omit, v.
(əʊˈmɪt)
See also obmit.
[ad. L. omittĕre to let go, let loose, lay aside, disregard, f. o- = ob- (ob- 1) + mittĕre to send, let go.]
1. trans. To leave out, not to insert or include.
| 1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) IV. 33 [They were] lxxij. in nowmbre, but the consuetude of scripture is to omitte the litelle nowmbre if þat hit remayne, after the grete nowmbre. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (1531) 162 So moche as they omitted or lefte vnsayd. 1547 Boorde Astronomye Pref., Wher I have ometted & lefft out mani matters apertaynyng to this boke. 1605 Camden Rem. 200 That I may omitte other of his speeches. 1736 Butler Anal. ii. vii. 330 Parts of them..are omitted to be quoted. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 268 The intermediate passages are omitted, leaving only the dialogue. |
† b. intr. with of. Obs.
| 1550 J. Coke Eng. & Fr. Heralds §44 (1877) 70 Other noble actes which, to breviate this matter, I omyt of. |
2. trans. To fail or forbear to use or perform; to let alone, pass over, neglect, leave undone.
| 1533 More Apol. xxiv. Wks. 887/2 They had..omitted no charitable meane vnto him that came to theire mindes. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 180 b, He will omit nothynge, that conserueth hys dewtie. 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. iv. iii. 220 There is a Tide in the affayres of men, which..Omitted, all the voyage of their life, Is bound in Shallowes, and in Miseries. 1606 G. W[oodcocke] Lives Emperors in Hist. Ivstine I j 6, And for his delight in hunting, horses, dogs..omitting the affaires of the Empire. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxvii. 156 Which..to do, or omit, is contrary to the Lawes. 1751 Johnson Rambler No. 155 ¶12 To do nothing is in every man's power; we can never want an opportunity of omitting duties. 1854 Ford Handbk. Spain i. 53 No traveller..should omit visiting the two latter. |
b. Const. with inf.
| 1529 Wolsey in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. i. II. 2 Withowt omyttyng so to do. 1632 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena 14 The Princesse..not omitting to visite her dayly. 1722 De Foe Plague 102 Some people, notwithstanding the danger, did not omit publicly to attend the worship of God. 1851 Hussey Papal Power i. 38 Innocentius did not omit to approve of this compliment. |
† c. To leave disregarded, take no notice of.
| 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, iii. ii. 382 But wherefore greeue I at an houres poore losse, Omitting Suffolkes exile, my soules Treasure? 1597 ― 2 Hen. IV, iv. iv. 27 Therefore omit him not: blunt not his Loue..By seeming cold, or carelesse of his will. 1603 ― Meas. for M. iv. iii. 77 What if we do omit This Reprobate? |
† 3. To forbear or cease to retain; to let go. Obs.
| 1604 Shakes. Oth. ii. i. 71 The gutter'd-Rockes, and Congregated Sands,..do omit Their mortall Natures, letting go safely by The Diuine Desdemona. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. ii. ii. (1686) 45 By the fire irons omit many drossie and scorious parts. |
Hence oˈmitted ppl. a., oˈmitting vbl. n.
| a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII 250 b, In omittyng of their duitie. 1557 Recorde Whetst. B iij b, I will set furthe here those omitted nombers. 1619 J. Taylor (Water P.) Kicksey Winsey Wks. (1630) ii. 34 It is too late to put old omittings to new committings. |