leave

verb

1. 1

   To have a consequence or remnant. To cause or allow (something) to remain as available; to refrain from taking (something) away; to stop short of consuming or otherwise depleting (something) entirely.

   I left my car at home and took a bus to work.

   The ants did not leave so much as a crumb of bread.

   There's not much food left. We'd better go to the shops.

   […] St. Bede's at this period of its history was perhaps the poorest and most miserable parish in the East End of London. Close-packed, crushed by the buttressed height of the railway viaduct, rendered airless by huge walls of factories, it at once banished lively interest from a stranger's mind and left only a dull oppression of the spirit.

2. 2

   To have a consequence or remnant. To cause, to result in.

   The lightning left her dazzled for several minutes.

   Infantile paralysis left him lame for the rest of his life.

   She left disappointed.

   The accident left the car a heap of twisted metal.

3. 3

   To have a consequence or remnant. To put; to place; to deposit; to deliver, with a sense of withdrawing oneself.

   Leave your hat in the hall.

   We should leave the legal matters to lawyers.

   I left my sewing and went to the window to watch the falling snow.

   Leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way.

4. 4

   To depart; to separate from. To let be or do without interference.

   I left him to his reflections.

   I leave my hearers to judge.

   I'll leave it to you to decide.

5. 5

   To depart; to separate from. To depart from; to end one's connection or affiliation with.

   His bow and arrow never leaves him.

   I left the country and I left my wife.

   I was about to say that I had known the Celebrity from the time he wore kilts. But I see I will have to amend that, because he was not a celebrity then, nor, indeed, did he achieve fame until some time after I left New York for the West.

6. 6

   To depart; to separate from. To end one's membership in (a group); to terminate one's affiliation with (an organization); to stop participating in (a project).

   2018, The Independent, "Brexit: Theresa May 'not bluffing' in threat to leave EU without a deal, Tory minister Liam Fox says" If we were to leave, the economic impact on a number of European countries would be severe.

   I left the band.

7. 7

   To depart; to separate from. To die (the object denotes those affected by the death).

   The other evening Sheri called to tell me that Connie had left us, and that I will never again be able to hold my pot luck supper plate on my knee and listen to Connie's wonderful talk or see her slow, almost impish smile.

8. 8

   To depart; to separate from. To depart; to go away from a certain place or state.

   I think you'd better leave.

9. 9

   To transfer something. To transfer possession of after death.

   When my father died, he left me the house.

10. 10

    To transfer something. To intentionally place (something) to be received by another; to deliver (something) to a repository; to deposit.

    I'll leave the car in the station so you can pick it up there.

    An hour later, Brianna left a note for her roommate, Jillian Stout, saying she would be back after a work shift.

11. 11

    To transfer something. To transfer responsibility or attention of (something) (to someone); to stop being concerned with.

    Can't we just leave this to the experts?

12. 12

    obsoleteTo remain (behind); to stay.

    And whanne sire launcelot sawe them fare soo / he gat a spere in his hand / and there encountred with hym al attones syr bors sir Ector and sire Lyonel / and alle they thre smote hym atte ones with their speres /[…]/ and by mysfortune sir bors smote syre launcelot thurgh the shelde in to the syde / and the spere brake / and the hede lefte stylle in his syde

    Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers,[…]. Even such a boat as the Mount Vernon offered a total deck space so cramped as to leave secrecy or privacy well out of the question, even had the motley and democratic assemblage of passengers been disposed to accord either.

13. 13

    archaicTo stop, desist from; to "leave off" (+ noun / gerund).

    When he had leeft speakynge, he sayde vnto Simon: Cary vs into the depe, and lett slippe thy nette to make a draught.

    I will learn to leave these fruitless tears …

    Now leave Complaining, and begin your Tea.

noun

1. 1

   The action of the batsman not attempting to play at the ball.

   He made 45 leaves in his innings of 64.

2. 2

   The arrangement of balls in play that remains after a shot is made (which determines whether the next shooter — who may be either the same player, or an opponent — has good options, or only poor ones).

   Having counted 38 points he tried a beautiful massé out of the corner, hit the first ball just a trifle too hard and kissed his own ball off just when victory seemed to be his. The leave was unfortunate for Ives. Slosson played brilliantly and ran the game out, a close winner, with 22 points.

3. 3

   The tiles remaining on a player's rack after his or her turn.

   I didn't score much, but LING was a good leave.

noun

1. 1

   Permission to be absent; time away from one's work.

   I've just been given three weeks' leave by my boss — I don't think I still have some leave owing to me.

2. 2

   datedPermission.

   Might I beg leave to accompany you?

   The applicant now seeks leave to appeal and, if leave be granted, to appeal against these sentences.

   Since I have your good leave to go away, / I will make haste: but, till I come again, / No bed shall e'er be guilty of my stay, / Nor rest be interposer 'twixt us twain.

3. 3

   datedFarewell, departure.

   I took my leave of the gentleman without a backward glance.

verb

1. 1

   To give leave to; allow; permit; let; grant.

verb

1. 1

   rareTo produce leaves or foliage.

   Each Morn a thousand Roses brings, you say: Yes, but where leaves the Rose of Yesterday?

verb

1. 1

   obsoleteTo raise; to levy.

   […]au^([sic – meaning an]) army ſtrong ſhe leau'd,[…]

Forms

plural

leaves

past tense

left, leaved

past participle

left, leaved

present participle

leaving

third person singular

leaves