from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Leave \Leave\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Left} (l[e^]ft); p. pr. &
vb. n. {Leaving}.] [OE. leven, AS. l?fan, fr. l[=a]f remnant,
heritage; akin to lifian, libban, to live, orig., to remain;
cf. bel[imac]fan to remain, G. bleiben, Goth. bileiban.
[root]119. See {Live}, v.]
1. To withdraw one's self from; to go away from; to depart
from; as, to leave the house.
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Therefore shall a man leave his father and his
mother, and shall cleave unto his wife. --Gen. ii.
24.
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2. To let remain unremoved or undone; to let stay or
continue, in distinction from what is removed or changed.
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If grape gatherers come to thee, would they not
leave some gleaning grapes ? --Jer. xlix.
9.
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These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the
other undone. --Matt. xxiii.
23.
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Besides it leaveth a suspicion, as if more might be
said than is expressed. --Bacon.
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3. To cease from; to desist from; to abstain from.
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Now leave complaining and begin your tea. --Pope.
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4. To desert; to abandon; to forsake; hence, to give up; to
relinquish.
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Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. --Mark
x. 28.
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The heresies that men do leave. --Shak.
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5. To let be or do without interference; as, I left him to
his reflections; I leave my hearers to judge.
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I will leave you now to your gossiplike humor.
--Shak.
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6. To put; to place; to deposit; to deliver; to commit; to
submit -- with a sense of withdrawing one's self from; as,
leave your hat in the hall; we left our cards; to leave
the matter to arbitrators.
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Leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy
way. --Matt. v. 24.
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The foot
That leaves the print of blood where'er it walks.
--Shak.
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7. To have remaining at death; hence, to bequeath; as, he
left a large estate; he left a good name; he left a legacy
to his niece.
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8. to cause to be; -- followed by an adjective or adverb
describing a state or condition; as, the losses due to
fire leave me penniless; The cost of defending himself
left Bill Clinton with a mountain of lawyers' bills.
[WordNet 1.5]
{To leave alone}.
(a) To leave in solitude.
(b) To desist or refrain from having to do with; as, to
leave dangerous chemicals alone.
{To leave off}.
(a) To desist from; to forbear; to stop; as, to leave off
work at six o'clock.
(b) To cease wearing or using; to omit to put in the usual
position; as, to leave off a garment; to leave off the
tablecloth.
(c) To forsake; as, to leave off a bad habit.
{To leave out}, to omit; as, to leave out a word or name in
writing.
{To leave to one's self}, to let (one) be alone; to cease
caring for (one).
Syn: Syn>- To quit; depart from; forsake; abandon;
relinquish; deliver; bequeath; give up; forego; resign;
surrender; forbear. See {Quit}.
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