leave
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Etymology 1
From Middle English leven, from Old English lǣfan (“to leave”), from Proto-Germanic *laibijanan (“to let stay, leave”), causitive of Proto-Germanic *lībanan (“to stay, remain”). Cognate with Old Frisian lēva (“to leave”), Old High German leiban (“to leave”), Old Norse leifa (“leave over”), lifna (“to be left”) (> Danish levne). More at lave, belive.
[edit] Verb
leave (third-person singular simple present leaves, present participle leaving, simple past and past participle left)
- (transitive) To cause or allow (something) to remain as available; to refrain from taking (something) away; to stop short of consuming or otherwise depleting (something) entirely.
- I left my car at home and took a bus to work.
- The ants did not leave so much as a crumb of bread.
- There's not much food left, we'd better go to the shops.
- (transitive) To transfer possession of after death.
- When my father died, he left me the house.
- (transitive) To give (something) to someone; to deliver (something) to a repository; to deposit.
- I'll leave the car in the station so you can pick it up there.
- (transitive) To transfer responsibility or attention of (something) (to someone); to stop being concerned with.
- Can't we just leave this to the experts?
- (transitive) To depart from; to end one's connection or affiliation with.
- I left the country and I left my wife.
- (transitive) To end one's membership in (a group); to terminate one's affiliation with (an organization); to stop participating in (a project).
- I left the band.
- (intransitive) To depart; to go away from a certain place or state.
- I think you'd better leave.
- (intransitive, obsolete) To remain (behind); to stay.
- 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book VII:
- And by myssefortune Sir Bors smote Sir Launcelot thorow the shylde into the syde, and the speare brake and the hede leffte stylle in the syde.
- 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book VII:
- (transitive, archaic) To stop, desist from; to "leave off" (+ noun / gerund).
- 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Luke V:
- When he had leeft speakynge, he sayde vnto Simon: Cary vs into the depe, and lett slippe thy nette to make a draught.
- 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Luke V:
[edit] Synonyms
- (to end one's connection with): depart, forget, leave behind
[edit] Derived terms
Terms derived from the verb leave
[edit] Translations
To cause to remain as available, not take away, refrain from depleting
To transfer possession after death
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To give (something) to someone; to deliver (something) to a repository; to deposit
To transfer responsibility or attention
To depart from, end one's connection or affiliation with
To end one's membership in
To depart (intransitive)
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Translations to be checked
[edit] Noun
leave (plural leaves)
[edit] Etymology 2
From Middle English leve, from Old English lēaf (“permission, privilege”), from Proto-Germanic *laubō (“permission, privilege, favour, worth”), from Proto-Indo-European *leubh- (“to love”). Cognate with obsolete German Laube (“permission”), Swedish lov (“permission”), Icelandic leyfi (“permission”). Related to Dutch verlof, German Erlaubnis. See also love.
[edit] Noun
leave (uncountable)
- Permission to be absent; time away from one's work.
- I've been given three weeks' leave by my boss.
- (dated or law) Permission.
- Might I beg leave to accompany you?
- The applicant now seeks leave to appeal and, if leave be granted, to appeal against these sentences.
- (dated) Farewell, departure.
- I took my leave of the gentleman without a backward glance.
[edit] Derived terms
Terms derived from the noun leave
[edit] Translations
permission
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absence from work
departure
[edit] Etymology 3
[edit] Verb
leave (third-person singular simple present leaves, present participle leaving, simple past and past participle left)
- (intransitive, rare) To produce leaves or foliage.[1]
- 1868, Edward Fitzgerald, The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, 2nd edition:
- Each Morn a thousand Roses brings, you say:
- Yes, but where leaves the Rose of Yesterday?
- 1868, Edward Fitzgerald, The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, 2nd edition:
[edit] Synonyms
- leaf (verb)
[edit] References
- ^ Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed.
- leave in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- leave in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
[edit] Statistics
Categories:
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- English verbs
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English archaic terms
- English nouns
- en:Cricket
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English dated terms
- en:Law
- English terms with rare senses
- English irregular verbs
