Let Definition

lĕt

lets, letted, letting

verb

lets, letting

To leave; forsake; abandon.

Webster's New World

Used as an auxiliary in the imperative to express a command, request, or proposal.

Let's finish the job! Let x equal y.

American Heritage

To give out (work), assign (a contract), etc.

Webster's New World

To allow; permit.

Webster's New World

To allow or cause to escape; cause to flow or come out, as by shedding, emitting, etc.

To let blood.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

noun

An obstacle or impediment.

Webster's New World

A serve which does not count, specif. one that lands in the correct segment of the opposing player's side of the court after hitting the net.

Webster's New World

An invalid stroke in tennis and other net games that requires a replay.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Synonyms:
Army of the Righteous
Army of the Pure
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba
Lashkar-e-Toiba
Lashkar-e-Taiba
net ball

suffix

Small one.

Craterlet.

American Heritage

Something worn on.

Armlet.

American Heritage

affix

Small.

Piglet, starlet.

Webster's New World

A small object worn as a band on (a specified part of the body)

Armlet.

Webster's New World

idiom

let alone

Not to mention; much less:

American Heritage

let go

To cease to employ; dismiss:
had to let 20 workers go.

American Heritage

let off on

To cause to diminish, as in pressure; ease up on:
Let off on the gas so that we do not exceed the speed limit.

American Heritage

let (one's) hair down

To drop one's reserve or inhibitions.

American Heritage

let (someone) have it

To beat, strike, or shoot at someone.
To scold or punish.

American Heritage

Other Word Forms of Let

Noun

Singular:

let

Plural:

lets

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Let

Origin of Let

From Middle English leten, læten, from Old English lÇ£tan (“to allow, let go, bequeath, leave, rent"), from Proto-Germanic *lÄ“tanÄ… (“to leave behind, allow"), from Proto-Indo-European *lÄ“d- (“to let, leave behind"). Cognate with Scots lat, lete (“to let, leave"), North Frisian lete (“to let"), West Frisian litte (“to let"), Dutch laten (“to let, leave"), German lassen (“to let, leave, allow"), Swedish lÃ¥ta (“to let, allow, leave"), Icelandic láta (“to let"), Albanian lÃ« (“to allow, let, leave").

From Wiktionary
Middle English letten (“to hinder, delay"), from Old English lettan (“to hinder, delay"; literally, "to make late"), from Proto-Germanic *latjanÄ…. Akin to Old English latian (“to delay"), Dutch letten, Old English læt (“late"). More at late, delay.

From Wiktionary
Middle English lette from letten to hinder from Old English lettan lē- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Middle English from Old French -elet diminutive suff. -el (from Latin -ellus) -et -et

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Middle English leten from Old English lǣtan lē- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
ME < MFr -el (< L -ellus) + -et, both dim. suffixes

From Webster's New World College Dictionary, 5th Edition