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leave¹ Definition

leave (lēv)

transitive verb left, leav′·ing

  1. to cause or allow to remain; not take away to leave some of the food for latecomers
  2. to make, place, deposit, etc., and cause to remain behind one to leave one's calling card
  3. to have remaining after one the deceased leaves a widow
  4. to bequeath to leave a fortune to charity
  5. to let be in the care of; entrust: with to or up to to leave a decision to another
  6. to give as a remainder by subtraction ten minus two leaves eight
  7. to reject take it or leave it
  8. to go away from to leave the house
  9. to let stay or cause to be in a certain condition the flood left them homeless
  10. to give up; abandon; forsake
  11. to stop living in, working for, or belonging to
  12. Chiefly Dial. to let or allow leave us go now

Etymology: ME leven < OE læfan, lit., to let remain (< *lafjan < base of laf, remnant, what remains), akin to (be)lifan, to remain, Ger bleiben, OHG belīban < IE *leip-, to smear with grease, stick to < base *lei-, viscous, sticky > L limus: see lime

intransitive verb

to go away, depart, or set out

leave¹ Related Forms
leav′er noun
leave¹ Idioms

leave alone

see the phrase under alone

leave off

  1. to stop; cease
  2. to stop doing, using, or wearing

leave out

  1. to omit
  2. to ignore

leave well enough alone

see the phrase under alone

leave² Definition

leave (lēv)

noun

  1. permission
    1. permission to be absent from duty or work, esp. such permission given to personnel in the armed services
    2. the period for which such permission is granted

Etymology: ME leve < OE leaf, permission, akin to obs. Ger laube, permission, erlauben, to allow, permit < IE base *leubh-, to like, desire > lief, love, L libido

leave² Idioms

beg leave

to ask permission

by your leave

with your permission

on leave

absent from duty with permission

take leave of

to say goodbye to

take one's leave

to go away; depart

leave³ Definition

leave (lēv)

intransitive verb leaved, leav′·ing

to put forth, or bear, leaves; leaf

Etymology: ME leven < lefe, leaf

leave Synonyms

leave

n.

  1. Permission

    consent, dispensation, allowance; see permission.

  2. Authorized absence

    leave of absence, holiday, furlough, sabbatical; see vacation.

beg leave

ask permission, request, inquire; see ask 1.

by your leave

with your permission, if your permission is granted, if you please; see please.

on leave

away, gone, on vacation; see absent 1.

take leave of

say good-by (to), bid farewell, leave alone; see leave (v.) 1.

take one's leave

go away, depart, remove oneself; see leave (v.) 1.

leave Synonyms

leave

v.

  1. To go away

    go, depart, take leave, withdraw, move, set out, come away, go forth, take off, start, remove oneself, step down, quit (a place), part, part company, defect, vanish, elope, retire, walk out, walk off, get out, get off, get away, slip away, break away, break out, ride off, go off, go away, move out, move away, vacate, issue, decamp, abscond, flee, get out, flit, migrate, fly, run along, embark, emplane, sally forth, say good-by, entrain, emigrate, clear out, pull out, cut out*, push off*, cast off*, scram*, split*, blow*, head out*, ditch*, give the slip*, vamoose*, sign out*, check out*, beat it*, take a powder*, take to the tall timber*, get rolling*, fade away*, pull up stakes*, get along*, make oneself scarce*, break squares with*, bid a long farewell*; see also disappear, resign 2, retreat 1, 2.

    Antonyms arrive*, get to*, reach. *

  2. To abandon

    back out, forsake, desert; see abandon 2.

  3. To allow to remain

    let be, let stay, leave behind, let continue, let go, drop, lay down, omit, forget; see also neglect 1, 2.

    Antonyms seize*, take away*, keep. *

  4. To allow to fall to another

    bequeath, will, devise, leave behind, bequest, hand down, transmit; see also give 1.

leave Usage Examples

Preposition: at

  • roundabout: Turn left at roundabout at Woburn Rd Ind Est.
  • junction: How to find Dolphin Hotel: M27 leave at junction 3, follow the brown tourist signs to ' Waterfront ' and iow ferry.

Noun phrase with adjective complement

  • unattended: They stress that no-one should accept drinks from strangers or leave drinks unattended at any time.

Adjective modifier

  • parental: To be entitled to parental leave, an employe must have responsibility for a child.
  • unpaid: In addition, employees with 26 weeks' employment or more are entitled to an extra 26 weeks' unpaid maternity leave.
  • indefinite: Having been granted indefinite leave to remain, he applied to Portsmouth CC as homeless.
  • sabbatical: We were there to enable the chaplain to go on sabbatical leave.

Adjective complement

  • untreated: Brain injuries can exert themselves in physical, cognitive or emotional symptoms, and left untreated they can pose significant hurdles to recovery.
  • untouched: The decision leaves untouched the practice in which millions of schoolchildren around the country begin the day by reciting the pledge.
  • blank: A date can be entered to retrieve only documents updated after the date specified, but this date function can be left blank.
  • intact: Nirvana, heaven, or even states of enlightenment are not a cure-all: they still leave intact the perspective of world-denial.
  • unchecked: Left unchecked, a lack of this vitamin can lead to anemia and irreversible damage to the nervous system.
  • unanswered: These questions are left disturbingly unanswered in both the introductory remarks and the editorial notes.

Noun used with modifier

  • maternity: Following maternity leave, your legal right is to return to the job which you held prior to your maternity leave.
  • paternity: Paternity Rights: Employees with more than 26 weeks employment may take up to 2 weeks paternity leave.
  • adoption: Adoption Rights: Adoption leave mirrors maternity leave, consisting of ordinary and additional leave and having the same qualification provisions.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • aside: Leaving aside the practicalities of learning the skills of advanced riding, let me tell you my view on what it means to me.

Preposition: of

  • absence: I am ready to return from leave of absence, how do I do this?

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • over: Left over to investors walked away the scope of.

Modifies a noun

  • entitlement: However, in a joint adoption only one partner is entitled to statutory adoption pay whilst the other has paternity leave entitlements.
leave Quotes

For who would leave, unbrib'd, Hibernia's Land, Or change the rocks of Scotland for the Strand?

—Johnson, Samuel known as Dr Johnson

   To Sorrow, I bade good-morrow, And thought to leave her far away behind; But cheerly, cheerly, She loves me dearly; She is so constant to me, and so kind.

—Keats,John

Nobody has ever been able to define jazz satisfactorily. This is probably because anyone who was capable of doing so never really wantedto, knowing how muchyou would have to leave out of the definition.

—Kingsley, Mary Henrietta

   Whenyouareskinning yourcustomers,youshould leave some skin on to grow so that you can skin them again.

—Khrushchev, Nikita Sergeyevich

   This is one Hart that you will not leave in San Francisco. 384

—Hart, Gary originally  Gary Hartpence

Certes, je sortirai quant a'   moi satisfait D'un monde o  u' l'action n'est pas la soeur du re"  ve. Indeed, for my part, I shall be happy to leave A world where action is not sister to the dream.

—Baudelaire, Charles

Farewell, sweet phrases, lovely metaphors: But will ye leave me thus? when ye before Of stews and brothels only knew the doors, Then did I wash you with my tears, and more, Brought you to church well-dressed and clad: My God must have my best, even all I had.

—Herbert, George