leave
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leave¹
- /ˈliːv/
- [ˈlɪi̯v]
Rhymes with -iːv
Where it comes from
From Middle English leven, from Old English lǣfan (“to leave”), from Proto-West Germanic *laibijan, from Proto-Germanic *laibijaną (“to let stay, leave”), causative of *lībaną (“to stay, remain”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to stick; fat”).
Cognate with Old Frisian lēva (“to leave”), dialectal Dutch loven (“to have left over, save, keep”), Old Saxon lēvian, Old High German leiban (“to leave”), Old Norse leifa (“to leave over”) (whence Icelandic leifa (“to leave food uneaten”), Swedish leva (“to leave”)), lifna (“to be left”) (whence Danish levne). More at lave, belive.
The noun is attested since the 19th century, with earliest references to billiards.
verb leaves · leaving · left · leave
- 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.
- To cause, to result in. The lightning left her dazzled for several minutes.
- To put; to place; to deposit; to deliver, with a sense of withdrawing oneself. Leave your hat in the hall.
- To let be or do without interference. I left him to his reflections.
- To depart from; to end one's connection or affiliation with. His bow and arrow never leaves him.
- To end one's membership in (a group); to terminate one's affiliation with (an organization); to stop participating in (a project). 2018, The Independent, "Brexit: Theresa May 'not bluffing' in threat to leave EU without a deal, Tory minister Liam Fox says" If we were to leave, the economic impact on a number of European countries would be severe.
- To die (the object denotes those affected by the death). The other evening Sheri called to tell me that Connie had left us, and that I will never again be able to hold my pot luck supper plate on my knee and listen to Connie's wonderful talk or see her slow, almost impish smile.
- To depart; to go away from a certain place or state. I think you'd better leave.
- To transfer possession of after death. When my father died, he left me the house.
- To intentionally place (something) to be received by another; to deliver (something) to a repository; to deposit. I'll leave the car in the station so you can pick it up there.
- To transfer responsibility or attention of (something) (to someone); to stop being concerned with. Can't we just leave this to the experts?
- To remain (behind); to stay. And whanne sire launcelot sawe them fare soo / he gat a spere in his hand / and there encountred with hym al attones syr bors sir Ector and sire Lyonel / and alle they thre smote hym atte ones with their speres /[…]/ and by mysfortune sir bors smote syre launcelot thurgh the shelde in to the syde /
- To stop, desist from; to "leave off" (+ noun / gerund). When he had leeft speakynge, he sayde vnto Simon: Cary vs into the depe, and lett slippe thy nette to make a draught.
Similar: 23 skidoo, beat it, bug off, remove, egress, bugger off, book, bounce, buzz off, chuck, cut one's stick, dash
noun leaves
- The action of the batsman not attempting to play at the ball. He made 45 leaves in his innings of 64.
- The arrangement of balls in play that remains after a shot is made (which determines whether the next shooter — who may be either the same player, or an opponent — has good options, or only poor ones). Having counted 38 points he tried a beautiful massé out of the corner, hit the first ball just a trifle too hard and kissed his own ball off just when victory seemed to be his. The leave was unfortunate for Ives. Slosson played brilliantly and ran the game out, a close winner, with 22 points.
- The tiles remaining on a player's rack after his or her turn. I didn't score much, but LING was a good leave.
leave²
- /ˈliːv/
- [ˈlɪi̯v]
Rhymes with -iːv
Where it comes from
From Middle English leve, from Old English lēaf (“permission, privilege”), from Proto-Germanic *laubō, *laubą (“permission, privilege, favour, worth”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to love, hold dear”). Cognate with obsolete German Laube (“permission”), Swedish lov (“permission”), Icelandic leyfi (“permission”). Related to Dutch verlof, German Urlaub, Erlaubnis, Verlaub. See also love.
noun leaves
- Permission to be absent; time away from one's work. I've just been given three weeks' leave by my boss — I don't think I still have some leave owing to me.
- Permission. Might I beg leave to accompany you?
- Farewell, departure. I took my leave of the gentleman without a backward glance.
leave³
- /ˈliːv/
- [ˈlɪi̯v]
Rhymes with -iːv
Where it comes from
From Middle English leven, from Old English līefan (“to allow, grant, concede; believe, trust, confide in”), from Proto-West Germanic *laubijan, from Proto-Germanic *laubijaną (“to allow, praise”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to love, hold dear”). Cognate with German erlauben (“to allow”), German glauben (“to believe”), Icelandic leyfa (“to allow”).
leave⁴
- /ˈliːv/
- [ˈlɪi̯v]
Rhymes with -iːv
Where it comes from
From Middle English leven, from lef (“leaf”). More at leaf.
leave⁵
- /ˈliːv/
- [ˈlɪi̯v]
Rhymes with -iːv
Where it comes from
From French lever. Compare levy. Compare also Middle English leve, a variant of levy that may have been monosyllabic.
