leave

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.2 Etymology 1 1.2.1 Verb 1.2.1.1 Synonyms 1.2.1.2 Derived terms 1.2.1.3 Translations 1.3 Etymology 2 1.3.1 Noun 1.3.1.1 Derived terms 1.3.1.2 Translations 1.4 References

[edit] English

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /liːv/, SAMPA: /li:v/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

  Rhymes: -iːv

[edit] Etymology 1

Old English lǣfan, from Proto-Germanic. Cognate to Old Norse leifa (“‘leave over’”) (whence Danish blive and Old Norse lifna (“‘to be left’”) > Danish levne), German bleiben.

[edit] Verb

to leave (third-person singular simple present leaves, present participle leaving, simple past and past participle left)

1. (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.

2. (transitive) To transfer possession of after death.

   When my father died, he left me the house.

3. (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.

4. (transitive) To transfer responsibility or attention of (something) (to someone); to stop being concerned with.

   Can't we just leave this to the experts?

5. (transitive) To depart from; to end one's connection or affiliation with.

   I left the country and I left my wife.

6. (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.

7. (intransitive) To depart; to go away from a certain place or state.

   I think you'd better leave.

8. (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.

[edit] Synonyms

• (to end one's connection with): depart, forget, leave behind

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

[edit] Etymology 2

Old English lēaf. Cognate with obsolete German Laube.

[edit] Noun

leave (plural leaves)

1. Permission to be absent; time away from one's work.

   I've been given three weeks' leave by my boss.

2. (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.

3. (dated) Farewell, departure.

   I took my leave of the gentleman without a backward glance.

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

[edit] References

• leave in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• leave in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913