Adjacent Words

Loss definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LOSS, n.
1. privation, as the loss of property; loss of money by gaming; loss of health or reputation. every loss is not a detriment. we cannot regret the loss of bad company or of evil habits.
2. Destruction; ruin; as the loss of a ship at sea; the loss of an army.
3. Defeat; as the loss of a battle.
4. Waste; useless application; as a loss of time or labor.
5. Waste by leakage or escape; as a loss of liquors in transportation.
To bear a loss, to make good; also, to sustain a loss without sinking under it.
To be at a loss, to be puzzled; to be unable to determine; to be in a state of uncertainty.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: something that is lost; "the car was a total loss"; "loss of livestock left the rancher bankrupt"
2: gradual decline in amount or activity; "weight loss"; "a serious loss of business"
3: the act of losing someone or something; "everyone expected him to win so his loss was a shock"
4: the disadvantage that results from losing something; "his loss of credibility led to his resignation"; "losing him is no great deprivation" [syn: loss, deprivation]
5: the experience of losing a loved one; "he sympathized on the loss of their grandfather"
6: the amount by which the cost of a business exceeds its revenue; "the company operated at a loss last year"; "the company operated in the red last year" [syn: loss, red ink, red] [ant: gain]
7: military personnel lost by death or capture [syn: personnel casualty, loss]
8: euphemistic expressions for death; "thousands mourned his passing" [syn: passing, loss, departure, exit, expiration, going, release]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English los, probably back-formation from lost, past participle of losen to lose Date: 13th century 1. destruction, ruin 2. a. the act of losing possession ; deprivation <insured against loss or theft of property> <loss of sight> b. the harm or privation resulting from loss or separation <her death was a loss to the community> c. an instance of losing 3. a person or thing or an amount that is lost: as a. plural killed, wounded, or captured soldiers b. the power diminution of a circuit or circuit element corresponding to conversion of electrical energy into heat by resistance 4. a. failure to gain, win, obtain, or utilize b. an amount by which the cost of something exceeds its selling price 5. decrease in amount, magnitude, or degree 6. the amount of an insured's financial detriment by death or damage that the insurer is liable for

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 the act or an instance of losing; the state of being lost. 2 a person, thing, or amount lost. 3 the detriment or disadvantage resulting from losing (that is no great loss). Phrases and idioms: at a loss (sold etc.) for less than was paid for it. be at a loss be puzzled or uncertain. be at a loss for words not know what to say. loss adjuster an insurance agent who assesses the amount of compensation arising from a loss. loss-leader an item sold at a loss to attract customers. Etymology: ME los, loss prob. back-form. f. lost, past part. of LOSE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Loss Loss, n. [AS. los loss, losing, fr. le['o]san to lose. ?. See Lose, v. t.] 1. The act of losing; failure; destruction; privation; as, the loss of property; loss of money by gaming; loss of health or reputation. Assured loss before the match be played. --Shak. 2. The state of losing or having lost; the privation, defect, misfortune, harm, etc., which ensues from losing. Though thou repent, yet I have still the loss. --Shak 3. That which is lost or from which one has parted; waste; -- opposed to gain or increase; as, the loss of liquor by leakage was considerable. 4. The state of being lost or destroyed; especially, the wreck or foundering of a ship or other vessel. 5. Failure to gain or win; as, loss of a race or battle. 6. Failure to use advantageously; as, loss of time. 7. (Mil.) Killed, wounded, and captured persons, or captured property. 8. (Insurance) Destruction or diminution of value, if brought about in a manner provided for in the insurance contract (as destruction by fire or wreck, damage by water or smoke), or the death or injury of an insured person; also, the sum paid or payable therefor; as, the losses of the company this year amount to a million of dollars. To bear a loss, to make a loss good; also, to sustain a loss without sinking under it. To be at a loss, to be in a state of uncertainty. Syn: Privation; detriment; injury; damage.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(losses) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. Loss is the fact of no longer having something or having less of it than before. ...loss of sight... The loss of income for the government is about $250 million a month. ...hair loss... The job losses will reduce the total workforce to 7,000. N-VAR: usu with supp 2. Loss of life occurs when people die. ...a terrible loss of human life... The allies suffered less than 20 casualties while enemy losses were said to be high. N-VAR: usu with supp 3. The loss of a relative or friend is their death. They took the time to talk about the loss of Thomas and how their grief was affecting them. ...the loss of his mother. N-UNCOUNT: with supp, usu the N of n 4. If a business makes a loss, it earns less than it spends. In 1986 Rover made a loss of nine hundred million pounds... The company said it will stop producing fertilizer in 1990 because of continued losses. ...profit and loss. ? profit N-VAR 5. Loss is the feeling of sadness you experience when someone or something you like is taken away from you. Talk to others about your feelings of loss and grief... 6. A loss is the disadvantage you suffer when a valuable and useful person or thing leaves or is taken away. She said his death was a great loss to herself. N-COUNT: usu sing 7. The loss of something such as heat, blood, or fluid is the gradual reduction of it or of its level in a system or in someone's body. ...blood loss. ...weight loss. ...a rapid loss of heat from the body. N-UNCOUNT: with supp 8. If a business produces something at a loss, they sell it at a price which is less than it cost them to produce it or buy it. (BUSINESS) New fashion designs have to be sold off at a loss if sales are poor. ? at a profit PHRASE: PHR after v 9. If you say that you are at a loss, you mean that you do not know what to do in a particular situation. The government is at a loss to know how to tackle the violence. PHRASE: usu v-link PHR, usu PHR for n, PHR to-inf 10. If you cut your losses, you stop doing what you were doing in order to prevent the bad situation that you are in becoming worse. Directors are right to cut their losses, admit they chose the wrong man and make a change. PHRASE: V inflects 11. If you say that someone or something is a dead loss, you have a low opinion of them because you think they are completely useless or unsuccessful. (BRIT INFORMAL) I'd had no experience of organizing anything of that sort. I think I was largely a dead loss. PHRASE: usu v-link PHR [disapproval]

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

chaTa "to suffer as one erring, or as a sinner" (Ge 31:39, where Jacob assures Laban that he (Jacob) suffered the loss of all animals of the flock torn by beasts); shekhol, "bereavement" (Isa 47:8 f, where the prophet foretells the humiliation of proud Babylon who shall suffer the loss of her children, and widowhood); shikkulim, "bereavement" (Isa 49:20, translated "bereavement" in the Revised Version (British and American), where the prophet promises to the desolate Zion enlargement). In the New Testament the translations of three Greek words: apobole, "casting away" (Ac 27:22, where Paul assures the crew and passengers that there shall be no "loss" of life from the storm); zemia, "loss" (Ac 27:21, referring to the harm sustained in the storm; Php 3:7 f, where Paul counts all his natural privileges and attainments as forfeited for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ); zemioo. "to suffer loss" (1Co 3:15, where Paul says the man whose works are burned shall suffer "loss"; Php 3:8, same context as above).

Charles B. Williams

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Privation, deprivation, forfeiture. 2. Forfeiture, failure to win. 3. Destruction, overthrow, damage, detriment, ruin, defeat, injury, damage, disadvantage. 4. Waste, squandering.

Moby Thesaurus

ablation, annihilation, attrition, bankruptcy, bereavement, breakage, breakdown, collapse, confusion, consumption, corrosion, crack-up, crippling, damage, death, decrement, defeat, deliquescence, demise, denial, depletion, deprivation, deprivement, destruction, detriment, devastation, dilapidation, diminution, disablement, disadvantage, disappearance, disappointment, dispossession, disrepair, dissipation, dissolution, divestment, downfall, drawback, drubbing, dying, encroachment, erosion, exhaustion, extermination, extinction, failure, forfeit, forfeiture, handicap, harm, havoc, hobbling, hurt, hurting, impairment, impoverishment, incapacitation, infringement, injury, inroad, liability, losing, losings, loss of ground, losses, maiming, mayhem, mischief, mislaying, misplacement, misplacing, mutilation, passing, prejudice, privation, reduction, ruin, ruination, ruinousness, sabotage, sacrifice, scathe, shrinkage, sickening, spoiling, squandering, step backward, trouncing, wastage, waste, wasting, weakening, wear and tear