let

▪ I. let, n.¹
    (lɛt)
    Forms: 2–6 lette, pl. letten, 4 leet, leit, 4–5 late, lete, 4–6 lat, 4–9 lett, 5 lytt, 6 leatte, 4– let.
    [f. let v.²]
    Hindrance, stoppage, obstruction; also, something that hinders, an impediment. Now arch.: most common in phrase let or hindrance. (Cf. ME. lite.)
    In ME. verse the phr. without(en let (Sc. but let) is frequent, often as a mere expletive.

a 1175 Cott. Hom. 239 Oðer hit wrð ȝewasse iþer pine of þe deaðe þe he her þaleð oðer efter mid eðelice lette. c 1275 Lay. 4572 He þohte habbe Delgan cwene of Denemarche ac him com mochel lette [c 1205 lætting] ase him was alre loþest. a 1300 Cursor M. 7395 (Gött.) Þai did him fett widuten lett. Ibid. 8123 (Cott.) On nan-kyn lim ne had þai lett, For in þair sted ilkan war sette. 1375 Barbour Bruce ii. 179 Syne to Scone in hy raid he, And wes maid king but langir let. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) II. 321 Moyses..hadde a lette of his tonge. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 92 Ther ben othre vices slowe, Whiche unto love don gret lette, If thou thin herte upon hem sette. 1432 Paston Lett. I. 31 For the..eschuyng of eny thing that mighte yeve empeschement or let therto. 1513 Douglas æneis v. xii. 142 Quhat is the let I may the nocht embrace? 1545 T. Raynalde Byrth Mankynde i. ii. (1634) 21 By which meanes for foresayd muscles..haue the lesse impediment or let in their motion. 1549 Act 3 & 4 Edw. VI, c. 1 §2 The said Offices have remained void for a long Time, to the great Let of Justice. 1562 W. Bullein Bk. Simples 55 b, The herbe wil growe in Englande also, if idlenes wer not the let. 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 118 After which so great a victorie..the Turks without let or stay overran all the countrey. 1607 Middleton Michaelmas Term iv. i, He may undoubtedly enter upon it without the let or molestation of any man. 1635 W. Barriffe Mil. Discipl. xcv. (1643) 306 Vneven, rough, bushie, and hilly grounds, are all lets and impediments to the horse. 1640 Brome Sparagus Gard. i. ii. Wks. 1873 III. 123 Love..through a thousand lets will find a way To his desired end. 1649 Arnway Tablet (ed. 2) 67 As singularity of Gifts recompenced His natural let in speech. 1704 F. Fuller Med. Gymn. (1711) 200 There is a great Lett of insensible Perspiration. 1710 Berkeley Princ. Hum. Knowl. Introd. §4 Those lets and difficulties, which stay and embarrass the mind in its search after truth. 1842 S. Lover Handy Andy viii. 79 At last all let and hindrance to the merry lady ceased by the sudden death of her husband. 1857 Ruskin Pol. Econ. Art ii. 159 Each man would have a portion of time to himself in which he was allowed to do what he chose without let or inquiry. 1867 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) I. v. 370 The enemy wrought his will without let or hindrance. 1875 Stubbs Const. Hist. III. xxi. 532 To maintain quarrels..to the let and disturbance of the common law.

    2. In Fives, Rackets, and Lawn-tennis. Obstruction of the ball in certain ways specified in the rules, on account of which the ball must be served again.

1871 ‘Stonehenge’ Rural Sports (ed. 9) 635/1 [Rackets.] After the service..a ball hitting the gallery-netting, posts, or cushions, in returning from the front wall, is a let. 1885 Laws Lawn Tennis, It is a let if the ball served touch the net, provided the service be otherwise good... In case of a let, the service or stroke counts for nothing, and the Server shall serve again. 1890 A. C. Ainger Fives in Tennis, etc. (Badm. Libr.) 465 Rules. A ‘let’ may be claimed when a player is in any way prevented from returning or impeded in his attempt to return the ball by one of the opposite side.

attrib. 1819 Examiner 7 Feb. in Hazlitt's Table Talk (1870) 118 His [Cavanagh the five-player's] blows were not..let balls like the Edinburgh Review. 1890 Pleydell-Bouverie Rackets in Tennis, etc. (Badm. Libr.) 403 Do not be absurdly modest about claiming a ‘let’ ball.

▪ II. let, n.²
    (lɛt)
    [f. let v.¹]
    A letting for hire or rent. (The sense in the first quot. is doubtful.)

1684 in A. Nora Royds Reg. Par. Felkirk (1896) 3 By ye Ancyant Lett it amounts to 35 Pounds Yearly. 1838 Dickens Nich. Nick. xxiv, ‘We've had a pretty good Let,’ said Mr. Crummles. ‘Four front places in the centre, and the whole of the stage-box.’ 1868 Perth. Jrnl. 18 June, John Dewar, at the Farm, will show the Boundaries; and the Conditions of Let may be learned on application. 1878 Daily News 24 Oct. 6/6 The reason the stair was not included in the lease was that the executors wanted to utilise it for the empty rooms, and make a separate let of it.

▪ III. let, v.¹
    (lɛt)
    Pa. tense and pple. let. Forms: 1 lǽtan, Northumb. léta, (3rd sing. pres. ind. léttes), 2–3 læten, (Orm. -enn), 3 leaten, leoten, (3rd sing. lat, let), 2–4 leten, 3–4 laten, 3–6 late, lete, latt(e, lette, 3–8 lett, 3–9 (now dial.) lat, 4 leet(e, 4–5 latyn, 4–6 Sc. leit, 5 lait, laatyn, leett, 3– let. pa. tense 1 lét(t, léot, Northumb. leort, (2nd pl. letten), 3 liet, 3–5 lett, leet, (3rd pl. lætten), 3–6 lete, lette, 4 leite, lat, 4–5 Sc. leyt, 4–6 Sc. leit, 5 late, 6 Sc. lait, luit, lut(e, 8–9 Sc. loot, 2– let. β. weak forms: 5–6 letid, 5 lettid, 7 -ed. pa. pple. 1 (ᵹe) lǽten, 3 ilete(n, ilet, (i)late, 3–5 leten, -in, 5 leeten, 3–5 latin, 3–6 laten, 4 ylat, ylet(e, ilaten, 4–5 (y)lete, lattyn, 4–6 lattin, 5–7 lett, 5–9 (now dial.) letten, 6 letton, lat(t)ne, lette, leate, 7, 9 Sc. latten, 9 Sc. lotten, looten, 7–9 lett, 4– let.
    [A Com. Teut. reduplicating str. vb.: OE. lǽtan (Northumb. léta), pa. tense lét, leort (chiefly Anglian and poet.), pa. pple. ᵹelǽten, corresponds to OFris. lêta, pa. tense lît, lêt, pa. pple. lêten, OS. lâtan, pa. tense liet, lét, pa. pple. gilâtan (Du. latan, pa. tense liet, pa. pple. gelaten), OHG. lâȥan, pa. tense liaȥ, pa. pple. gilâȥan (MHG. lâȥen, pa. tense lieȥ, also shortened lân, pa. tense lie, pa. pple. gilân; mod.G. lassen, pa. tense liesz, pa. pple. gelassen), ON. láta, pa. tense lét, pa. pple. látenn (Sw. låta, Da. lade), Goth. lêtan, pa. tense lailôt. The root, Teut. *lǣt-:—pre-Teut. *lēd-, is related by ablaut to Teut. *lat- (whence late a.):—pre-Teut. *lad- (whence L. lassus weary); Brugmann compares Gr. ληδεῖν (Hesychius) ‘to be weary’. The primary sense of the vb. would thus seem to be ‘to let go through weariness, to neglect’; cf. the development of the Romanic synonym (F. laisser:—L. laxāre, f. laxus loose). In all the Teut. langs., however, the word has the same senses as in OE.
    The shortening of the root vowel (which is curiously parallel to the change of MHG. lâȥen into mod.G. lassen) has not been satisfactorily explained, and no precisely analogous instance has been found, though in the vbs. fret and get the normal lengthening of OE. e in open syllables has not taken place before t, and the OE. ǽ, éa are very generally shortened before d and þ, as in dread, bread, breath.]
    I. To leave; to allow to pass.
    † 1. a. trans. To allow to remain; to leave behind; to abstain from taking away, using, consuming, occupying, etc. Obs.

971 Blickl. Hom. 125 Hwilce hwile hine wille Drihten her on worlde lætan. c 1205 Lay. 14778 Saxes..letten i þissen londe wiues & heore children. c 1220 Bestiary 777 Amonges men a swete smel he let her of his holi spel. c 1300 Havelok 1924 Summe in gripes bi þe her Drawen ware, and laten þer. 13.. Coer de L. 4136 Stondyng hous wyl he non lete. 13.. Guy Warw. (A.) 1620 Herhaudes bodi wiþ him he bar, For he nold it nouȝt lete þar. c 1330 Spec. Gy Warw. 218 And ȝaf to man fre power..Þe euel to late and god to take. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. iv. pr. iv. 101 (Camb. MS.) As to the wyse folk ther nis no place Ileten to hate þat is to seyn that ne hate hath no place amonges wyse men. c 1400 Rom. Rose 6556 If men wolde ther-geyn appose The naked text, and lete the glose. 1561 Hollybush Hom. Apoth. 32 In that pouder growe little wormes, let the same therin. 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. i. ii. 41 Ile giue him my Commission, To let him there a Moneth, behind the Gest Prefix'd for's parting. 1651 tr. De-las-Coveras' Don Fenise 76 He asked me where I let my traine.

    † b. To loose one's hold of, let go. Obs.

c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1811 Quad iacob, ðe ne leate ic noȝt, Til ðin bliscing on me beð wroȝt.

    † 2. a. To leave undone, omit to do; to leave out, omit (in reading, recitation, etc.). Also with negative complement, to leave undone, etc. See also let alone (18 b). Obs.

c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. Pref. (1890) 4 Þæt ic sylf onᵹeat, ne let ic þæt unwriten. a 1225 Ancr. R. 8 Þeos..beoð alle ine freo wille to donne oþer to leten hwon me euer wule. Ibid. 38 Hwo se þuncheð to longe lete þe psalmes. c 1230 Hali Meid. 17 Þu wult lete lehtliche & abeore bliðeliche þe derf þat tu drehest. 1340 Ayenb. 74 Hit ne is naȝt ynoȝ to lete þe kueades: bote me lyerny þet guod to done.

    † b. with inf. as obj..: To omit or forbear to do something. Cf. let v.² 2, to which some of the instances given here may belong. Obs.

c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 80 Chefe justise he satte, þe sothe to atrie, For lefe no loth to lette þe right lawe to guye. c 1350 Will. Palerne 1186 Lettes nouȝt for ȝoure liues ȝour lord forto socoure. c 1400 Mandeville iv. (1839) 27 Ȝif thou lette to go, thou schalt have a gret harm. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 4918 It was nyght, þarfore he lett to fyght, bot bade day lyght. 1535 Coverdale Ecclus. xviii. 22 Let not to praye allwaye. 1558–68 Warde tr. Alexis' Secr. 41 b, Let not in the meane tyme to use other remedies. 1593 Shakes. Lucr. 10 Colatine..did not let To praise the cleare vnmatched red and white. 1604 Edmonds Observ. Cæsar's Comm. 78 Thereupon he did not let to put them in mind of his opinion. 1620 Bradford Plymouth Plant. ix. (1856) 75 Ther was a proud and very profane yonge man [who] did not let to tell them [the sick], that he hoped to help to cast halfe of them over board before they came to their jurneys end. 1653 H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. ii. 4 How violent soever the Tempest was..we letted not to discover the isles of Curia [etc.].

    † c. absol. and intr. To desist, forbear. Const. of, from. Cf. let v.² 2. Obs.

c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 75 Þe haueð michel sineged and nele lete ne bete. a 1310 in Wright Lyric P. xxxvii. 103 Thus hit geth bituene hem tuo, That on saith, let, that other seyth, do. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus ii. 1451 (1500) Now spek, now prey, now pitously compleyne, Lat not for nyce shame, or drede, or slouthe. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 224 ‘Let of þy speche’ þe Erl hym saide. c 1400 Destr. Troy 712 He sware..All tho couenaundes to kepe, & for no cause let. Ibid. 6458 He light doune full lyuely, lettid he noght. c 1450 Lay Folks Mass Bk. (MS. F.) 85 Offere or lete, whethere thu list. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 1062 Of his foly scho bad him lete. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 49 The other houndes that seeth y⊇ game, foloweth y⊇ same..& letteth for nothynge. 1547 Homilies i. (1859) 79 When they..do swear..not to let from saying the truth. c 1554 Interl. Youth B iij b, We wil let for none expence.

    † 3. trans. To omit or cease to speak of. Also intr. (const. of). Obs.

c 1205 Lay. 25069 Lete we nu of Costantin..and speken of Maximiæn. c 1300 Havelok 328 Of Goldeboru shul we nou laten. c 1350 Will. Palerne 382 But trewely of hem at þis time þe tale y lete. a 1400 Octouian 1459 Now schull we lete here of Clement And telle how [etc.]. ? a 1400 Arthur 636 On þe frensch boke..he schalle fynde..Þynges þat y leete here.

    † 4. a. To leave to some one else. Obs.

a 1000 in Earle Land Charters 203 Ic hæbbe ealle ða spæce to ælfheᵹe læten. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 7659 Hii..lete þe king þe maistrie & flowe to scotlonde. a 1325 Prose Psalter xlviii[i]. 10 Hij shal laten her riches vn-to stranges. c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶883 So heigh a doctrine I lete to diuines. c 1400 Rom. Rose 6998 Alle desertes, and holtes hore..I lete hem to the Baptist Iohan. 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 174 Smale thynges thay lettyn to Smale men. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. vi. 16 She [the lily]..nether spinnes nor cards..But to her mother Nature all her care she letts. 1612 Davies Why Ireland, etc. 64 King Henrie the seuenth had sent neither horse nor foote hither, but let the Pale to the Guard and defence of the fraternitie of Saint George.

    † b. To bequeath. Obs.

1340 Ayenb. 191 Hi hedde y-write ine hare testament þet hi let a þousend and vyf hondred pond.

    † c. to let to borgh (Sc.): to hand over upon security. Obs.

1482 Acta Audit. (1839) 100/2 For þe wrangwis takin..of 1 scheip & a kow, quhilkis war ordanit of before be the lordis of consale to haue bene lattin to borgh to þe saide alex{supr}.

    † 5. To quit, abandon, forsake. To abandon to (the flames). Obs.

c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 39 Leteð eower stale and eower reaflac. a 1200 Moral Ode 337 Læte we þe brode strets, and þe wei bene. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 725 Thare let hur, and ðeðen he nam, And wulde to lond canahan. 13.. K. Alis. 5812 The kyng lete the waye of the est, And by a ryuer tourned west. c 1330 Spec. Gy Warw. 902 It is noht euel so to biginne, For drede of pine to late þi sinne. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. xi. 22 Til thow be a lorde and haue londe leten the I nelle. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. Prol. 411 Leteth youre ire, and beth sumwhat tretable! c 1386 ― Pars. T. ¶768 A man shal lete fader and mooder, and taken hym to his wif. c 1430 Hymns Virg. 30 If þat þou wolt þi synnes leett. 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas i. i. (1544) 3 b, God bad us not our countreyes for to lete To underfong thinges impossible. 1599 Massinger etc. Old Law v. i, Eneas..Who letting all his Jewels to the flames..tooke his bedrid father on his back.

    † 6. a. To lose (one's life, virtue, honour, etc.). Obs.

c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 181 Hie goð welneih to hire liues ende, and fele here lif fulliche lated. a 1225 Juliana 75 Þis lif ȝe schulen leoten & nuten ȝe neauer hwenne. a 1240 Wohunge in Cott. Hom. 273 Ofte moni wummon letes hire mensket þurh þe luue of wepmon þat is of heh burðe. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 10883 Isabel is wif..let at bercamstude þat lif. c 1430 Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 9244 Many a knight his lyve lete. 1530 Palsgr. 607/2, I lette my lyfe, I departe out of the worlde. 1577–87 Holinshed Chron. III. 1165/1 His..testament, which he made not long before he let his life.

    † b. intr. To abate, allow a deduction of. Obs.

c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 213 Þe sullere lat sumdel of his lofe and þe beggere ecneð his bode.

    7. a. To allow the escape of (confined fluid); to shed (tears, blood); to emit (breath, sounds, etc.). Also, to discharge (a gun). to let blood (Surg.): see blood n. 1 d. Obs. or dial.

c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 46 Læt þu him blod on ædre. c 1205 Lay. 18980 Þa cnihtes scullen suggen..þat þu ært ilete blod. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 8507 Þe teres þat hii lete so riue. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. iii. metr. i. 50 (Camb. MS.) The wynd nothus leteth hise plowngy blastes. c 1390 Gower Conf. I. 268 Tho was ther manye teres lete. 14.. A.B.C. on Pass. Christ 202 in Pol., Rel. & L. Poems 249 Þe blod þat cryst let for mankende. 1553 Bale Vocacyon 40 Than caused the Captaine a pece of ordinaunce to be fiered, and a gunne to be lete, to call backe the purser. 1559 Morwyng Evonym., Take the bloud of sanguin yong men using a good diet whyles it is newly letten. 1600 Holland Livy xxvi. xiv. 594 Before they let their last breath. 1662 J. Davies tr. Mandelslo's Trav. 190 Over⁓reaching her self to take a flaggon that stood a little too far from her, she chanced to let a wind backwards. 1712 Arbuthnot John Bull iii. v, The oak, that let many a heavy groan, when he was cleft with a wedge of his own timber. 1715 Ramsay Christ's Kirk Gr. ii. i, The bauld good-wife..loot an aith. 1785 Burns Halloween xxiii, He..loot a winze. 1820 Shelley Œdipus i. 266 I'll slyly seize and Let blood from her weasand. 1832 Lytton Eugene A. i. v. Mr. Walter..wants to consult you about letting the water from the great pond.

    † b. intr. Of blood: To issue. Obs. rare.

c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 36 Þe blode was boþe warme and fresh, þat of þe schankes lete [AF. le saunk pur veirs issist].

    c. to let at (now Sc.): to discharge missiles at; to assail; to aim at. Also to let into (slang): to attack.

1598 R. Grenewey Tacitus, Ann. ii. v. (1622) 39 The Captaine..commaunded the sling-casters..to let freely at them and drive them from their fence. c 1800 Christmas Ba'ing in Skinner Poet. Pieces (1809) 42 He first leit at the ba'. 1851–61 Mayhew Lond. Labour III. 138 They got from six to nine months' imprisonment; and those that let into the police, eighteen months. 1871 W. Alexander Johhny Gibb xxii. (1873) 131, I see brawly fat ye're lattin at. 1872 Punch 2 Mar. 89/1 The Premier ‘let into’ the other gentleman with a fire and fury delightful to all but himself.

    8. a. To grant the temporary possession and use of (land, buildings, rooms, movable property) to another in consideration of rent or hire. † Formerly also, to lend (money) at interest. (For to let to hire, to farm, see the ns.)

909 in Birch Cart. Sax. (1887) II. 289 Eadward cyning & þa hiwan in Wintan ceastre lætað to Dænewulfe bisceope twentiᵹ hida landes be Ticceburnan. a 1100 O.E. Chron. an. 852 (Laud MS.) On þis tima leot Ceolred..Wulfrede to hande þet land of Sempiᵹaham. 1340 Ayenb. 42 Þe vifte [boȝ of auarice] is ine ham þet be markat makinde leteþ hare benefices. 1485 Naval Acc. Hen. VII (1896) 57 The said ship was letten on marchaundise..to S{supr} William Capell of London marchaunt. 1558 Galway Arch. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 388 We..have gyvin, grauntid, and for ever more leate unto John Lynch..a parcell of our ground. 1593 Shakes. Rich. II, ii. i. 110 It were a shame to let his Land by lease. 1616 W. Haughton Englishmen for My Money i. i, By the sweete loude trade of Usurie, Letting for Interest, and on Morgages, Doe I waxe rich. 1686 Lond. Gaz. No. 2109/4 The Blackamoor's Head in West-Smithfield is to be Lett. 1690 Child Disc. Trade (1694) 242 If Money were let as it is in other Countries. 1709 Tatler No. 88 ¶12 She had..let her Second Floor to a very genteel youngish Man. 1780 A. Young Tour Irel. I. xvi. (1892) 368 The farmer who lets the cows must [etc.]. 1815 Shelley in Dowden Life (1887) l. 522 Whether there is in any remote and solitary situation a house to let for a time. 1833 H. Martineau Brooke Farm xi. 128 He went..to let his labour where it would obtain a better reward. 1838 Dickens Nich. Nick. ii, A quarter of the town that has gone down in the world, and taken to letting lodgings. 1844 L. Hunt Blue-Stocking Revels i. 50 A ‘House to Let’, facing Hyde Park.

    b. intr. in passive sense = to be let.

1855 Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. XVI. i. 156 Lands let at from 10d. to 4s. 6d. per acre. 1884 Law Rep. 27 Ch. Div. 51 A large number of chambers now letting at many thousands a year. 1885 Sir J. Bacon in Law Times Rep. LII. 570/2 There was some reason to suppose that all the mortgaged houses would speedily let.

    † 9. To set free, liberate; also with complement, to let free, let at large. Obs. (but cf. let loose, 19).

c 1000 ælfric Exod. xxi. 26 Læte hiᵹ friᵹe. a 1400 Octouian 767 As glad as grehond y-lete of lese. 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. clvii. [cliii.] 433 To let the ladyes and damoselles at large. 1582–8 Hist. Jas. VI (1804) 74 Being taken prisoner [he] was condemnit to the death, bot thair⁓efter was lattin free. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 4 In other pleyes of felonie..he quha is accused vses to be lettin frie. 1670 Narborough Jrnl. in Acc. Sev. Late Voy. i. (1711) 33, I let the Greyhound at them.

    10. a. To allow to pass or go; to admit to, into a place. Also occas. (with notion of let down, 32) to lower gradually over, through something.

c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xi. 49 Scho lete þam ouer þe wall..by a rape. 1697 Potter Antiq. of Greece II. iv. (1715) 223 Such Persons were purified by being let thro' the lap of a Woman's Gown. 1854 Ld. Lonsdale in Ld. Malmesbury's Mem. Ex-Minister (1884) I. 419 They would not let a single Englishman on board of her. 1856 Mrs. Browning Aur. Leigh ii. 501 The creaking of the door, years past, Which let upon you such disabling news. 1894 Baring-Gould Deserts S. France I. 140 The proprietor absolutely refused to let me over it [a factory].

    † b. to let to bail (Sc. borgh): to admit to bail.

1454–5 Chart. Edinburgh 12 Jan. (1871) 81 Nocht be ill pittit na prisonyt bot lattyn to borgh gif he has ony borowis. 1533–4 Act 25 Hen. VIII, c. 14 Suche person..may be letten to baile by the ordinaries. 1581 Lambarde Eiren. iii. ii. (1588) 339 Iustices of the Peace might..have letten to baile such persons as were indited of Felonie. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 4 He may be latten to borgh, be the Kings letter.

    11. When construed with certain prepositions the verb assumes senses which it has with the cognate adverbs. a. to let into: (a) to admit to, give entrance to, allow to enter (lit. and fig.); † also absol. and in indirect pass.; (b) to insert in the surface or substance of; † (c) to introduce, bring to; (d) to introduce to the knowledge of, make acquainted with, inform about; also, † to let into one's knowledge. (Cf. let in, 34.)

(a) 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. ix. 201 Sum latne in to the castel haldeng the forme and schaw of a parleament. a 1599 Spenser F.Q. vii. vi. 11 She bid the Goddesse downe descend, And let her selfe into that Ivory throne. 1615 G. Sandys Trav. 111 A spacious Court, let into by a number of streets. 1646 Boyle Let. to Marcombes 22 Oct. Wks. 1772 I. Life 33 To let new light into the understanding. 1671 L. Addison West Barbary 56 The Avenue that let into Gaylaus Country. 1680 Let. to Person of Honour 20 It is not possible he should be further let into the Government. 1712 Addison Spect. No. 411 ¶5 A Man of a polite Imagination is let into a great many Pleasures, that the Vulgar are not capable of receiving. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. xvii. 119 The mass turned over and let me into the lake. 1860 Dickens Uncomm. Trav. xvi, He lets us into the waiting-room. 1873 Black Pr. Thule xix, He let himself into the house by his latch-key. 1885 Daily News 16 July 4/7 If we let the Conservatives into office again. 1885 Law Rep. 14 Q. Bench Div. 956 B.W.M...was let into possession under this agreement.

(b) 1623 Gouge Serm. Extent God's Provid. §15 Two girders were by tenents and mortaises let into the midst of it [the maine Summier]. 1694 Acc. Sev. Late Voy. ii. (1711) 215 Which colour they let into the Skin, by pricking it with a sharp Bone. 1858 Hawthorne Fr. & It. Jrnls. I. 277 A pointed arch of stone let into the plastered wall. 1859 Jephson Brittany xviii. 291 A slab let into the wall. 1874 J. T. Micklethwaite Mod. Par. Churches 180, I have known clocks to be let into the ledge of the pulpit.

(c) 1654 Cromwell Sp. 12 Sept. in Carlyle, That which I have now to say to you will need no preamble to let me into my discourse.

(d) c 1665 Mrs. Hutchinson Mem. Col. Hutchinson 21 It is time that I let into your knowledge that splendour which [etc.]. 1703 Duke of Queensberry in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. IV. 238 He says he was let into all the secrets of the correspondence of Scotsmen with St. Germains. 1708 Partridge Bickerstaff detected, I have let the learned world fairly into the controversy depending. 1712 Arbuthnot John Bull ii. iv, Gentlemen, I beg you will let me into my affairs a little. 1714 Fr. Bk. of Rates 3 Such..Explications..as may serve to let the Reader into the Reason and Nature of what is before him. 1742 Richardson Pamela III. 39, I am glad thy honest Man has let thee into the Affair of Sally Godfrey. 1773 Goldsm. Stoops to Conq. ii. i, In the meantime my friend Marlow must not be let into his mistake. 1791 ‘G. Gambado’ Ann. Horsem. Pref. (1809) 57 By the putting forth of this work the public must be let into much useful knowledge. 1809 Malkin Gil Blas vii. i. ¶5 He had no objection to letting me into the fun, on condition that I would not blab. 1841 Catlin N. Amer. Ind. (1844) I. iii. 17 Before I let you into the amusements and customs of this delightful country. 1887 L. Carroll Game of Logic iv. 93 That lets me into a little fact about you!

    b. to let (a person) off a penalty, etc. (Cf. let off 35 c.)

1885 Sir H. Cotton in Law Time Rep. LII. 336/2 The judge..only lets the man off imprisonment on the terms of his paying the costs.

    II. Uses requiring a following infinitive (normally without to).
    12. a. trans. Not to prevent; to suffer, permit, allow.

971 Blickl. Hom. 51 Hwæt dest þu þe ᵹif Drihten..þe læteþ þone teoþan dæl anne habban. a 1100 Gerefa in Anglia (1886) IX. 260 Ne læte he næfre his hyrmen hyne ofer wealdan. 12.. in Trin. Coll. Hom. 258 Let vs, louerd, comen among þin holi kineriche. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 2123 Ich schal..leoten toluken þi flesch þe fuheles of þe lufte. a 1300 Cursor M. 20198 Haf þis palme..Kepe it wel i prai it te, Lat tu neuer it be fra þe. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 4821 Hys pleyn londes he let hym haue. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 289/1 Latyn, or sufferyn a thynge to been. c 1500 in Denton Eng. in 15th C. Note D (1888) 318, I thynke for dyuers consyderacions it were better to lett the tenantes haue it. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. IV, 23 Y⊇ kyng gave hym faire wordes, and let hym depart home. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. i. 53 Love of your selfe..and deare constraint, Lets me not sleepe. 1602 Life T. Cromwell i. ii, Your son Thomas will Not let us work at all. 1611 Bible Acts xxvii. 15 When the ship was caught, and could not beare vp into the winde, we let her driue. 1634 Milton Comus 378 She plumes her feathers, and lets grow her wings. 1675 E. W[ilson] Spadacr. Dunelm. 64 If it be let stand and settle any long time. 1734 Pope Ess. Man iv. 356 Let thy enemies have part. 1816 Scott Old Mort. xl, I loot naebody sort it but my ain hands. 1834 J. H. Newman Lett. (1891) II. 24, I was not let see him. 1849 Thackeray Pendennis vi, Bows had taken her in hand and taught her part after part... She knew that he made her: and let herself be made. 1885 Law Rep. 29 Ch. Div. 539 Lomer..was right in letting Newman have the funds.

    ¶ b. A few examples of the use of to before the infinitive in this construction occur in all periods; now chiefly when let is used in the passive.

1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. vii. 6 That he shuld let the quene his suster to purchas for her selfe frendis. 1560 Whitehorne Machiavel's Art of Warre 90 Some haue vsed to deuide the enemies force, by lettyng him to enter into their countrie. 1671 H. M. tr. Erasm. Colloq. 43, I pray him not to let his pretious bloud to be shed for me in vain. a 1677 Barrow Serm. Wisdom Wks. 1687 I. 4 It will not let external mischances..to produce an inward sense which is beyond their natural efficacy. 1678 Cudworth Intell. Syst. i. iv. §26. 437 Why does he let so many other Gods to do nothing at all? 1713 Steele Englishm. No. 17. 186 He was one of those mad Folks who are let to go abroad. 1812 Moore in Mem. (1853) I. 266, I never am let to write half so much as I wish. a 1866 Keble Lett. Spir. Counsel (1870) 201 If they be indulged and let to run wild.

    c. with ellipsis of the infinitive.

a 1550 Christis Kirke Gr. iv, He wald haif lufit, scho wald not lat him. 1681 Dryden Sp. Fryar v. 77 My dear, dear Lord Remember me; speak, Raymond, will you let him? 1700 Penn in Pa. Hist. Soc. Mem. IX. 8 We are as well as the heat will let us. 1853 Lytton My Novel i. xiii, I am very much obliged to my father for letting me. 1892 M. Morris Montrose ix. 172 A..declivity, by which they might march directly down upon Montrose's left flank—if Montrose would let them.

    † d. absol. To allow, give permission. Obs.

1567 Satir. Poems Reform. vii. 95 Sum douts..of quhilk rycht faine, Gif laser lat, I wald resoluit be. 1725 Ramsay Gent. Sheph. i. ii, The maist thrifty man could never get A well-stor'd room, unless his wife wad let.

    e. let 'em all come: a catch-phr. denoting cheerful defiance.

1903 To-Day 19 Aug. 99/1 ‘Let 'em all come,’ said Billy Frew, cheerfully. 1909 J. R. Ware Passing Eng. 167/2 Let 'em all come.., cheery defiance. Outcome of the plucky way in which the British, in the first days of the new year, accepted the message of congratulation by the Emperor of Germany to President Kruger on the repulse of the Jameson raid.

    13. To cause. Now only in to let (a person) know = to inform (of something).
    In early use, often with ellipsis of an indefinite personal object, so that the active infinitive has virtually assumed a passive sense; cf. G. lassen.

c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. iii. xiv. [xviii.] (MS. Ca.), He sette scole, & on þære he let cnihtas læran. a 1123 O.E. Chron. an. 1102 He let þær toforan castelas ᵹemakian. c 1175 Cott. Hom. 221 Se almihti sceappende..hi alle..let befallen on þat ece fer þe ham ȝearcod was. c 1200 Ormin 6362 To letenn swingenn himm. c 1205 Lay. 586 He hine leatte wel witen. a 1225 Ancr. R. 54 Al þus þe holi Gost lette writen one boc uor to warnie wummen of hore fol eien. c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 14/457 He liet..maken him king of al is fader lond. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 541 Ibured he was in londone þat he let verst rere. c 1350 Will. Palerne 2171 Lete wite swiþe at þe kichen weþer þei misse any skinnes. c 1440 Gesta Rom. i. vi. 15 (Harl. MS.) He lete make a proclamacion þorȝ all his Empire. 1490 Caxton Eneydos vi. 24 Y⊇ thynges that they desireden to late to knowen to theyr frendis. 1530 Palsgr. 607/2, I lette one to wyte, je sinue. 1589 Cooper Admon. 125 They were let to vnderstande, what plots and meanes were made. 1602 Shakes. Ham. iv. vi. 11 If your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is. 1630 Ld. Dorchester in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. III. 260 To let the Ambassador know this Doctor may returne as hee is come. 1706 Pope Let. to Wycherley 10 Apr., Pray let me know your mind in this, for I am utterly at a loss. 1781 [C. Johnston] Juniper Jack II. iv. v. 230 On my arrival at her house, I was not let to wait long. 1794 Burns ‘O saw ye my dear’, She lets thee to wit that she has thee forgot. 1829 Scott Tales Grandf. Ser. iii. lxxxiv. (1841) 446/2, I will let them know that they are the King's subjects, and must likewise submit to me. 1883 Manch. Exam. 7 Nov. 5/1 There was always some body of Church⁓men which disliked them, and took every opportunity of letting them know it.

    14. a. The imperative with n. or pronoun as obj. often serves as an auxiliary, forming the equivalent of a first or third person of the vb. which follows in the infinitive. Also (U.S. colloq.) in irregular phr. let's you and me (or you and I, or us): let us (do something).
    The transition to this use from senses 12 and 13 may be seen in instances such as quot. 1423 below, in which let may be taken either in its ordinary sense, expressing a request addressed to a person, or in its function as an auxiliary.

1375 Barbour Bruce i. 498 Lat me ta the state on me, And bring this land out off thyrllage. c 1386 Chaucer Man of Law's T. 855 Lat vs stynte of Custance but a throwe, And speke we of the Romayn Emperour. 1423 Jas. I Kingis Q. xcix, Vnto ȝoure grace lat now ben acceptable My pure request. 1470–85 Malory Arthur iv. ii, Lete vs set vpon hym or day. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xix. 49 Latt every man say quhat he will. a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) D iij, Leat vs call to memorie, the princes of times past. 1535 Coverdale Song 3 Child. 52 O let the earth speake good of the Lorde: yee lett it prayse him. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 102 Let it be granted that they are most necessarie. 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. v. ii. 228 If you denie to dance, let's hold more chat. 1669 Sturmy Mariner's Mag. v. 84 Let there be an hole about an Inch deep, which shall serve to Prime it with Powder-dust. 1707 Addison Pres. St. War Misc. Wks. 1830 III. 222 Let her wealth be what it will. 1742 Richardson Pamela II. 300 But come, I must love him! Let's find him out. 1840 Dickens Old C. Shop xii, Let us begone from this place. 1875 Jevons Money (1878) 254 Let us suppose that there is a town which is able to support two banks. 1929 W. Faulkner Sartoris iii. 186 Let's you and I take 'em on for a set. 1950 J. D. MacDonald Brass Cupcake vi. 55 Let's you and me duck out of here. 1953 M. Dickens No More Meadows ii. 123 Let's you and me have a drink together first. 1961 R. B. Long Sentence & its Parts i. 23 In informal let's us go too strongly stressed us is an appositive which actually repeats its principal, the us of let's. 1964 Mrs. L. B. Johnson White House Diary 24 Mar. (1970) i. 101 Lady Bird, after this is over, let's you and me go out and have a drink.

    ¶ b. Occasionally the nominative has been incorrectly used for the objective before the infinitive.

1634 Malory's Arthur iv. iii, Let we [1485 lete vs] hold us together till it be day. 1647 T. Hill Paul (1648) A Letter a ij, Finally, let you and I counsell, encourage, watch over, and pray much one for another. c 1650 Chevy Chase (Percy MS.) xxiii, Let thou and I the battell trye. 1795 Southey Joan of Arc vii. 424 Awhile Let thou and I withdraw. 1875 G. W. Dasent Vikings III. 131 Let thou and all Bui's men do their best.

    c. with ellipsis of go. (Very common in Shakes.; now arch.)

1590 Shakes. Com. Err. iii. i. 95 Let vs to the Tyger all to dinner. 1611 ― Cymb. iv. ii. 152 Ile throw't into the Creeke Behinde our Rocke, and let it to the Sea. 1634 Milton Comus 599 But com let's on. 1638 Sir T. Herbert Trav. (ed. 2) 219 Let us now into the Towne. 1791 Cowper Iliad vi. 505 Then let me to the tomb, my best retreat, When thou art slain. 1820 Scott Ivanhoe i, Let us home ere the storm begins to rage. 1822 Shelley Faust ii. 326 When one dance ends another is begun; Come, let us to it.

    III. To behave, appear, think.
    † 15. intr. To behave, comport oneself; to have (a particular) behaviour or appearance; to make as though, to pretend. Also with cognate obj. to let lates (cf. ON. láta látum). Obs.

c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke xx. 20 Ða sendun hiᵹ mid sear⁓wun þa ðe riht-wise leton [Hatton Gosp. lætenn; Vulg. qui se justos simularent]. a 1023 Wulfstan Hom. lvii. (1883) 298 He..læt him eaðelice ymbe þæt. c 1200 Ormin 1296 Bule lateþþ modiliȝ, & bereþþ upp hiss hæfedd. c 1220 Bestiary 429 He lat he ne wile us noȝt biswike. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 2168 He let he knew hem noȝt. a 1300 Cursor M. 12496 (Cott.) Þe late þai thoru þe cite let. Ibid. 14608 (Gött.) Als wittles men sli late þai lete. a 1310 in Wright Lyric P. xv. 49 Lord, that hast me lyf to⁓lene, such lotes lef me leten! a 1340 Hampole Psalter lxxvii. 12 Þai let as þai armyd þaim to stand wiþ god. a 1350 St. Laurence 137 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881) 114 He saw þam al lat sarili. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 3832 Letande alles a lyone, he lawnches theme thorowe. c 1400 Ywaine & Gaw. 1809 Sho lete als sho him noght had sene. 1461 Paston Lett. II. 9 Sche letteth as thow sche wyst not where he were. c 1470 Henry Wallace xi. 502 Wallace assayed at all placis about, Leit as he wald at ony place brek out. 1508 Dunbar Tua mariit wemen 228, I cast on him a crabbit E..And lettis it is a luf-blenk. 1529 Rastell Pastyme, Hist. Brit. (1811) 103 Vortyger..letid as thoughe he had been wroth with that deede. 1787 Grose Prov. Gloss. Suppl., Leeten, you Pretend to be. Chesh. You are not so mad as you leeten you.

    † 16. To think (highly, lightly, much, etc.) of (occas. by, to, OE. embe). to let well of: to be glad of, welcome. Obs.

c 1000 Inst. Polity c. 6 in Thorpe Laws II. 310 Eala fela is..þæra þe..embe bletsunga oððe unbletsunga leohtlice lætað. a 1200 Moral Ode 260 Þet lutel let of godes borde, and godes worde. c 1200 Ormin 3750 Þatt te birrþ..lætenn swiþe unnorneliȝ & litell off þe sellfenn. c 1230 Hali Meid. 33 Ȝif þu him muche luuest & he let lutel to þe. c 1325 Metr. Hom. 43 He..lates of pouer men hetheli. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 195 So wele it was of leten. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. xi. 29 Luytel is he loued or leten bi. 1375 Barbour Bruce xii. 250 Thai leit of ws lichtly. a 1400 Relig. Pieces fr. Thornton MS. 88 Þare was na lyueande lede he lete mare by. c 1400 Ywaine & Gaw. 2007 So wele the lyon of him lete. c 1430 Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 6764 He saw comyng Nathanael, He lete therof right wel. 1496 Dives & Paup. (W. de W.) vi. x. 247/2 Adam and Eue..well lete of themselfe byfore they ete of the tree. c 1600 Montgomerie Cherrie & Slae 1436 Quod Danger, ‘Let not licht’.

    † 17. a. trans. with complement. To regard as. Also with obj. and inf., or clause: To consider to be, that (a person or thing) is. Obs.

c 893 K. ælfred Oros. iii. i. §5 Þæt hi hi selfe leton æᵹþer ᵹe for heane ᵹe for unwræste. a 1100 O.E. Chron. an. 1097 Maniᵹe men leton {thbar} hit cometa wære. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 125 He let hit unleflich and ne lefde hit noht. a 1225 Ancr. R. 130 [Heo] leteð al nouht wurð þet heo wel doð. a 1300 Cursor M. 19524 Godds virtu or gret prophet, Or angel elles þai him let. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. ii. pr. iii. 25 (Camb. MS.) Thow shalt nat wylne to leten thi self a wrecche. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xv. 5 Somme..leten me for a lorel. c 1420 Wyntoun Chron. viii. xxx. 4556 Inglis man..gert his folk wyth mekil mayne Ryot halyly the cwntré; And lete, that all hys awyne suld be. c 1450 Holland Howlat 907 Thus leit he no man his peir.

    † b. absol. To think. Obs.

c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 105 Ech god giue..cumeð of heuene dunward..þeh þe unbileffulle swo ne lete. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 288/2 Laatyn, wenyn, or demyn. Ibid. 289/1 Latyn, or demyn in word, or hert. c 1470 Harding Chron. liv. ii, Nothyng is more redy for to mete Then couetous and falshode as man lete.

    IV. Phraseological combinations.
    * with adj. as compl.
    18. let alone. (In OE. also lǽtan án, ME. † let one.) † a. To leave (a person) in solitude. Obs.

13.. Guy Warw. (A.) 525 Þe leches gon, & lete Gij one, Þat makeþ wel michel mone. a 1400–50 Alexander 1828 Þen lete þe lord þam allane & went till his fest.

    b. To abstain from interfering with or paying attention to (a person or thing), abstain from doing (an action). to let well alone: see well.

c 897 K. ælfred Gregory's Past. xxxiii. 226 Læt ðonne an ðæt ᵹefeoht swæ openlice sume hwile. ? a 1400 Cursor M. 2898 (Fairf.) Sibbe and spoused ȝe lete an [Cott. tak yee nan]. a 1483 Earl Rivers Let. in Gairdner Life Rich. III (1878) App. B. 395 Take hede to the vice that Maundy makes, and loke yef the foundacion and the wallis be sufficiaunt..than lete hym alone with his worke. 1530 Palsgr. 607/1 Let that alone, laissés cela. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 269 The corrupt natures of women, if they be let alone to live at libertie. 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, ii. iv. 95 Let them alone awhile, and then open the doore. 1601 ― Twel. N. ii. iii. 145 For Monsieur Maluolio, let me alone with him. 1611 Bible 2 Kings xxiii. 18 Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone. 1667 Pepys Diary 30 Apr., So home..to my accounts, and finished them..they being grown very intricate, being let alone for two months. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 57 ¶5, I would..advise all my Female Readers..to let alone all Disputes of this Nature. 1830 Gen. P. Thompson Exerc. (1842) I. 293 Why not avoid all this, as Napoleon might have done, by letting well alone? 1838 Dickens O. Twist v, Why don't you let the boy alone? 1884 Rider Haggard Dawn xix, He is gentle as a lamb, if only he is let alone. 1886 Manch. Exam. 4 Nov. 5/6 It was best to let them alone to think quietly over their own position.

    c. absol.

a 1400–50 Alexander 2688 Nay, leue, lat ane [Dubl. MS. lett be]. a 1592 Greene Geo. a Greene (1599) E 1 b, For his other qualities, I let alone. 1891 H. Jones Browning as Philos. Teacher ii. 45 There is given to men the largest choice to do or to let alone, at every step in life.

    d. colloq. in imper.: let me (him, etc.) alone to (do so and so) = I (he, etc.) may be trusted to do, etc. Also const. for, † and in early use ellipt.

c 1350 Will. Palerne 4372 Lete me allone, mi lef swete frende, anoie þe na more. [1413 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton) i. i. (1859) 2 Lete me alone therfore, to do that my ryght is; for nothing skilfully may lette me therof.] 1601 Shakes. Twel. N. iii. iv. 201 Let me alone for swearing. 1681 Dryden Sp. Fryar iv. 48 Let me alone to accuse him afterwards. 1843 Dickens Christmas Carol iv, Let the char⁓woman alone to be the first.

    e. The imperative let alone, or the pres. pple. used absol., is used colloq. with the sense ‘not to mention’. (The obj., whether n., adj., or clause, in this use follows alone.)

1812 M. Edgeworth Absentee in Tales Fashionable Life VI. xiii. 269, I didn't hide, nor wouldn't from any man living, let alone any woman. 1816 Jane Austen Lett. (1884) II. 263 We shall have no bed in the house..for Charles himself—let alone Henry. 1843 F. A. Kemble Rec. Later Life III. 33 Going out of town is very agreeable to me on my own account, letting alone my rejoicing for my children. 1853 Trench Proverbs 98 It..declares that honesty, let alone that it is the right thing, is also..the wisest. 1892 Guardian 20 Jan. 86/1 It is hard to get a gardener who can prune a gooseberry⁓bush, let alone raise a cucumber. 1961 R. B. Long Sentence & its Parts xi. 264 The use of adjectives as complements of transitive verbs is quite limited... She isn't even pretty, let alone beautiful. 1966 Listener 20 Oct. 569/3, I cannot say that I ever felt anything like twice as old (let alone twice as wise) as my Polish friends. 1974 L. Deighton Spy Story ix. 100 He'd never be considered for a high security clearance, let alone a job in the Service.

    f. as n.; now only attrib. in the sense of ‘laisser-aller’.

1605 Shakes. Lear v. iii. 79 Gon. Meane you to enioy him? Alb. The let alone lies not in your good will. 1826 Miss Mitford Village Ser. ii. (1863) 298 By dint of practising the let-alone system. 1859 Smiles Self-Help xii. (1860) 325 The old let-alone proprietors. 1873 H. Spencer Stud. Sociol. (1882) 351 Such a let-alone policy is eventually beneficial.

    19. let loose. To liberate, set free; now chiefly, a fierce animal or some destructive agency. Also, † to relax, loose (one's hold, control), slacken (a bridle); † to abandon (an opinion). † Rarely intr. to give way to.

1530 Palsgr. 607/2, I let lose, je mets au large... Lette lose your houndes, we shall go hunte the foxe. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 286 Not letting loose the bridle of libertie to his concupiscence. 1582–8 Hist. James VI (1804) 286 It hes not bein the custome of England to let louse onie grip that they haue hade of Scotland at ony tyme. 1597 T. Beard Theatre God's Judgem. (1612) 430 Their tongues are let loosse to opprobrious speeches. 1610 Shakes. Temp. ii. ii. 36, I doe now let loose my opinion. 1611 Bible Gen. xlix. 21 Naphtali is a hinde let loose. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. i. x. 38 God intendeth only the care of the species or common natures, but letteth loose the guard of individualls. 1667 Milton P.L. ii. 155 Will he, so wise, let loose at once his ire? 1667 Causes Decay Chr. Piety i. ¶1 If we should so far let loose to speculation, as to forget our experience. 1683 Burnet tr. More's Utopia 136 When their Enemies..have let themselves loose into an irregular Pursuit. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 123 ¶1 He was let loose among the Woods as soon as he was able to ride on Horse⁓back. 1821 Lamb Elia Ser. i. Old & New Schoolmaster, He can no more let his intellect loose in Society, than the other can his inclinations. 1836 W. Irving Astoria II. 43 Like so many bedlamites or demoniacs let loose. 1877 C. Geikie Christ lvii. (1879) 696 Fierce wrath will he let loose on this nation.

    ** with a verb in the infinitive.
    20. let be (dial. let-a-be; † also contracted labee, labbe). a. To leave undisturbed, not to meddle with; to abstain from doing (an action); to leave off, cease from; = let alone, 18 b. † Also const. inf.

c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 57 Let þu þet uuele beon. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 3726 Leateð ben swilc wurdes ref. a 1300 Cursor M. 20271 Lat be weping, it helps noght. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1840 Lettez be your bisinesse. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. Prol. 475 Lat be thyn arguynge Ffor loue ne wele nat Countyrpletyd be. c 1425 Lydg. Assembly of Gods 2070 Take therof the best & let the worst be. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xxi. iv, Syr late hym be..for he is vnhappy. 1513 Douglas æneis iv. vi. 159 With thi complayntis.. Lat be to vex me. c 1560 A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) iii. 1 Luvaris, lat be the frennessy of luve. 1599 Shakes. Much Ado v. i. 207 Soft you, let me be, plucke vp my heart, and be sad. 1641 Milton Animadv. Wks. 1738 I. 10 Let be your prayer, ask not Impossibilities. 1700 Dryden Theod. & Hon. 287 ‘Back on your lives! let be’, said he, ‘my prey’. 1822 Shelley Faust ii. 383 Let it be..pass on. 1884 W. C. Smith Kildrostan 75, I do not understand Why you should harp on Ina. Let her be. 1896 A. E. Housman Shropsh. Lad xxxiv, Oh, sick I am to see you, will you never let me be?

    † b. To cease to speak of; also intr. Const. of.

c 1205 Lay. 30455 Lette we nu beon Cadwaðlan and ga we to Edwine aȝan. c 1430 Syr Tryam. 127 Of the quene let we bee.

    c. absol.

c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 206 Læt beon ealne dæᵹ. a 1250 Owl & Night. 1735 Lateþ beo and beoþ isome. c 1320 Seuyn Sag. (W.) 1757 Lat ben, moder, for hit is nede. c 1386 Chaucer Pard. T. 619 Lat be quod he, it shal nat be. 1450–80 tr. Secreta Secret. 18 God saith him silf..‘lete be, lete be, for in me is the vengeaunce, and y shalle quyte it’. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 293 ‘Lat be, God forbid’, the Coilȝear said. 1526 Tindale Matt. xxvii. 49 Other sayde let be: let vs se whyther Helias wyll come and delyver hym. 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. iv. iv. 6 Ah let be, let be, thou art The Armourer of my heart. 1651 Cleveland Poems, Sq.-Cap ii, She replies, good Sir, La-bee, If ever I have a man, Square-cap for mee. 1746 Exmoor Scolding 306 (E.D.S.) Labbe, labbe, Soze, labbe... Gi' o'er, gi o'er. 1847 Tennyson Princess vii. 338, I waste my heart in signs: let be. 1884 Child Ballads I. 322/2 When Thomas is about to pull fruit..the elf bids him let be. 1891 Athenæum 21 Feb. 242/2 The good old doctrine of Let Be.

    d. = let alone, 18 e. Chiefly Sc.

1600 J. Melvill Diary (Wodrow Soc.) 246 He could skarse sitt, to let be stand on his feet. a 1653 Binning Serm. (1743) 619 These baser things are not worthy of an immortal spirit, let be a spirit who is a partaker of a divine nature. 1683 Duke of Hamilton 9 June in Napier Dundee (1859) I. ii. 333 They would scarce give me civil answers, let be to confess a word. 1816 Scott Antiq. xxxix, She..speaks as if she were a prent book,—let a-be an auld fisher's wife. 1828 Moir Mansie Wauch Prelim. p. vii, Let-a-be this plain truth, another point of argument is [etc.].

    21. let drive (see drive v. 11).
    22. let fall. † a. To put (clothing) on a person. Obs.

a 1300 Cursor M. 4655 Þe kyng..did on ioseph hand þe ring; And clahtyng on him lette he fall.

    b. To lower (a bridge, a portcullis, a veil); Naut. to ‘drop’ an anchor; also (see quot. 1867).

c 1500 Melusine xxvi. 252 Clerevauld..lete fall the bridge. 1508 Dunbar Gold. Targe 139 Than ladyes fair lete fall thair mantillis grene. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. (1858) II. 13 Tha..Drew draw briggis, and lute portculȝeis fall. 1594 [see fall v. 4]. 1627 Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. ix. 38 Let fall your fore-saile. 1638 Sir T. Herbert Trav. (ed. 2) 12 We let fall our Anchor. 1784 Cowper Task iv. 248 In letting fall the curtain of repose On bird and beast. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Let fall! The order to drop a sail loosed from its gaskets, in order to set it.

    c. † To allow (one's anger) to abate (obs.); to allow to lapse, proceed no further with, ‘drop’ (a business). ? Obs.

c 1430 Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 3238 His angre somdele lete he fall. 1594 O. B. Questions Profit. Concernings 31 b, It seemed better vnto him to let fall his reuenge. 1621 H. Elsing Debates Ho. Lords (Camden) 70 They lett the buissiness of Flood be lett fallen, and they to proceed no further in yt. 1677 A. Yarranton Eng. Improv. 66 Some progress was made in the work, but within a small while after the Act passed it was let fall again. 1692 R. L'Estrange Josephus v. i. (1733) 102 Having lost their Labour with⁓out making any Discovery, they let the Business fall. a 1715 Burnet Own Time (1724) I. 453 Seimour's election was let fall: But the point was settled, that the right of electing was in the House, and that the confirmation [by the King] was a thing of course.

    † d. To lower (a price). Obs. rare^—1.

c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 833 Sa laith thay war..to lat thair price fall.

    e. To ‘drop’, utter (a word, a hint), esp. carelessly or inadvertently.

1586 A. Day Eng. Secretary ii. (1625) 51 The least word..that you let fall out of your overflowing venemous mouthes. 1676 Dryden Aureng-z. ii. i. 27 My grief let unbecoming speeches fall. 1710 Steele & Addison Tatler No. 256 ¶4 Some Expressions which the Welshman let fall in asserting the Antiquity of his Family. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. x. II. 627 H.F. let fall some expressions which [etc.]. 1890 Lippincott's Mag. Mar. 412 Vague hints..let fall by the dying officer.

    f. To shed (tears).

1816 Scott Jock of Hazeldean, But aye she loot the tears down fa' For Jock of Hazeldean. 1822 Hazlitt Table-t. II. ii. 20 He..lets fall some drops of natural pity over hapless infirmity.

    g. Of a solution, etc.: To deposit.

1838 T. Thomson Chem. Org. Bodies 688 On cooling it lets fall a yellow matter similar to wax.

    h. Geom. To draw (a perpendicular) to a line from a point outside it. Const. on, upon.

1667 [see fall v. 4]. 1774 M. Mackenzie Maritime Surv. 14 Find its Latitude, by letting fall the Perpendicular S b on the true Meridian drawn through X. 1825 J. Nicholson Operat. Mechanic 9 The length of perpendiculars let fall upon the lines of direction.

    23. let fly: see fly v.¹ 10.
    24. let go. a. trans. To allow to escape; to set at liberty; to lose one's hold of; to relax (one's hold); to drop (an anchor).

a 1300 Cursor M. 16330 Þe pouste es min to spill or latte ga? c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints ii. (Paulus) 173 Nero..þane leit paule a quhill ga. c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame ii. 443 He..lat the reynes gon Of his hors. c 1440 York Myst. xxxii. 254 What, wolde þou þat we lete hym ga? 1530 Palsgr. 607/2 Let go your capestan, and some be lyke to have a knocke. 1581 Act 23 Eliz. c. 10 §4 So as they..do presentlye loose and let goe everye Feasaunte and Partridge so taken. 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. v. iv. 60 Ruffian: let goe that rude vnciuill touch. 1629 Earle Microcosm. lxvi. (Arb.) 90 He..will not let the least hold goe, for feare of losing you. 1665 Sir T. Herbert Trav. (1677) 150 Letting go their hold they were killed by the fall. 1704 Newton Optics iii. (1721) 356 A Solution of Mercury in Aqua fortis being poured upon Iron, Copper, Tin or Lead, dissolves the Metal, and lets go the Mercury. 1727 Boyer Fr. Dict. s.v. Go, To let go the Anchor. 1807 T. Thomson Chem. (ed. 3) II. 214 The oxygen of the acid combines with the carbon..and at the same time lets go a quantity of caloric. 1849 Tait's Mag. XVI. 308/1 The Dauphin let go his father's hand. 1850 Ibid. XVII. 26/1 He requested the pipe-seller to let go his hold. 1894 Clark Russell in My First Bk. 34 A big ship..let go her anchor in the Downs.

    b. intr. = to let go one's hold. Const. of.

c 1420 Anturs of Arth. 470 (Douce MS.) ‘Let go’, quod sir Gawayne, ‘god stond with þe riȝte!’ 1605 Shakes. Lear iv. vi. 241 Let go Slaue, or thou dy'st. 1712 J. James tr. Le Blond's Gardening 174 A Spring that lets go immediately, and shuts the Mouth of the Trap. 1851 Thackeray Eng. Humourists, Steele (1853) 112 Hill let go of his prey sulkily. 1889 Spectator 9 Mar., If once the heart lets go of the faith to which it used to cling.

    c. To dismiss from one's thoughts; to abandon, give up; to cease to attend to or control. Phr. let it go at that (see go v. B. 21 e).

1535 Coverdale 1 Sam. ii. 3 Let go youre greate boostinge of hye thynges. 1550 Crowley Epigr. 110 Such..do turne into the alehouse, and let the church go. 1594 Marlowe & Nashe Dido v. ii. G 2, Iarbus, talke not of æneas, Let him goe. a 1600 Hooker Eccl. Pol. vii. ii. §3 To let go the name, and come to the very nature of that thing which is thereby signified. 1666 Pepys Diary 22 July, I finding that accounts but a little let go can never be put in order by strangers. 1868 Tennyson Lucretius 113 Letting his own life go. 1878 Scribner's Mag. XV. 859/1 Do only what is imperative and let the rest go. 1886 Sir F. Pollock Oxford Lect. etc. iv. (1890) 107 Let go nothing that becomes a man of bodily or of mental excellence.

    † d. To fire off (ordnance), discharge (missiles).

c 1500 Three Kings' Sons 45 All suche ordenaunce as they had they lete go at ones. 1580 Sidney Ps. vii. xii, Thou..ready art to lett thyne arrowes go. a 1670 Spalding Troub. Chas. I (Bannatyne Club) I. 109 Ane sudden fray..throw occasion of ane shot rakelesslie lettin go.

    e. To cease to restrain; to allow to take its course unchecked. to let oneself (or it) go: (a) to give free vent to one's enthusiasm; (b) to neglect one's appearance, personal habits, etc.

1526 Tindale Acts xxvii. 15 When the shippe was caught, and coulde not resist the wynde, we let her goo and drave with the wedder. 1535 Coverdale Job vi. 9 That he wolde let his honde go, and hew me downe. 1890 Spectator 1 Nov., Once, and once only, does he let himself ‘go’, and then not till he has threatened to throw down his pen. 1893 National Observer 1 Apr. 488/2 The multitude is taking its pleasure, is letting itself go. 1923 A. Bennett Riceyman Steps v. i. 239 Her sole concern..was the condition of the shop. Ought she to clean it, or ought she to ‘let it go’? 1960 Woman 23 Apr. 17/3 The first step towards ‘letting yourself go’. 1963 N. Streatfeild Vicarage Family ii. 20 There is a flower garden. It's been let go rather but I saw some nice rose trees. 1970 G. Greer Female Eunuch 186 She tries not ‘to let herself go’, keeps young-looking. 1971 R. Rendell One Across v. 48 She's made a nice job of my hair, hasn't she? I wouldn't want Ethel to think I'd let myself go.

    f. as n. An act of letting go.

1631 T. Powell Tom All Trades 31 Shipping is subject ever, at the let goe, to bee stayed. 1702 in 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. iii. 7 [A dog match] for a Guinea each Dog, five let-goes out of hand,..which goes fairest and furthest in wins all. 1885 H. Cholmondeley-Pennell Fishing 84 Catastrophes..averted only by an ignominious let-go of the gaff.

    † 25. let pass. Obs. as a combination; for to let (a person or thing) pass, see pass v. trans. To let slip, miss (an opportunity); to pass by, neglect; to discontinue (a practice).

1530 Palsgr. 608/1, I lette passe a thyng, I let it go, or passe on. 1537 tr. Latimer's Serm. bef. Convocation A viij b, I lette passe to speake of moche other suche lyke countrefayte doctrine. 1577 Hanmer Anc. Eccl. Hist. (1619) 303 Although he let passe the vnsatiable tyrannie practised in the time of Diocletian, yet ceassed he not altogether from persecuting. 1598 R. Grenewey Tacitus' Ann. ii. xviii. (1622) 59 Letting passe the Ilands [to] take wide and open sea. 1648 Hamilton Papers (Camden) 164 That a people so wise..can let passe ane opertunitie of so much credit and interest. 1667 Milton P.L. ix. 479 Let me not let pass Occasion which now smiles. 1671 ― P.R. ii. 233, I shall let pass No advantage.

    26. let run. Naut. (See quot. 1867.)

1748 Anson's Voy. ii. iv. 163 Having let run their sheets and halyards. 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1780), Faire courir,..to let run, or over-haul any rope. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Work-bk., Let run, or let go by the run, cast off at once.

    27. let slide (see slide v. 5 b).
    28. let slip. (See also slip v.) a. trans. To unfasten what is tied; to loose (a knot). ? Obs.

1526 Tindale Luke v. 4 Cary vs in to the depe and lett slippe thy nett to make a draught. 1530 Palsgr. 608/1, I lette slyppe a thyng that is tyed fast.

    b. To liberate, loose (a hound) from the leash in order to begin the chase. Also absol.

1530 Palsgr. 608/1, I let slyppe, as a hunter dothe his grayhoundes out of his leashe. 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, i. i. 278 Before the game's afoot, thou still let'st slip. 1601 ― Jul. C. iii. ii. 273 Cry hauocke, and let slip the Dogges of Warre. 1688 R. Holme Armoury ii. 186/2 Let slip the Grey-hound. [1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. xx. IV. 517 The cry..was that Nottingham had kept his bloodhounds in the leash, but that Trenchard had let them slip.]

    c. To allow to escape through carelessness; to miss (an opportunity).

1550 Crowley Last Trump. 882 Take hede by time, let not slyppe this occasion. 1611 Bible Heb. ii. 1 We ought to giue the more earnest heede to the things which we haue heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 1634 Milton Comus 743 If you let slip time. 1730 Berkeley Let. Wks. 1871 IV. 176, I would not let slip the opportunity of returning you an answer. 1776 Paine Com. Sense (1791) 61 Most nations have let slip the opportunity.

    *** With adverbs.
    † 29. let abroad. To allow to go abroad; to permit or cause to ‘get about’. Obs.

1633 P. Fletcher Purple Isl. Ep. Ded., In letting them abroad I desire onely to testifie [etc.]. 1727 Pope, etc., Art of Sinking 76 Small beer..is..vapid and insipid, if left at large and let abroad.

    † 30. let away. Obs. a. To allow to go away, permit to depart.

11.. O.E. Chron. an. 1011 (Laud MS.) ælmær abbot hi lætan aweᵹ. a 1300 Cursor M. 5858 Ne i ne wil lat þe folk a-wai. Ibid. 6217 Quat ha we don, þat we let þus þis folk awai? 1826 Moore in Mem. (1854) V. 37 [I] consented on condition of being let away early to my mother.

    b. (a) To omit; to drop (a letter in a word). (b) To put away or aside; to have done with.

a 1000 in Thorpe Dipl. ævi Sax. 289 Ða let he þone aþ aweᵹ. c 1000 ælfric Gram. xxviii. (Z.) 174 Ðas oðre lætaþ ðone n aweᵹ on sopinum. a 1250 Owl & Night. 177 Lete we a wei þeos cheste. c 1275 Moral Ode 344 (Jesus MS.) Þeos leteþ awei al heore wil, for godes hestes to fulle.

    † 31. let by. Sc. = let alone 18 e.

1577 Lochleven to Morton in Robertson Hist. Scot. App. 72 Your own particulars [= personal friends] are not contented lat by the rest.

    32. let down. a. To lower (a drawbridge, portcullis, steps of a carriage, etc.); in restricted sense, to cause or allow to descend by gradual motion or short stages. Also occas. intr. for pass.

1154 O.E. Chron. an. 1140 (Laud MS.) Me læt hire dun on niht of þe tur mid rapes. a 1300 Cursor M. 19844 A mikel linnen clath four squar Laten dun. c 1450 Lonelich Grail xxxvi. 367 So wenten they Into the towr..and leten hym down ful Softelye. c 1470 Henry Wallace i. 90 Leit breggis doun, and portcules thai drew. 1530 Palsgr. 607/1 Come let me downe from my horse. 1539 Tonstall Serm. Palm Sund. (1823) 55 A vysion of a shete latten downe from heauen. 1662 J. Davies tr. Olearius' Voy. Ambass. 35 They would have let down the Anchor. 1664 Evelyn Kal. Hort. in Sylva, etc. (1729) 207 Letting the Tree down into a Pit of four or five Foot Depth. 1737 tr. Le Comte's Mem. & Rem. China i. 12 We were let down into the hold. 1819 Shelley Cenci iv. iii. 59 The draw⁓bridge is let down. 1840 Dickens Barn. Rudge liii, A passing carriage stopped, and a lady's hand let down the glass. 1844 ― Mart. Chuz. liii, Draymen letting down big butts of beer into a cellar. 1853 Lytton My Novel i. xii, Lights were brought in, the curtains let down. 1864 Mrs. H. Wood Trevlyn Hold I. 313 A large board or table which would put up or let down at will. 1881 Besant & Rice Chapl. of Fleet I. 89 Throwing the door wide open with a fling, and letting down the steps.

fig. 1659 Gentl. Calling i. (1679) 6 We can let down our thoughts but one step lower, and that is into the bottomless pit.

    b. To lower in position, intensity, strength, or † value; to depress; to abase, humble. Also, to disappoint; to fail in supporting, aiding, or justifying (a person, etc.); freq. in phr. to let the side down. Also (chiefly U.S.) intr., to diminish, deteriorate; to relax.

1486–1504 Let. in Denton Eng. in 15th c. (1888) 318 note D, Yff ye suld support a synglere man to dryue yowr tenants owt and lett downe yowre tenandres [i.e. tenantries] as they doo. 1681 Dryden Sp. Fryar v. ii. 74 Every slackn'd fiber drops its hold, Like Nature letting down the Springs of Life. 1747 Chesterfield Lett. (1792) I. cxxviii. 343 Nothing in the world lets down a character more than that wrong turn. a 1791 Wesley Serm. lxii. 15 Wks. 1811 IX. 161 He lets himself down to our capacity. 1795 Burke Let. to W. Elliot Wks. VII. 348 When I found that the great advocate, Mr. Erskine, condescended to resort to these bumper toasts..I was rather let down a little. 1798 F. Burney Diary (1846) VI. 162 Poor M. de Narbonne! how will he be shocked and let down! 1800 E. Hervey Mourtray Fam. I. 149 This cold laconic note, that, at once, let down all Emma's hopes of surprising her friend agreeably. 1832 Examiner 790/1 Nothing lets down a smart hit so lamentably as a hitching verse or hobbling rhyme. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. xviii. IV. 187 He was..gently let down from his high position. 1913 E. C. Bentley Trent's Last Case xv. 307 That's good. I judged you would not let me down. 1925 W. Deeping Sorrell & Son xii. 110, I leave it to you, Stephen. I know you'll not let me down. 1927 Daily Express 12 Dec. 2/4 A boy who lets his group down..is made to feel ashamed of himself. 1952 M. Steen Phoenix Rising i. 22 Why..should she present herself to him against this sordid background..letting down her own side? 1958 ‘A. Gilbert’ Death against Clock x. 137 He couldn't guess his Frau was going to let down the side like that. 1969 Guardian 8 Sept. 7/2 ‘House and Garden’ let the side down..by advancing very confident pro-reproduction arguments. 1971 J. Tyndall Death in Lebanon xii. 223 George..let the side down by his boat running out of juice. 1973 D. Robinson Rotten with Honour 20 You have a way of looking at people as if they're about to let the side down. 1974 N. Freeling Dressing of Diamond 99 He's my partner... He doesn't let me down, I won't let him down.

1866 ‘Mark Twain’ Lett. from Hawaii (1967) 250 This Injun don't seem to know anything but ‘Owry ikky’, and the interest of that begins to let down after it's been said sixteen or seventeen times. 1870 ― Lett. to Publishers (1967) 33, I shall watch this Galaxy business pretty closely, and whenever I seem to be ‘letting down’, I shall withdraw from literature and recuperate. 1926 Publishers' Weekly 20 Feb. 563 Sales are increasing instead of letting down. 1964 Mrs. L. B. Johnson White House Diary 14 Jan. (1970) 45 The meeting had broken up a little after midnight, and after a little letting down..Lyndon had arrived at 2 a.m. for—shall we call it dinner.

    † c. To reduce (overfed beef or mutton) by bleeding the animal before it is killed. Sc. Obs.

1555 Burgh Rec. Peebles (1872) 215 That all flescheouris bring thair flesche to the mercat croce..and that thai blaw nane thairof, nor yit let it doune. 1574 Burgh Rec. Glasgow (1876) I. 26 That thair be na muttoun scoirit on the bak..nor yit lattin doun before [i.e. bled at the breast].

    d. techn. (a) To lower the temper of (metal). (b) See quot. 1886.

1677 Moxon Mech. Exerc. 57 If your Steel be too hard..you must let it down (as Smiths say) that is, make it softer, by Tempering it. 1875 Knight Dict. Mech., Letting-down, the process of lowering the temper of a steel tool or spring which [etc.]. 1886 W. A. Harris Techn. Dict. Fire Insur., s.v., Shellac and other resins, and similar substances, are said to be ‘let-down’ when they are, by means of spirit-solvents, reduced or dissolved ready for use. The solvent itself is also known as ‘let-down’.

    (c) intr. Of an aircraft or its pilot: to descend prior to making a landing. Cf. let-down n. 2.

1946 Shell Aviation News No. 100. 8/3 Another frequently used system was ‘Lorenz’ blind approach, which assisted aircraft to let-down in adverse visibility. 1947 Jrnl. R. Aeronaut. Soc. LI. 391/2 There remain the periods when so many accidents occur, just after taking off, or when the aircraft is letting down to land. 1958 ‘N. Shute’ Rainbow & Rose ii. 42 Over Macquarie Harbour I started to let down. 1971 K. Wheeler Epitaph for Mr. Wynn (1972) xxxii. 399 I'll be letting down now... On the ground in ten minutes.

    e. to be let down: (of the claws of a hound) to be in contact with the ground. Also, the sinew of a horse, = ‘to be broken down’ (see break v. 51 d).

1684 Lond. Gaz. No. 1987/4 She is a pretty large Hound, very handsome, all her Claws are let down of one of her fore feet. 1737 Bracken Farriery Impr. (1749) I. 338 If the Horse be, what the Jockies call, let down in the Sinew..such a Horse can never be made so strong in the Part, but a hard Course, or Running a Race upon hard Ground, will let him down again. Ibid. (1757) II. 271 When a Horse..is quite let down (as the Jockeys call it) the Tendon is quite broken.

    f. to be well let down in the girth: (of a horse, also of a hound) to be ‘deep’ in the girth.

1737 Bracken Farriery Impr. (1757) II. 122 When a Horse is well let down in the Girth, he is a good-winded Nag... He was a Round barrell'd Horse, and did not look much let down in the Girth.

    g. to let (a person) down gently, softly or eas(il)y: to treat considerately so as to spare (his) self-respect. colloq.

1754 Richardson Grandison VI. xxii. 120 It will give him consequence in the eye of the world, and be a gentle method of letting his pride down easy. 1834 M. Scott Cruise Midge xvi. (1842) 313 By way of letting him down gently, I said nothing. 1843 H. Gavin Feigned & Fictit. Dis. 32 It is always a prudent measure to afford a malingerer an opportunity of giving in..or in the language of the hospital, to let him softly down. 1863 Country Gentleman 2 Apr. 227/3 The object of these ambiguous expressions is to ‘let the applicant down easy’. 1866 Harper's Mag. Sept. 537/1 How to have the Colonel transferred, or ‘let down easy’,..was the question. 1883 F. M. Crawford Dr. Claudius vi, She would let him down easily, so to speak, that there might be no over-tender recollections on his part. 1907 [see cotton v.1 8]. 1928 G. B. Shaw Intelligent Woman's Guide Socialism lvii. 274 The State..must let the loser down easily; and there is no other way of doing this except the way of purchase and compensation.

    h. Of cows: To yield (milk). dial.

1863 Mrs. Gaskell Sylvia's L. xv, She's a bonny lass, she is; let down her milk, there's a pretty! 1881 J. P. Sheldon Diary Farming 56/1 All cows will not let down their milk to strangers.

    † i. intr. To deliver a blow at. Obs.

1640 tr. Verdere's Rom. of Rom. iii. 219 Taking his curtelas in both his hands, he let down at Rozalmond with such force that [etc.].

    j. To lengthen (a garment); to lower (a hem) in order to lengthen a garment.

1890 Monthly Packet Christmas 182 Mrs. Thorpe was thinking that Babie's pink frock wanted ‘letting down’ an inch. 1952 E. Coxhead Play Toward v. 125 They both wore cotton [dresses], Sophia's showing where it had been let down, and Madeleine's dating back to the war years. 1953 K. Tennant Joyful Condemned xxxiii. 316 Philippa was..letting down the hem of Margot's green organdie. 1974 N. Freeling Dressing of Diamond 121 She liked to sit and sew; a frock whose hem needed letting down.

    k. to let one's hair down: see hair n. 8 l. l. To deflate (a tyre).

1968 M. Woodhouse Rock Baby ix. 91, I..hoped she hadn't had any bright ideas like letting down my tyres or removing the distributor cap. 1973 ‘M. Yorke’ Grave Matters v. i. 81 There was no trace of a hole in it [sc. a tyre] when the wheel was brought in for repair. It must have been let down. Deliberately.

    † 33. let forth. a. To allow to pass forth or out; to give passage to. b. (See quot. 1573). Obs.

1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. (1858) II. 598 Neuir ane of thame he wald lat furth by. 1573 Baret Alv. L 292 To Let forth, or make a leasse of a piece of land, foras locitare agellum Ter. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 26 Schir James and his brother were lattin furth at the request of the chancellar. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. v. i. 388 The graues, all gaping wide, Euery one lets forth his spright. 1593 ― Lucr. 1029 To let forth my fowle defiled blood. 1626 Bacon Sylva §464 Pricking vines, or other trees..and thereby letting forth gum or tears. 1667 Milton P.L. vii. 207 Heav'n op'nd wide Her ever during Gates..to let forth The King of Glorie.

    34. let in. a. To admit, give admittance to (a person), esp. into a dwelling-house; to open the door of a house to; hence refl. to enter the house where one lives, usually by means of a latch-key. Also fig., to include; to allow (someone) to share (confidential information, privileges, etc.); freq. const. on.

c 1000 ælfric Hom. II. 382 Petrus cnucode oþ ðæt hi hine inne leton. a 1240 Sawles Warde in Cott. Hom. 257 Let him in seið wit ȝef godd wule he bringeð us gleade tidinges. a 1300 Cursor M. 18096 Hell..open up þin yates wide, Lete in þe king, wit-vten bide. ? a 1366 Chaucer Rom. Rose 700 She the dore of that gardyn Hadde opened, and me leten in. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) ii. 6 Seth went forth to Paradys; bot the aungel wald noȝt late him in. 1423 Jas. I Kingis Q. cxxv, The maister portare..frely lete vs in, vnquestionate. 1509 Hawes Past. Pleas. iv. (Percy Soc.) 21 At the chambre in ryght ryche araye We were let in. a 1550 Freiris of Berwik 154 in Dunbar's Poems (1893) 290 His knok scho kend, and did so him in lett. 1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. iv. ii. 94 There he must stay vntil the Officer Arise to let him in. 1667 Milton P.L. vii. 566 Open, ye everlasting Gates..let in The great Creator from his work returnd Magnificent. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 45 ¶1, I was let in at the Back-Gate of a lovely House. 1724 Ramsay Tea-t. Misc. (1733) II. 134 And now she thanks the happy time That e'er she loot me in. c 1815 Jane Austen Persuasion (1833) II. ix. 389 Nurse Rooke..was delighted to be in the way to let you in. 1889 J. K. Jerome Three Men in Boat 167 George went home again, musing as he walked along, and let himself in. 1891 N. Gould Double Event 74, I have a latch-key, and I let myself in. 1904 G. S. Porter Freckles xiv. 307, I guess you'll have to let me in on that, too. You mustn't be selfish, you know. 1910 E. A. Walcott Open Door xiii. 162 Let me in on the game, Tommy. 1923 L. J. Vance Baroque vii. 39 I'll let you in on a secret. 1928 E. Wallace Double xv. 239 He had been ‘let in’ by acquaintances on the Stock Exchange to several good things. 1942 Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang §197/5 Inform; give inside information,..let or leave in on.

    b. To give entrance or admittance to (light, water, air, etc.). Also transf. and fig.

1558 Bp. Watson Seven Sacram. xviii. 112 So wee maye lette in shame into oure soule. 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. (1586) 44 The water may be let in by Trenches when you lyst. 1650 Jer. Taylor Holy Living ii. §6 (1686) 134 The more tender our spirits are made by Religion, the more easie we are to let in grief if the cause be innocent. 1685 Waller Divine Poems, Last Verses, The Soul's dark Cottage, batter'd and decay'd, Lets in new Light thro' chinks that time has made. 1697 Vanbrugh æsop v. 62 A Womans Heart's to be enter'd forty ways... An Essenc'd Peruke, and a Sweet Handkerchief; let's you in at her Nose. 1705 Stanhope Paraphr. I. 221 Though God do not let in Heaven upon us. 1710 Steele Tatler No. 203 ¶8 A sashed Roof, which lets in the Sun at all Times. 1748 Anson's Voy. i. viii. 78 She let in the water at every seam. 1819 Crabbe T. of Hall xvi, And fears of sinning let in thoughts of sin. 1848 Clough Bothie ix. 96 Half-awake servant-maids..letting-in the air by the door⁓way. 1871 R. H. Hutton Ess. (1877) I. 11 Skylights opened to let in upon human nature an infinite dawn from above.

    c. To insert into the surface or substance of a thing; see also quot. 1867. (Cf. let into, 11 a (b))

1575–6 in Swayne Churchw. Acc. Sarum (1896) 289 White the mason lettinge in the boltes above the quier dore 6d. 1663 H. Power Exper. Philos. 97 A Lead-Pipe..into which at the top was let in a short neck'd weather-glass, or bolt-head. 1711 W. Sutherland Shipbuild. Assist. 26 Let in all the Half-timbers, and then get in your Kelson. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., To let in, to fix or fit a diminished part of one plank or piece of timber into a score formed in another to receive it, as the ends of the carlings into the beams. 1932 D. C. Minter Mod. Needlecraft 214/1 Joins can be made decorative by letting in a piping cord down the centre. 1968 J. Arnold Shell Bk. Country Crafts 257 Handles are constructed by letting in a cane as a foundation.

    d. To make a way for something to happen; to give rise to. Obs. or arch.

1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. iii. v. §19 They pleaded also that the Churlishnesse of the Porter let in this sad Accident, increased by the Indiscretion of those in his own Family. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) V. 502 The bar or extinguishment of both, by the recovery..lets in the reversion in fee after both. 1893 Sir J. W. Chitty in Law Times Rep. LXVIII. 430/1 It would..let in all the mischief against which the statute was intended to guard.

    e. Of ice, etc.: To give way and allow (a person) to fall through into the water. Hence fig. (colloq.) to involve in loss or difficulty by fraud, financial failure, etc. to let in for (cf. in for, in adv. 8): to involve in the performance, payment, etc. of.

1832 Examiner 826/2 The Major..had become security for several friends, who..taxed his friendship too much, by ‘letting him in’ to the amount of the security. 1837 Haliburton Clockm. Ser. i. vi, An old sea captain, who was once let in for it pretty deep by a man with a broader brim than common. 1849 Alb. Smith Pottleton Leg. 124, I was so confoundedly let in by the Patent Artificial Flour Company. 1873 Punch 12 Apr. 149/1 If we interfere to promote the object, Turkey will infallibly let us in for the cost. 1886 Lucy Diary Two Parl. II. 348 A young man to whom nothing is sacred would probably find peculiar pleasure in ‘letting-in’ his own father. 1913 Galsworthy Fugitive ii. 48 Mr Malise, I know what I ought to be to you, if I let you in for all this. 1925 D. H. Lawrence Let. 29 Dec. (1962) II. 873 We sort of let ourselves in for these things. 1938 E. Waugh Scoop i. v. 86 We've been having a row with you lately. Something about a libel action one of our boys let you in for. 1955 Times 29 June 12/6 But never once has she let-in her passengers for a major breakdown in foreign parts, or otherwise far from home. 1971 E. Lemarchand Death on Doomsday i. 16 You're..spelling out the horrors we've let ourselves in for with appalling clarity. 1973 Listener 15 Nov. 661/1 Princess Anne, did you explain to Captain Phillips..what he was letting himself in for?

    f. intr. To become connected or implicated with. ? University slang.

1861 Hughes Tom Brown at Oxf. I. i. 14 He has also been good enough to recommend to me many tradesmen..but..I shall make some inquiries before ‘letting in’ with any of them.

    g. Motoring. To engage (the clutch) by releasing one's pressure on the clutch pedal.

1933 D. L. Sayers Hangman's Holiday 173 Mr. Egg acknowledged the courtesy with a wave of his smart trilby, and let his clutch in with quiet determination. 1960 I. Jefferies Dignity & Purity iv. 61, I let in the clutch and zoomed off. 1968 Listener 19 Dec. 811/2 The Fiddler chuckled as he let in the clutch. 1973 C. Egleton Seven Days to Killing xx. 213 He slipped the handbrake, raced the engine and then let the clutch in fast.

    h. As ppl. adj. (See quots.)

1882 J. Southward Pract. Printing xxvii. 257 Let-in notes are, as the name indicates, let into the text. 1894 Amer. Dict. Printing & Bookmaking 336/1 Let-in notes, another term for cut-in notes, or those let into the text, as distinct from side notes. 1973 Collins's Authors & Printers Dict. (ed. 11) 247/2 Let-in notes,..those let into the text, as distinct from side-notes.

    35. let off. † a. intr. To cease, ‘let be’. Obs.

c 1392 Chaucer Compl. Venus 52, I so long haue been in youre servyce, Þat for to leet of wol I neuer assente. 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 182 ‘Lete of’, he sayde, ‘no man be So hardy to do hym any harme’.

    b. To discharge with an explosion. Hence fig. To fire off (a joke, speech, etc.). to let off steam: see steam n.

1714 Lond. Gaz. No. 5271/2 The Firework..will be let off. 1726 Swift Gulliver, Lilliput ii, Charging it [my pistol] only with Powder..I let it off in the Air. 1741 Chesterfield Lett. (1792) I. lxxiv. 206 Instead of saying that tastes are different..you should let off a proverb, and say [etc.]. 1817 Brougham in Parl. Debates 1873 An occasion for letting off his long meditated speech on that question. 1821 Examiner 509/2 He let off his puns with great dexterity. 1871 L. Stephen Playgr. Europe vi. (1894) 139 It reminds too much of letting off crackers in a cathedral. 1876 Geo. Eliot Dan. Der. v. xxxix, I cannot bear people to keep their minds bottled up for the sake of letting them off with a pop.

    c. To allow to go or escape; to excuse from punishment, service, etc. (Cf. 11 b.)

1814 J. Constable Let. 25 Oct. in Corr. (1964) II. 135 Mr. Roberson our curate was so polite as to ask me to dine with him as he had a party the other day, but I begged to be ‘let off’. 1816 Jane Austen Emma II. xiii. 244 It will be a good thing over..and I shall have been let off easily. 1828 J. W. Croker Diary 4 Mar. in C. Papers (1884) I. xiii. 409 The poor devil had no shirt, and was so humble and penitent that he let him off. 1849 Thackeray Pendennis lxx, I will let Clavering off from that bargain. 1866 Mrs. Oliphant Madonna Mary I. ii. 25, I am not able for any more. Let me off for today. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 322 Did you ever hear any one arguing that a murderer or any sort of evil-doer ought to be let off? 1890 Times 21 Mar. 3/6 He was let off with an admonition and four strokes with the birch rod.

    d. To allow or cause to pass away.

1823 J. Badcock Dom. Amusem. 21 Cocks..for letting off the sediment.

    e. To lease in portions.

1852 Dickens Bleak Ho. x, The house is let off in sets of chambers. 1853 Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. XIV. i. 157 He mowed some worth 3l. and let off the grass of other land at 2l.

    f. as n. (a) A display of festivity, a festive gathering. (b) A part of a property which is ‘let off’. (c) An outlet (fig.). (d) A failure to utilize some manifest advantage in a game; e.g. in Cricket, the failure on the part of a fielder to get a batsman out when he gives a chance. (e) Weaving. The ‘paying off’ of the yarn from the beam; concr. a contrivance for regulating this; also attrib. as let-off mechanism (Posselt Techn. Textile Design, 1889). (f) A release or exemption from punishment or obligation. (g) Rifle-shooting. The pulling of the trigger.

1827 Scott Diary 1 Oct. in Lockhart, I am to set off tomorrow for Ravensworth Castle, to meet the Duke of Wellington; a great let-off, I suppose. 1836 D. Crockett Exploits & Adventures Texas 52, I was for backing out and fighting shy; but there was no let-off, for the cock of the village..determined not to stay whipped. 1837–40 Haliburton Clockm. Ser. ii. viii, My old lady..is agoin' for to give our Arabella..a let off to-night. 1854 Punch 23 Sept. 114/2 A light let-off that will be for the murderer of more than half-a-million! 1864 in Cricket Q. (1963) I. 21 He had a couple of let offs. 1876 Baily's Monthly Mag. July 45 After this let off, Lord Harris hit in his usual free and dashing style. 1887 Religious Herald 2 June (Cent.), Ah, the poor horses! how many a brutal kick and stripe they got..just as a let-off for the angry passions of their masters. 1893 Daily News 19 May 3/5 At the time of this let-off M...had scored 102. 1894 P. H. Hunter James Inwick i. 10 He was ahint wi' his rent, and no' like to get muckle o' a let-aff frae the laird. a 1902 Mod. Newspaper Advt., Wine and Spirit Vaults... Let-offs could pay all rent. 1913 A. G. Fulton Notes on Rifle Shooting 7 Position, holding, aim and let-off can be learned to perfection, and these things are the basis of successful Service rifle shooting. 1932 J. A. Barlow Elem. Rifle Shooting ii. 9 Of the three essentials, holding should be placed foremost in order of importance, aiming next, and trigger pressing, trigger pulling, let-off, or whatever you like to call it, last. As far as possible I have purposely refrained from referring to let-off as trigger pressing. 1960 Pistol Shooting (Nat. Small-Bore Rifle Assoc.) (ed. 2) 21 The most difficult thing in shooting is to acquire an invariably good trigger let-off.

    36. let on. a. intr. To reveal, divulge, disclose, or betray a fact by word or look. Const. to (a person); often with dependent clause. orig. dial. and U.S.
    App. an absolute use of the phrase in quot. 1637.

[1637 Rutherford Lett. (1664) xxviii. 67 He..lets a poor soul stand still & knock, & never let it on him that He heareth.] 1725 Ramsay Gentle Sheph. ii. iii, Let nae on what's past 'Tween you and me. 1795 Burns ‘Last May a Braw Wooer’ iii, I never loot on that I kenn'd it, or car'd. 1825 Scott in Lockhart lxiv, I was more taken aback with Wright's epistle than I cared to let on. 1848 Lowell Biglow P. Poems (1890) II. 109, I don't make no insinovations, I jest let on I smell a rat. 1889 ‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Robbery under Arms xiv, Don't go planting in the gully, or some one'll think you're wanted and let on to the police. 1893 Stevenson Catriona 225, I..was more wise than to let on. 1914 C. Mackenzie Sinister St. II. iv. ii. 862 You'd better not let on you know he used to have a shop of his own. 1923 T. E. Lawrence Let. 5 Feb. (1938) 399 My private opinion is that she's read it, and he hasn't: and can't: but is much afraid to shock her by letting on. 1946 K. Tennant Lost Haven (1947) xi. 173 Maybe Orry didn't like to let on he'd made a mistake in the first place. 1974 M. Ingate Sound of Weir viii. 62 ‘Would you say that he is very feeble?’ ‘Stronger than he lets on if you ask me. He don't need t' walk like that.’

    b. To pretend. orig. dial. and U.S.

1822 J. Galt Provost xlvii. 354 The Provost maun ken nothing about it, or let on that he does na ken. 1828 Yankee (Portland, Maine) 23 Apr. 132/3 [In the South] to let on signifies to make believe. 1846 W. Cross Disruption v. 48 She..had the sense to..let on to be just as ill pleased as her mistress. 1876 ‘Mark Twain’ Old Times Mississippi 137 If I wanted to..‘let on’ to prove what had occurred in the remote past..what an opportunity is here! 1929 Randolph Enterprise (Elkins, W. Virginia) 28 Mar. 1/1 We..found out that Mr. Van let on to take the proposal seriously. 1961 John o' London's 12 Jan. 41/4 In the positive it [sc. let on] means ‘pretend’ or ‘simulate’ as in ‘He let on to be angry’.

    37. let out. a. To give egress to; to cause or allow to go out or escape by an opening, esp. through a doorway (also absol.); to set free, liberate; to release from prison or confinement. † Also intr. (for refl.), to get out into the open. Also fig., to excuse, to release (from some obligation). Also, to release (the clutch of a motor vehicle). to let the cat out of the bag: see bag n. 19.

1154 O.E. Chron. an. 1140 (Laud MS.) Sua ð me sculde leten ut þe king of prisun. a 1240 Sawles Warde in Cott. Hom. 247 Wit..cleopeð warschipe forð ant makið hire durewart þe warliche loki hwam ha leote in ant ut. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 263 Þat he ssolde þe noble folc..Oout of seruage lete. a 1300 Cursor M. 16814 + 28 Þer-with he thirled his hert, Bothe blode & water oute lett. 1382 Wyclif Gen. viii. 10 He lete out of the arke a culuer. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 348 Duc Theseus hym leet out of prison. c 1450 Merlin 206 Merlin..seide than to the porter, ‘Lete oute, for it is tyme’. 1535 Coverdale Isa. xlii. 7 That thou..let out the prysoners, & them that syt in darknesse. 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. iv. iii. 98 A Feuer in your bloud why then incision Would let her out in Sawcers. 1611 Bible Prov. xvii. 14 The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water. 1633 P. Fletcher Purple Isl. xi. i, The early Morn lets out the peeping day. 1684 T. Hockin God's Decrees 215 The ripening of an impostumation to be let out and evacuated by the lance. 1692 Beverley Disc. Dr. Crisp 8 Why should we keep our selves and hearers so close muffled up in this thick Atmosphere of time, and not let out more into the open Air of Eternals? c 1710 C. Fiennes Diary (1888) 140 A demy Circle of open pallasadoe, yt lets you out to ye prospect of ye grounds beyond. 1715–20 Pope Iliad xii. 168 Till some wide wound lets out their mighty soul. 1824–9 Landor Imag. Conv. Wks. 1846 II. 48 A slight puncture will let out all the wind in the bladders. 1853 Lytton My Novel iii. x, Letting themselves out from their large pew under the gallery. 1869 B. Harte Luck of Roaring Camp 41, I ran the whole way, knowing nobody was home but Jim,—and—and—I'm out of breath—and—that lets me out. 1884 ‘Mark Twain’ Huck. Finn vi. 43 They said he [sc. the Negro] could vote when he was at home. Well, that lets me out! 1889 Times (weekly ed.) 20 Dec. 5/4 They might be let out on ticket-of-leave. 1889 Century Mag. Aug. 590/2 Wide windows that let out between fluted Corinthian pilasters upon the broad open balcony. 1922 Wodehouse Girl on Boat v. 101 But this is splendid! This lets you out. 1945 E. Waugh Brideshead Revisited ii. i. 222 Oh, that's quite different. It lets you out completely. 1958 C. Watson Coffin scarcely Used vi. 63 The driver..glanced swiftly behind him before letting out the clutch. 1973 J. Leasor Host of Extras viii. 152, I..let out the clutch and we were off. 1974 ‘E. Lathen’ Sweet & Low xiii. 129 ‘They've started casting around for motives.’ ‘That lets all of us out.’

    b. to let out of: to permit to be absent from.

a 1300 Cursor M. 22656 Es na man in erth wroght þat agh to lat it vte o thoght [Trin. to lete hit out of his þouȝt]. 1840 Thackeray Catherine xi, He could not let the money out of his sight.

    c. † To ‘let loose’ (one's tongue) (obs.); to give vent to (anger, etc.).

a 1250 Owl & Night. 8 Eiþer aȝen oþer swal And let þat uvele mod ut al. 1582 Gosson Playes Confuted, To the Univ. A 7 b, These they very impudently affirme to be written by me since I had let out my inuectiue against them. a 1677 Barrow Serm. Wks. 1716 I. 340 Letting out their virulent and wanton tongues against him. 1685 Baxter Paraphr. N.T., Matt. v. 21 Whoever lets out this passion of hurtful and uncharitable anger against any man. 1853 Lytton My Novel ii. x, ‘He is Mr. Egerton's nephew, and’, added Randal, ingenuously letting out his thoughts, ‘I am no relation to Mr. Egerton at all’. 1873 Ouida Pascarel I. 39 [She] could not forbear letting out her wrath to me.

    † d. To set free to (some action), to let loose upon; to allow to go forth freely to (an object). Obs.

1613–18 Daniel Coll. Hist. Eng. (1621) 11 The wildness of war by reason of these perpetual conflicts with strangers had so let out the people of the land to unlawful riots and rapine that [etc.]. 1646 P. Bulkeley Gospel Covt. i. 131 God being good, he will let out himself unto his people. 1659 Boyle Motives Love God 35 The letting out our love to mutable Objects doth but inlarge our hearts and make them..capable of being wounded in more places. 1809 Syd. Smith Wks. (1867) I. 173 A timid and absurd apprehension..of letting out the minds of youth upon difficult and important subjects.

    e. To spread out; to slacken, spec. to increase the width of (a garment) by allowing extra material at the seams; to alter (the seams) in order to increase the width of a garment. Also Naut. (see quot. 1867).

c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. I. 12 Lede þe boot into þe hey see, and late out your nettis to takyng of fishe. 1712 W. Rogers Voy. 104 We immediately let our Reefs out, chas'd and got ground of her apace. 1791 F. Burney Jrnl. Dec. (1972) I. 97 Miss Cambridge said she thought I was grown fat... I assured her I had been obliged to have a Gown let out, that had been made last year. 1863 Queen Victoria Let. 22 Sept. in R. Fulford Dearest Mama (1968) 271 She has increased very much in size—her waist being quite broad and her clothes having all to be let out. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., To let out, or shake out, a Reef, to increase the dimensions of a sail, by untying the points confining a reef in it. 1877 A. Sewell Black Beauty (c 1878, ed. 5) xxxiii. 158 When the crupper was let out a hole or two, it all fitted well. 1888 Kipling Under Deodars (1889) 69, I shall say that I am going to Phelps's to get it [sc. a frock] let out. 1926 S. T. Warner Lolly Willowes i. 17 Nannie would let out another tuck in Laura's ginghams and merinos. 1953 K. Tennant Joyful Condemned xxxvi. 358 You've grown quite plump... I looked out a dress of mine... I'll let out the seams. 1974 R. Harris Double Snare viii. 54 ‘The dress is too tight...’ ‘Perhaps it could be let out.’

    f. To lend (money) at interest (? obs.); to put out to hire; to distribute among several tenants or hirers.

1526 Tindale Matt. xxi. 33 There was a certayne hous⁓holder whych set a vyneyarde..and lett it out to husband⁓men. 1550 Crowley Epigr. 1372 A manne that had landes..Surueyed the same, and lette it out deare. 1607 Shakes. Timon iii. v. 107 They haue..let out Their Coine vpon large interest. 1671 H. M. tr. Erasm. Colloq. 267 He..calls upon him that let out the Horses. 1690 Child Disc. Trade (ed. 4) 13 In Italy money will not yield above three per cent. to be let out upon real security. 1734 J. Ward Introd. Math. ii. xii. (ed. 6) 254 What Principal or Sum of Money must be put (or Let) out to Raise a Stock of 385l. 13s. 7½d.? 1795 J. Sullivan Hist. Maine 168 The proprietors..letted out the lands for settlement. 1859 Jephson Brittany v. 59 A girl who let out chairs for hire. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) IV. 508 The hireling who lets himself out for service. 1886 J. R. Rees Pleas. Bk.-Worm i. 23 The easily accessible rooms..are let out as offices.

    g. To disclose, divulge; freq. with clause as obj.

1833 H. Martineau Brooke Farm x. 114 That would be letting out my secret. 1857 Reade Course True Love 60 That dear old man's fault for letting out that he loves me still. 1880 Mrs. E. Lynn Linton Rebel of Family iii, She might as well let the murder out! 1892 Mrs. H. Ward David Grieve ii. vii, You'll be letting out my private affairs, and I can't stand that.

    h. To strike out with (the fist, the heels, etc.). Chiefly absol. or intr. To strike or lash out. Hence, to give way to invective, use strong language.

1840 H. Cockton Val. Vox xxxix. 330 A month after marriage she begins to let out in a style of which he cannot approve by any means. 1869 H. J. Byron Not such a fool as he looks i. 8 Mur. What did he do? Mou. Well, he let out. Mur. What! his language? Mou. No, his left. 1882 Daily Tel. 24 June, At length Grace let out at Garrett, again driving him to the on amongst the spectators for 4. 1883 C. J. Wills Land Lion & Sun 102 The horses..playfully biting and letting out at each other.

    i. To give (a horse) his head; to drive (a motor vehicle) very fast. Also absol., to ride with increased speed. colloq.

1849 F. Parkman Calif. & Oregon Trail 427 Let out your horse, man; lay on your whip! 1885 Howells Silas Lapham (1891) I. 63 ‘I'm going to let her out, Pert’, and he lifted and then dropped the reins lightly on the mare's back. 1889 ‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Robbery under Arms ix, Jim's horse was far and away the fastest, and he let out to head the mare off from a creek. 1938 H. G. Wells Apropos of Dolores vi. 321, I don't like these minor tracks. I can't let her [sc. his car] out. 1968 A. Marin Clash of Distant Thunder (1969) xii. 91 There is a nineteen-kilometer stretch of road..that is almost straight, and I let the Alfa out all the way. 1970 ‘D. Halliday’ Dolly & Cookie Bird iv. 50, I..overtook..the lorry..and then let her right out. I did a ton up that road, and probably more.

    j. intr. Of a meeting: To end, break up. U.S.

1888 E. Eggleston Graysons x. 114 He..would meet her at the door of the Mount Zion tent when meeting should ‘let out’. 1895 San Francisco Weekly Exam. 19 Sept. 4/2 Q. When did the cooking class let out? A. About five minutes to 3.

    38. let up. a. trans. † In OE., to put ashore (obs.); to raise (lit. and fig.).

11.. O.E. Chron. an. 1014 (Laud MS.) He com to Sandwic & let þær up þa ᵹislas. 1400 Gamelyn 311 Gamelyn ȝede to þe ȝate & lete it up wide. 1822–34 Good's Study Med. (ed. 4) II. 442 The system can only be let up or let down by slow degrees.

    b. intr. To cease, stop. Also, to relax. to let up on: to cease to have to do with, talk of, interfere with, trouble, etc. orig. U.S.

1787 G. Washington Diaries (1925) III. 185 The Plows, after the rain let up, proceeded to finish this part of field No. 5. 1841 J. F. Cooper Deerslayer I. vi. 172 Let up, you painted riptyles—let up! 1882 B. Harte Flip iv, I promised you I'd let up on him. Ibid., Don't go back on your promise about lettin' up on the tramps and being a little more high-toned. 1888 Century Mag. Aug. 610 This caused me to let up on the creature, when it lumbered away till it tumbled down a precipice. 1891 C. Roberts Adrift Amer. 45 When the storm let up. 1897 Howells Landl. Lion's Head 420 What do you suppose was the reason Jeff let up on the feller? Ibid. 452 What Jeff would natch'ly done would b'en to shake the life out of him; but he didn't;..he let him go. 1933 D. L. Sayers Murder must Advertise v. 94 Never let up! Never go to sleep! 1936 H. Hagedorn Brookings xv. 254 He was resourceful, steady, determined, he never let up on a man; and just wore people out. 1943 J. B. Priestley Daylight on Saturday xxx. 243 Bob's a chap that needs to let up, and now he can't let up... So he's angry inside all the time. 1970 C. Major Dict. Afro-Amer. Slang 76 Let up, command to restrain from verbally abusing someone. 1974 E. Lemarchand Buried in Past viii. 138 The girl was..on the brink of tears... ‘Why not let up a bit?’ he suggested.

    c. as n. Cessation, pause; release from strain or stress, relaxation. orig. U.S.

1837 Congress. Globe 25th Congress 2 Sess. App. 47/3 There was no let up in the matter: the people had so ordered it, and the gentleman ought to be satisfied. 1841 J. F. Cooper Deerslayer I. viii. 240 There's no let-up in an Indian's watchfulness when he's on a war-path. 1856 Miss Warner Hills of Shatemuc xxiii. 245 ‘It is the habitual command over oneself that I value’. ‘No let-up to it?’ said Rufus. ‘No’. 1883 A. K. Green Hand & Ring ii, Blows like that haven't much let-up about them. 1884 Century Mag. XXVIII. 588 Our little let-up on Wednesday afternoons. 1891 E. Roper By Track & Trail ix. 125 The snow was falling fast, and there was no appearance of a ‘let-up’. 1892 Eng. Illustr. Mag. Sept. 884 (E.D.D.), There is no let-up, no change of undergarments, no camp. 1895 Educat. Rev. Sept. 168 Fine arts and music as a let-up with any of the severer studies. 1912 Belloc Green Overcoat vii. 141 There was a gap in their conversation... A let up. An interval of repose. 1956 D. D. C. P. Mould Celtic Saints xii. 126 The basis of Celtic prayer..is very simple... The background is ascetic, penitential, and without let-up. 1968 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 17 Feb. 23/5 The only let-up in policy is that non-profit groups get it [sc. a theatre] cheaper than shows booked by impresarios. 1973 Nature 21 Sept. 117/2 There is little prospect of a letup in fuel shortages for the next few years.

    
    

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     Add: [8.] c. trans. To assign or grant (work, a contract, etc.) to an applicant. Also const. out: cf. sense 37 f below.

1850 C. Kingsley Alton Locke I. x. 147 Were not the army clothes..furnished by contractors and sweaters, who hired the work at low prices, and let it out again to journeymen at still lower ones? a 1852 H. Mayhew London Labour (1861) II. 330/1 The first man who agrees to the job takes it in the lump, and he again lets it to others in the piece. 1881 Goldw. Smith Lett. & Ess. 164 He [Mr. Brassey] favoured the butty-gang system, that of letting work to a gang of a dozen men, who divide the pay, allowing something extra to the head of the gang. 1901 Daily News 18 Feb. 5/6 Imagine a great city letting out its lines of communication to concessionnaire contractors with dividends to make. 1952 E. J. Pratt Towards Last Spike v. 20 In 1880 Tupper lets contract to Onderdonk for survey and construction through the Pacific Section of the mountains. 1975 Economist 18 Jan. 76/1 In early 1972 the American air force let contracts for ‘lightweight fighter’ prototypes, primarily to develop technology. 1991 South Aug. 60/1 Schemes, long promised, finally came out to tender and contracts were let.

▪ IV. let, v.² arch.
    (lɛt)
    Forms: 1 lettan, 2–5 letten, 3 lætten, laten, 3–5 lat(te, 3–6 lette, 4 leitt, 4–5 lete, 4–7 lett, 5 late, (leit), lettyn, 7 Sc. lat, 3– let. pa. tense 3 lettede, 4 let, lettide, Sc. lettit, -yt, letyt, 4–7 letted, 5 lettid, -yd. pa. pple. 3 ilet, ilette, 4 lated, y-lat, Sc. lettit, 4–5 lettid, 4–5, 7 y-let, 4–6 lett(e, 4–9 letted, 5 y-lettyd, 5–6 lettyd, (8 letten), 4– let.
    [OE. lęttan = OFris. letta, OS. lettian (Du. letten), OHG. lezzan, lezzen (MHG. lezzen, letȥen), ON. letja to hinder, Goth. latjan intr. to delay, f. OTeut. *lato- late a.]
    1. trans. To hinder, prevent, obstruct, stand in the way of (a person, thing, action, etc.).

c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxxvi. §4 Ac ic þe halsiᵹe ðæt ðu me no leng ne lette, ac ᵹetæc me þone weᵹ. c 1000 ælfric Hom. II. 336 Hwi wille ᵹe lettan ure siþfæt? c 1200 Ormin 14117 Swa summ þe waterr erneþþ forþ, Ȝiff þatt itt nohht ne letteþþ. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 139 Seint Iohan hit wið seide and lettede hit bi his mihte. a 1340 Hampole Psalter cxviii. 60, I am redy and i am noght lettid. 1375 Barbour Bruce iii. 241 The rayne thus lettyt the fechtyn. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xix. 87 Þai schuld see na thing þat schuld lette þaire deuocioun. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 1141 Bot þai war lett be wynd and flode. 1526 Tindale 1 Pet. iii. 7 That youre prayers be not lett. 1552 Bk. Com. Prayer Pref., Beyng at home, and not being otherwyse reasonably letted. 1584 Cogan Haven Health ccxii. (1636) 216 Much meat eaten at night, grieveth the stomack, and letteth naturall rest. 1647 H. More Song of Soul ii. i. iii. xii, And her bright flowing hair was not ylet By Arts device. 1650 Trapp Comm. Exod. 26 There was som man there..which disturbed and letted all his doings. 1658 Bromhall Treat. Specters ii. 201 [An] open plain place, and letted with no brambles or shades. 1725 Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Tea, Those who have a mind to..study by Night, will find themselves no ways letten or embarrassed. 1799 S. Freeman Town Off. 262 Persons who wilfully let or hinder any sheriff or constable. 1814 Scott Ld. of Isles vi. xxiii, No spears were there the shock to let. 1856 Ruskin Mod. Paint. IV. v. vii. §6 None letting them in their pilgrimage. 1867 J. Ingelow Story Doom iv. 21 Pray you let us not; We fain would greet our mother. 1885–94 R. Bridges Eros & Psyche July ii, If 'tis so, her child Will be a god, and she a goddess styled, Which, though I die to let it, shall not be.

    † b. with infinitive or clause, indicating the action from which one is hindered. Obs.

a 1023 Wulfstan Hom. lv. (Napier) 285 Gyf þonne þissa þreora þinga æniᵹ hwylcne man lette, þæt hine to ðam fæstene ne onhaᵹie. c 1205 Lay. 22009 What letteð þene fisc to uleoten to þan oðere. 1375 Barbour Bruce x. 320, I trow thai sall lettit be To purchas mair in the cuntre. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1034 Whan a man was set on o degree He lette nat his felawe for to see. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. iv. 239 Conscience hym lette, Þat he ne felde nat hus foes. 1419 Surtees Misc. (1888) 14 Rutes, wedys and erthe..the whilk lettys the water to hafe the ryght issue. 1529 Supplic. to King (E.E.T.S.) 56 Whereby they be letted to execute their offyce. 1532 G. Hervet Xenophon's Househ. (1768) 9 What letteth you, that ye may not haue the same science? 1570–6 Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 160 Al the Popish ceremonies of espousing the Sea..cannot let, but that the Sea continually by little and little with⁓draweth it selfe from their Citie. 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. iii. i. 113 What letts but one may enter at her window? 1601 ― Twel. N. v. i. 256 If nothing lets to make vs happie both. 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 528 But the consideration of this war letted that he did not at first comming oppresse him. 1612 Drayton Poly-olb. xv. 17 They suddainly reply, what lets you should not see [etc.]. 1622 Bacon Hen. VII, 129 Hee could not let her to dispose of her owne. 1670 S. Lennard tr. Charron's Wisd. i. xiv. §2. 51, I let no man to sing.

    c. const. from, † of (OE. gen.).

a 1000 Prose Life Guthlac v. (1848) 30 We þe þæs nu nellað lettan þæs þu ær ᵹeþoht hæfdest. a 1225 Ancr. R. 352 Monie þinges muwen letten him of his jurneie. c 1300 Havelok 2253 Mouthe noþing him þer-fro lette. ? 13.. Cursor M. 27691 (Cott. Galba) And þus þai let gude men of gude lose. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 303 What he lent ȝow of owre lordes good to lette ȝow fro synne. 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas i. xviii. (1554) 33 b, Thou hast (quod he) no lordship of y⊇ sunne; Thy shadowe letteth his bemes fro my tunne. 1470–85 Malory Arthur vii. xxix. 260 Whan a good knyghte doth soo wel vpon somme day, it is no good knyghtes parte to lette hym of his worship. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lxxxviii. 280 She coulde not let him of his enterpryse. 1588 J. Udall Diotrephes (Arb.) 32 These men..are letted and stopped from dooing those notable dueties of their calling. 1611 Bible Exod. v. 4 Wherfore doe ye let the people from their workes? 1666 Dryden Ann. Mirab. ccxxii, And now, no longer letted of his prey, He leaps up at it with enraged desire. 1859 Tennyson Elaine 96 ‘Sir King, mine ancient wound is hardly whole, And lets me from the saddle’. 1866 J. H. Newman Gerontius iii. 22 Soul. What lets me now from going to my Lord? Angel. Thou art not let. 1870 Morris Earthly Par. I. i. 228 And let none think that any brazen wall Can let the Gods from doing what shall be.

    † d. with double object. Obs.

a 1300 Cursor M. 12418 Ioseph þam it letted noght. Ibid. 28253 And haue i thoru mi frauwardnes letted oþer men þaire mes. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 72 Ther was no ston..Which mihte letten hem the weie. a 1440 Sir Degrev. 1583 A gret buschement hadde he (sette)..And thouȝth syre Degrivaunt lette The wayes ful grene. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. 742 We shall fynde none that wyll let us the way.

    † e. absol. To hinder, to be a hindrance. Obs.

1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. iii. 152 Heo lihth aȝeyn the lawe and letteth so faste, That feith may not han his forth hir florins gon so thikke. 1382 Wyclif Heb. xii. 15 That no roote of bitternesse vpward burionynge lette [Vulg. impediat]. 1535 Coverdale 2 Thess. ii. 7 Tyll he which now onely letteth, be taken out of the waye. 1572 J. Jones Bathes of Bath iii. 22 b, Not without advisement, and censure to speak it, what letteth? 1597 Morley Introd. Mus. Annot., You may..fall to the fourth, in the due order of the six notes, if the property let not. 1642 Rogers Naaman 16 If sin had not letted.

    † 2. intr. To check or withhold oneself, to desist, refrain; to omit to do (something). Obs.
    Coincident with let v.¹ 2 b, 2 c, to which some of these examples may belong; but the instances in Chaucer with weak conjugation and double t seem not to admit of such an explanation. Prob. in the intransitive use the two verbs were confused.

[c 1330 etc.: see let v.1 2 b.] c 1374 Chaucer Troylus ii. 1040 (1089) Ther-with a þousand tymes er he lette, He cussed þo þe lettre þat he shette. 1375 Barbour Bruce xix. 210 Hym worthit neyd to pay the det That na man for till pay may let. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 313 Here may we see openliche hou crist lettede not for loue of petre to reproue hym sharpliche. c 1386 Chaucer Melib. ¶435 The cause final was for to sle thy doghter; it letted nat in as muche as in hem was. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 51 A gret mervaile it is forthi, How that a Maiden wolde lette, That sche hir time ne besette To haste unto that ilke feste, Wherof the love is al honeste. c 1400 Destr. Troy 934 He laid on þat loodly, lettyd he noght, With dynttes full dregh, till he to dethe paste. c 1460 Play Sacram. 848 To tell yow the trowth I wylle nott lett. 1535–1653 [see let v.1 2 b].

    † b. To delay, tarry, wait. Obs.

c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 2167 Ariadne, And in that yle half a day he lette. c 1386 ― Shipman's T. 250 And doun he gooth, no lenger wolde he lette. ― Clerk's T. 333 And to his paleys, er he lenger lette,..Conveyed hir. c 1435 Torr. Portugal 2058 He bare it to the cite grett, There the kyng his fader lett, As a lord of jentille blood.

▪ V. let, ppl. a. rare.
    [pa. pple. of let v.¹ Cf. letten.]
    In senses of the verb, chiefly with advs.

1594 Marlowe & Nashe Dido iii. ii, And feed infection with his let-out [printed left out] life. 187. Dict. Archit. (Archit. Publ. Soc.), Let work. When a master builder agrees with a tradesman, or a workman for the execution of a portion of his contract, it is said to be ‘let work’. 1892 Marq. Clanricarde in Daily News 5/8 The attack of this Commission upon my low-let property.

▪ VI. let
    obs. f. late a.¹, leat, watercourse.
▪ VII. let
    obs. 3rd sing. pres. ind. of lead v.¹

Oxford English Dictionary