- To leave off
- 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[=i]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.
[1913 Webster]
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife. --Gen. ii. 24. [1913 Webster]
2. To let remain unremoved or undone; to let stay or continue, in distinction from what is removed or changed. [1913 Webster]
If grape gatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes ? --Jer. xlix. 9. [1913 Webster]
These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. --Matt. xxiii. 23. [1913 Webster]
Besides it leaveth a suspicion, as if more might be said than is expressed. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]
3. To cease from; to desist from; to abstain from. [1913 Webster]
Now leave complaining and begin your tea. --Pope. [1913 Webster]
4. To desert; to abandon; to forsake; hence, to give up; to relinquish. [1913 Webster]
Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. --Mark x. 28. [1913 Webster]
The heresies that men do leave. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
5. To let be or do without interference; as, I left him to his reflections; I leave my hearers to judge. [1913 Webster]
I will leave you now to your gossiplike humor. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
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. [1913 Webster]
Leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way. --Matt. v. 24. [1913 Webster]
The foot That leaves the print of blood where'er it walks. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
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. [1913 Webster]
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}. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
