letter
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents |
English [edit]
Etymology 1 [edit]
Middle English letter, lettre, from Old French letre, from Latin littera (“letter of the alphabet"; in plural, "epistle”), from Etruscan, from Ancient Greek διφθέρα (diphtherā). Displaced native Middle English bocstaf, bookstave (“letter, alphabetic symbol”) (from Old English bōcstæf (“alphabetic symbol, written character”)), Middle English bocrune, bocroune (“letter, written character”) (from Old English bōc (“book”) + rūn (“letter, rune”)), Middle English writrune, writroune (“letter, document”) (from Old English writ (“letter, epistle”) + rūn (“letter, rune”)), Old English ǣrendbōc (“letter, message”), Old English ǣrendġewrit (“letter, written message”).
Pronunciation [edit]
- (RP) IPA: /ˈlɛt.ə/, X-SAMPA: /"lEt.@/
- (Australia) IPA: /ˈlet.ə/, X-SAMPA: /"let.@/
- (GenAm) IPA: /ˈlɛt.ɚ/, X-SAMPA: /"lEt.@`/
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Audio (US) (file) -
Audio (UK) (file) - Rhymes: -ɛtə(r)
- Hyphenation: let‧ter
Noun [edit]
letter (plural letters)
- A symbol in an alphabet, bookstave.
- There are 26 letters in the English alphabet.
- A written message. See also note.
- I wrote a letter to my sister about my life.
- Literal meaning.
- "Some MEPs from some countries may have pocketed £2m more than I have by observing the letter but not the spirit of the rules." - [1]
- (plural) literature
- Benjamin Franklin was multiskilled - a scientist, politician and a man of letters
- (US, uncountable) A size of paper, 8½ in × 11 in (215.9 mm × 279.4 mm, US paper sizes rounded to the nearest 5 mm)
- (Canada, uncountable) A size of paper, 215 mm × 280 mm
- (US, scholastic) Short for varsity letter.
Quotations [edit]
- For usage examples of this term, see the citations page.
Synonyms [edit]
- (written character/alphabetic symbol): bookstave
Hyponyms [edit]
Derived terms [edit]
Terms derived from the noun letter
Related terms [edit]
Terms etymologically related to letter
Translations [edit]
letter of the alphabet
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written message
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Verb [edit]
letter (third-person singular simple present letters, present participle lettering, simple past and past participle lettered)
- (transitive) to print, inscribe, or paint letters on something.
- (intransitive) (US, scholastic) To earn a varsity letter (award).
Etymology 2 [edit]
Noun [edit]
letter (plural letters)
- One who lets, or lets out.
- the letter of a room
- a blood-letter
- (archaic) One who retards or hinders.
Statistics [edit]
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Most common English words before 1923: alone · body · point · #346: letter · become · became · second
External links [edit]
- letter in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- letter in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
Dutch [edit]
Pronunciation [edit]
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audio (file)
Noun [edit]
letter f (plural letters or letteren, diminutive lettertje)
- letter (letter of the alphabet)
Derived terms [edit]
- letteren (literature)
- geletterd (literate)
- letterkunde
- letterlijk
- lettertype n
- letterwerk n
- letterwoord n
- letterzetter m
- beginletter
- drukletter
- eindletter
- hoofdletter
- kenletter
- tussenletter
- voorletter
Swedish [edit]
Noun [edit]
letter
- indefinite plural of lett
Categories:
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Etruscan
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English nouns
- American English
- English uncountable nouns
- Canadian English
- English short forms
- English verbs
- English words suffixed with -er
- English archaic terms
- 1000 English basic words
- en:Orthography
- en:Post
- Dutch nouns
- Dutch nouns with multiple plurals
- Swedish plurals
