French leave

French leave
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. [root]124. See {Lief}.] 1. Liberty granted by which restraint or illegality is removed; permission; allowance; license. [1913 Webster]

David earnestly asked leave of me. --1 Sam. xx. 6. [1913 Webster]

No friend has leave to bear away the dead. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

A double blessing is a'double grace; Occasion smiles upon a second leave. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren. --Acts xviii. 18. [1913 Webster]

{French leave}. See under {French}.

Syn: See {Liberty}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • French leave — {n.} The act of slipping away from a place secretly and without saying good bye to anyone. * / It s getting late, Rob whispered to Janet. Let s take French leave and get out of here. / …   Dictionary of American idioms

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