Adjacent Words

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the period of time during which you are absent from work or duty; "a ten day's leave to visit his mother" [syn: leave, leave of absence]
2: permission to do something; "she was granted leave to speak"
3: the act of departing politely; "he disliked long farewells"; "he took his leave"; "parting is such sweet sorrow" [syn: farewell, leave, leave-taking, parting] v
1: go away from a place; "At what time does your train leave?"; "She didn't leave until midnight"; "The ship leaves at midnight" [syn: leave, go forth, go away] [ant: arrive, come, get]
2: go and leave behind, either intentionally or by neglect or forgetfulness; "She left a mess when she moved out"; "His good luck finally left him"; "her husband left her after 20 years of marriage"; "she wept thinking she had been left behind"
3: act or be so as to become in a specified state; "The inflation left them penniless"; "The president's remarks left us speechless"
4: leave unchanged or undisturbed or refrain from taking; "leave it as is"; "leave the young fawn alone"; "leave the flowers that you see in the park behind" [syn: leave, leave alone, leave behind]
5: move out of or depart from; "leave the room"; "the fugitive has left the country" [syn: exit, go out, get out, leave] [ant: come in, enter, get in, get into, go in, go into, move into]
6: make a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain; "This leaves no room for improvement"; "The evidence allows only one conclusion"; "allow for mistakes"; "leave lots of time for the trip"; "This procedure provides for lots of leeway" [syn: leave, allow for, allow, provide]
7: have as a result or residue; "The water left a mark on the silk dress"; "Her blood left a stain on the napkin" [syn: leave, result, lead]
8: remove oneself from an association with or participation in; "She wants to leave"; "The teenager left home"; "She left her position with the Red Cross"; "He left the Senate after two terms"; "after 20 years with the same company, she pulled up stakes" [syn: leave, depart, pull up stakes]
9: put into the care or protection of someone; "He left the decision to his deputy"; "leave your child the nurse's care" [syn: entrust, leave]
10: leave or give by will after one's death; "My aunt bequeathed me all her jewelry"; "My grandfather left me his entire estate" [syn: bequeath, will, leave] [ant: disinherit, disown]
11: have left or have as a remainder; "That left the four of us"; "19 minus 8 leaves 11"
12: be survived by after one's death; "He left six children"; "At her death, she left behind her husband and 11 cats" [syn: leave, leave behind]
13: transmit (knowledge or skills); "give a secret to the Russians"; "leave your name and address here"; "impart a new skill to the students" [syn: impart, leave, give, pass on]
14: leave behind unintentionally; "I forgot my umbrella in the restaurant"; "I left my keys inside the car and locked the doors" [syn: forget, leave]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (left; leaving) Etymology: Middle English leven, from Old English l?fan; akin to Old High German verleiben to leave, Old English bel?fan to be left over, and perhaps to Lithuanian lipti to adhere, Greek lipos grease, fat Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. a. (1) bequeath, devise <left a fortune to his son> (2) to have remaining after one's death <leaves a widow and two children> b. to cause to remain as a trace or aftereffect <oil leaves a stain> <the wound left an ugly scar> 2. a. to cause or allow to be or remain in a specified condition <leave the door open> <his manner left me cold> b. to fail to include or take along <left the notes at home> <the movie leaves a lot out> c. to have as a remainder <4 from 7 leaves 3> d. to permit to be or remain subject to another's action or control <just leave everything to me> e. let f. to cause or allow to be or remain available <leave room for expansion> <left myself an out> 3. a. to go away from ; depart <leave the room> b. desert, abandon <left his wife> c. to terminate association with ; withdraw from <left school before graduation> 4. to put, deposit, or deliver before or in the process of departing <I left a package for you> <leave a message> intransitive verb set out, depart • leaver noun Usage: Leave (sense 2e) with the infinitive but without to <leave it be> is a mostly spoken idiom used in writing especially for humorous effect. It is not often criticized in British English, but American commentators, adhering to an opinion first expressed in 1881, still dislike it. II. noun Etymology: Middle English leve, from Old English l?af; akin to Middle High German loube permission, Old English aly?fan to allow — more at believe Date: before 12th century 1. a. permission to do something b. authorized especially extended absence from duty or employment 2. an act of leaving ; departure III. intransitive verb (leaved; leaving) Etymology: Middle English leven, from leef leaf Date: 14th century leaf

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. v. & n. --v. (past and past part. left) 1 a tr. go away from; cease to remain in or on (left him quite well an hour ago; leave the track; leave here). b intr. (often foll. by for) depart (we leave tomorrow; has just left for London). 2 tr. cause to or let remain; depart without taking (has left his gloves; left a slimy trail; left a bad impression; six from seven leaves one). 3 tr. (also absol.) cease to reside at or attend or belong to or work for (has left the school; I am leaving for another firm). 4 tr. abandon, forsake, desert. 5 tr. have remaining after one's death (leaves a wife and two children). 6 tr. bequeath. 7 tr. (foll. by to + infin.) allow (a person or thing) to do something without interference or assistance (leave the future to take care of itself). 8 tr. (foll. by to) commit or refer to another person (leave that to me; nothing was left to chance). 9 tr. a abstain from consuming or dealing with. b (in passive; often foll. by over) remain over. 10 tr. a deposit or entrust (a thing) to be attended to, collected, delivered, etc., in one's absence (left a message with his secretary). b depute (a person) to perform a function in one's absence. 11 tr. allow to remain or cause to be in a specified state or position (left the door open; the performance left them unmoved; left nothing that was necessary undone). 12 tr. pass (an object) so that it is in a specified relative direction (leave the church on the left). --n. the position in which a player leaves the balls in billiards, croquet, etc. Phrases and idioms: be left with 1 retain (a feeling etc.). 2 be burdened with (a responsibility etc.). be well left be well provided for by a legacy etc. get left colloq. be deserted or worsted. have left have remaining (has no friends left). leave alone 1 refrain from disturbing, not interfere with. 2 not have dealings with. leave be colloq. refrain from disturbing, not interfere with. leave behind 1 go away without. 2 leave as a consequence or a visible sign of passage. 3 pass. leave a person cold (or cool) not impress or excite a person. leave go colloq. relax one's hold. leave hold of cease holding. leave it at that colloq. abstain from comment or further action. leave much (or a lot etc.) to be desired be highly unsatisfactory. leave off 1 come to or make an end. 2 discontinue (leave off work; leave off talking). 3 cease to wear. leave out omit, not include. leave over Brit. leave to be considered, settled, or used later. leave a person to himself or herself 1 not attempt to control a person. 2 leave a person solitary. left at the post beaten from the start of a race. left for dead abandoned as being beyond rescue. left luggage Brit. luggage deposited for later retrieval, esp. at a railway station. Derivatives: leaver n. Etymology: OE læfan f. Gmc 2. n. 1 (often foll. by to + infin.) permission. 2 a (in full leave of absence) permission to be absent from duty. b the period for which this lasts. Phrases and idioms: by (or with) your leave often iron. an expression of apology for taking a liberty or making an unwelcome statement. on leave legitimately absent from duty. take one's leave bid farewell. take one's leave of bid farewell to. take leave of one's senses see SENSE. take leave to venture or presume to. Etymology: OE leaf f. WG: cf. LIEF, LOVE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Leave Leave, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Leaved; p. pr. & vb. n. Leaving] To send out leaves; to leaf; -- often with out. --G. Fletcher.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Leave Leave, v. t. [See Levy.] To raise; to levy. [Obs.] An army strong she leaved. --Spenser.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Leave Leave, n. [OE. leve, leave, AS. le['a]f; akin to le['o]f pleasing, dear, E. lief, D. oorlof leave, G. arlaub, and erlauben to permit, Icel. leyfi. ? See Lief.] 1. Liberty granted by which restraint or illegality is removed; permission; allowance; license. David earnestly asked leave of me. --1 Sam. xx. 6. No friend has leave to bear away the dead. --Dryden. 2. The act of leaving or departing; a formal parting; a leaving; farewell; adieu; -- used chiefly in the phrase, to take leave, i. e., literally, to take permission to go. A double blessing is a'double grace; Occasion smiles upon a second leave. --Shak. And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren. --Acts xviii. 18. French leave. See under French. Syn: See Liberty.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Leave Leave, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Left; 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[=i]fan to remain, G. bleiben, Goth. bileiban. ?. See Live, v.] 1. To withdraw one's self from; to go away from; to depart from; as, to leave the house. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife. --Gen. ii. 24. 2. To let remain unremoved or undone; to let stay or continue, in distinction from what is removed or changed. If grape gatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes ? --Jer. xlix. 9. These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. --Matt. xxiii. 23. Besides it leaveth a suspicion, as if more might be said than is expressed. --Bacon. 3. To cease from; to desist from; to abstain from. Now leave complaining and begin your tea. --Pope. 4. To desert; to abandon; to forsake; hence, to give up; to relinquish. Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. --Mark x. 28. The heresies that men do leave. --Shak. 5. To let be or do without interference; as, I left him to his reflections; I leave my hearers to judge. I will leave you now to your gossiplike humor. --Shak. 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. Leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way. --Matt. v. 24. The foot That leaves the print of blood where'er it walks. --Shak. 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. 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Leave Leave, v. i. 1. To depart; to set out. [Colloq.] By the time I left for Scotland. --Carlyle. 2. To cease; to desist; to leave off. ``He . . . began at the eldest, and left at the youngest.'' --Gen. xliv. 12. To leave off, to cease; to desist; to stop. Leave off, and for another summons wait. --Roscommon.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(leaves, leaving, left) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. If you leave a place or person, you go away from that place or person. He would not be allowed to leave the country... I simply couldn't bear to leave my little girl... My flight leaves in less than an hour... The last of the older children had left for school. VERB: V n, V n, V, V for n 2. If you leave an institution, group, or job, you permanently stop attending that institution, being a member of that group, or doing that job. He left school with no qualifications... I am leaving to concentrate on writing fiction. ...a leaving present. VERB: V n, V, V-ing 3. If you leave your husband, wife, or some other person with whom you have had a close relationship, you stop living with them or you finish the relationship. He'll never leave you. You need have no worry... I would be insanely jealous if Bill left me for another woman. VERB: V n, V n for n, also V 4. If you leave something or someone in a particular place, you let them remain there when you go away. If you leave something or someone with a person, you let them remain with that person so they are safe while you are away. From the moment that Philippe had left her in the bedroom at the hotel, she had heard nothing of him... Leave your key with a neighbour in case you lock yourself out one day. VERB: V n prep/adv, V n with n 5. If you leave a message or an answer, you write it, record it, or give it to someone so that it can be found or passed on. You can leave a message on our answering machine... Decide whether the ball is in square A, B, C, or D, then call and leave your answer... I left my phone number with several people. VERB: V n prep/adv, V n, V n with n 6. If you leave someone doing something, they are doing that thing when you go away from them. Salter drove off, leaving Callendar surveying the scene. VERB: V n -ing 7. If you leave someone to do something, you go away from them so that they do it on their own. If you leave someone to himself or herself, you go away from them and allow them to be alone. I'd better leave you to get on with it, then... Diana took the hint and left them to it... One of the advantages of a department store is that you are left to yourself to try things on... VERB: V n to-inf, V n to it, be V-ed to pron-refl 8. To leave an amount of something means to keep it available after the rest has been used or taken away. He always left a little food for the next day... Double rooms at any of the following hotels should leave you some change from £150. VERB: V n for n, V n n 9. If you take one number away from another, you can say that it leaves the number that remains. For example, five take away two leaves three. = equal VERB 10. To leave someone with something, especially when that thing is unpleasant or difficult to deal with, means to make them have it or make them responsible for it. ...a crash which left him with a broken collar-bone... VERB: V n with n 11. If an event leaves people or things in a particular state, they are in that state when the event has finished. ...violent disturbances which have left at least ten people dead... The documentary left me in a state of shock... VERB: V n adj, V n prep/adv 12. If you leave food or drink, you do not eat or drink it, often because you do not like it. If you don't like the cocktail you ordered, just leave it and try a different one. VERB: V n 13. If something leaves a mark, effect, or sign, it causes that mark, effect, or sign to remain as a result. A muscle tear will leave a scar after healing... VERB: V n 14. If you leave something in a particular state, position, or condition, you let it remain in that state, position, or condition. He left the album open on the table... I've left the car lights on... I left the engine running. VERB: V n adj, V n adv/prep, V n -ing 15. If you leave a space or gap in something, you deliberately make that space or gap. Leave a gap at the top and bottom so air can circulate. VERB: V n 16. If you leave a job, decision, or choice to someone, you give them the responsibility for dealing with it or making it. Affix the blue airmail label and leave the rest to us... The judge should not have left it to the jury to decide... For the moment, I leave you to take all decisions. VERB: V n to n, V it to n to-inf, V n to-inf 17. If you say that something such as an arrangement or an agreement leaves a lot to another thing or person, you are critical of it because it is not adequate and its success depends on the other thing or person. The ceasefire leaves a lot to the goodwill of the forces involved... VERB: V amount to n [disapproval] 18. To leave someone with a particular course of action or the opportunity to do something means to let it be available to them, while restricting them in other ways. This left me only one possible course of action... He was left with no option but to resign. VERB: V n n, be V-ed with n 19. If you leave something until a particular time, you delay doing it or dealing with it until then. Don't leave it all until the last minute. VERB: V n until/to n • If you leave something too late, you delay doing it so that when you eventually do it, it is useless or ineffective. I hope I haven't left it too late. PHRASE: V inflects 20. If you leave a particular subject, you stop talking about it and start discussing something else. I think we'd better leave the subject of Nationalism... He suggested we get together for a drink sometime. I said I'd like that, and we left it there. VERB: V n, V n prep/adv 21. If you leave property or money to someone, you arrange for it to be given to them after you have died. He died two and a half years later, leaving everything to his wife. VERB: V n to n 22. Leave is a period of time when you are not working at your job, because you are on holiday or vacation, or for some other reason. If you are on leave, you are not working at your job. Why don't you take a few days' leave? ...maternity leave... He is home on leave from the Navy. N-UNCOUNT: oft on N 23. see also left 24. If you leave someone or something alone, or if you leave them be, you do not pay them any attention or bother them. Some people need to confront a traumatic past; others find it better to leave it alone... Why can't you leave him be? PHRASE: V inflects 25. If something continues from where it left off, it starts happening again at the point where it had previously stopped. As soon as the police disappear the violence will take up from where it left off. PHRASE: PHR after v, oft from PHR 26. to leave a lot to be desired: see desire to leave someone to their own devices: see device to take leave of your senses: see sense take it or leave it: see take

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Permission, liberty, allowance, license. 2. Withdrawal, retirement, departure. 3. Farewell, adieu, congé. II. v. a. 1. Quit, vacate, abandon, withdraw from, depart from, go away from, retire from, get away from. 2. Abandon, forsake, desert, relinquish, renounce, put aside, lay aside, give up, give over. 3. Let alone, let be, suffer to remain undisturbed, forbear to meddle with. 4. Commit, consign, refer. 5. Stop, forbear, cease from, desist from, refrain from, leave off, break off, make an end of. 6. Permit, allow, let, give leave, give permission. 7. Bequeath, demise, devise, will, give by will. 8. Leave behind one, leave at one's death, leave remaining after death. III. v. n. Desist, stop, cease, forbear, leave off.

Moby Thesaurus

AWOL, French leave, Godspeed, OK, abandon, abdicate, abrupt, abscondence, absence, absence without leave, absentation, absenteeism, absenting, abstain from, accord, add a codicil, adieu, admission, admit, alienate, allow, allowance, aloha, assign, authorization, back out, bar, be getting along, be gone, be off, be pensioned, be superannuated, beat it, beg off, bequeath, bereave, bud, burgeon, burst forth, buzz off, cast off, cast out, cease, cede, charter, check out, come away, commit, conge, consent, consign, count out, cry off, cut, cut adrift, cut off, cut out, day off, decamp, default, delete, demise, demit, depart, depart from, departure, desert, desist, deviate from, devise, disappear, disappearance, disarticulate, discard, disconnect, discontinue, disengage, disjoin, disjoint, dispensation, dispense, disregard, dissociate, disunite, divide, divorce, doch-an-dorrach, drop out, eject, eliminate, entail, entrust, escape, estrange, evacuate, except, exclude, excused absence, execute a will, exit, expel, farewell, fleeing, flit, flourish, fly, forbear, forget, forsake, freedom, furlough, gang along, gemmate, germinate, get along, get away, get off, get on, get under way, give, give leave, give over, give permission, give the go-ahead, give the word, give up, go, go along, go away, go back on, go off, go on, goldbrick, good-bye, goof off, grant, grow, grow rank, hand down, hand on, holiday, hooky, ignore, isolate, jettison, jilt, jump, leaf, leaf out, leave behind, leave flat, leave loose ends, leave of absence, leave off, leave out, leave over, leave undone, leave-taking, leaving, let, let alone, let be, let dangle, let go, liberty, license, lose, luxuriate, make, make a bequest, make a will, make an exit, make possible, malinger, march off, maroon, mislay, miss, mosey, move away, move off, move out, neglect, nonappearance, nonattendance, okay, omit, orphan, overgrow, overrun, paid holiday, paid vacation, part, parting, parting words, pass on, pass over, pass up, patent, pension off, permission, permission to enter, permit, pretermit, procrastinate, pull away, pull back, pull out, pull up stakes, pullulate, push off, put forth, put forth leaves, put out buds, quit, quit cold, recess, refrain from, reject, release, relinquish, render, renege, renounce, renounce the throne, resign, retire, retire from office, retreat, riot, root, run, run off, running away, sabbatical, sabbatical leave, sabbatical year, sanction, sashay, sashay off, say goodbye to, say the word, scram, segregate, send-off, separate, sequester, set apart, set aside, set off, shirk, shoot, shoot up, shore leave, shove off, shut off, sick leave, skedaddle, skip, slack, special permission, split, sprout, sprout up, stagger along, stand aloof, stand apart, stand aside, stand down, step aside, stirrup cup, stop, strike root, subtract, superannuate, take flight, take leave of, take off, take root, take wing, throw off, throw out, throw over, ticket, ticket of admission, time off, toddle along, transfer, transmit, trifle, truancy, truantism, uncouple, unexcused absence, unyoke, up and go, up-anchor, upspear, upsprout, vacate, vacation, valediction, valedictorian, valedictory, valedictory address, vamoose, vegetate, viaticum, vouchsafe, vouchsafement, waiver, weekend, widow, will, will and bequeath, will to, wing it, withdraw, withdraw from, yield