loss

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See also: los, löss, løss, and lóss

English[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle English los, from Old English los (damage, destruction, loss), from Proto-Germanic *lusą (dissolution, break-up, loss), from Proto-Indo-European *lews- (to cut, sunder, separate, loose, lose). Cognate with Icelandic los (dissolution, looseness, break-up), Old English lor, forlor (loss, ruin), Middle High German verlor (loss, ruin). More at lose.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

loss (countable and uncountable, plural losses)

  1. (countable) The result of no longer possessing an object, a function, or a characteristic due to external causes or misplacement.
    Antonym: gain
    loss of limb; weight loss; loss of cognitive functions; loss of appetite.
    In other areas, glacier loss creates serious risk of a dry period across the Third Pole, Wang said.
  2. (uncountable) The destruction or ruin of an object.
  3. (countable) Something that has been destroyed or ruined.
    It was a terrible crash; both cars were total losses.
  4. (countable) Defeat; an instance of being defeated.
    Antonyms: win, victory
    The match ended in their first loss of the season.
  5. (countable) The death of a person or animal.
    We mourn his loss.
    The battle was won, but losses were great.
  6. (uncountable) The condition of grief caused by losing someone or something, especially someone who has died.
    Her daughter's sense of loss eventually led to depression.
  7. (financial, countable) The sum an entity loses on balance.
    Antonym: profit
    The sum of expenditures and taxes minus total income is a loss, when this difference is positive.
  8. (engineering) Electricity of kinetic power expended without doing useful work.
    The inefficiency of many old-fashioned power plants exceeds 60% loss before the subsequent losses during transport over the grid.
Usage notes[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Etymology 2[edit]

Pronunciation spelling of lost, representing African-American Vernacular English.

Verb[edit]

loss

  1. (colloquial) Alternative spelling of lost

Anagrams[edit]

Estonian[edit]

Estonian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia et

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from German Schloss, from Middle High German slōz, from Old High German sloz.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈlosʲː/, [ˈlosʲː]
  • Hyphenation: loss

Noun[edit]

loss (genitive lossi, partitive lossi)

  1. château
    Synonym: palee

Declension[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Norwegian Bokmål[edit]

Verb[edit]

loss

  1. imperative of losse

Swedish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Like Danish los and Norwegian loss, from Low German or Dutch los, from Middle Low German respectively Middle Dutch los, sidoform of Low German lōs respectively Dutch loos, cognate with Swedish lös.

Adverb[edit]

loss (not comparable)

  1. to a no longer attached or stuck state (no longer stuck to something, generally); loose, off, untied
    Han drog i den, och till slut kom den loss
    He pulled on it, and finally it came loose
    Han sparkade loss grenen
    He kicked the branch off
    Jag är fast i kvicksand och kommer inte loss
    I'm stuck in quicksand and can't get out (get unstuck)
    De knöt loss båten
    They untied the boat (from the pier)

Derived terms[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Yola[edit]

Noun[edit]

loss

  1. Alternative form of lass
    • 1867, “CASTEALE CUDDE'S LAMENTATION”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY:
      FOR LOSS O' HIS CUCK AT WAS EE-TOOK BE A VOX.
      FOR LOSS OF HIS COCK THAT WAS TAKEN BY A FOX.

References[edit]

  • Jacob Poole (1867), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, page 102