. lengthen (a garment); lower (a hem) in order to lengthen a garment; (g) verb phr. trans. deflate (a tyre). let in (a) allow to enter; give admittance to (a person), esp. into a dwelling; open the door of a dwelling to; refl. enter the dwelling where one lives, usually by means of a key; (b) let in on, allow to share (confidential information, privileges, etc.); (c) insert into the surface or substance of a thing; (d) arch. give rise to; (e) colloq. involve in loss or difficulty by fraud, financial failure, etc.; let in for, involve in, commit to, (something unpleasant or unexpected); (f) in driving a motor vehicle, engage (the clutch) by releasing one's pressure on the clutch pedal. let off (a) discharge (a gun, a firework) with an explosion; fig. crack (a joke); let off steam: see STEAM noun; (b) allow to go or escape; excuse from punishment, a duty, etc.; punish lightly with a specified punishment; (c) let or lease (property) in portions; (d) allow to alight from a bus etc. let on colloq. (a) reveal, divulge, disclose, or betray a fact by word or look (foll. by to a person, that or why something is the case); (b) pretend (that, to do). let out (a) verb phr. trans. give egress to; cause, allow, or enable to go out or escape by an opening, esp. through a doorway; set free, liberate; release from prison or confinement; fig. excuse or release from an obligation; let the cat out of the bag: see CAT noun1; (b) let out of, permit to be absent from (esp. one's sight); (c) verb phr. trans. give vent to (anger etc.); give expression to (a thought); (d) verb phr. trans. release (a reef) so as to increase the size of a sail; make (a garment) fuller or looser by allowing extra material at the seams; alter (the seams) in order to increase the fullness or size of a garment; (e) verb phr. trans. put out to hire or contract; distribute among several tenants or hirers; arch. lend (money) at interest; (f) verb phr. trans. divulge, disclose; freq. with clause as obj.; (g) verb phr. intrans. & trans. strike out with (the fist, the heels, etc.); give way to invective, use strong language; (h) verb phr. trans. & intrans. (colloq.) give (a horse) its head; drive (a motor vehicle) very fast; (i) verb phr. trans. in driving a motor vehicle, release (the clutch), (j) verb phr. intrans. (N. Amer.) (of a class, meeting, entertainment, etc.) finish, come to an end. let through allow to pass. let up colloq. (a) become less intense or severe; cease; let up on (US), cease to have to do with; (b) relax one's efforts.
With prepositions in specialized senses: let into (a) allow to enter; (b) insert into the surface or substance of; (c) introduce to the knowledge of, make acquainted with. let off excuse from (a punishment, duty, etc.).
Comb.: let's-pretend adjective pretended, counterfeit; imaginary.
letting noun (a) the action of the verb; an instance of this; freq. with adverb or verb; (b) a property that is let or available for letting: LME.