let

English Online Dictionary. What means let‎? What does let mean?

English

Alternative forms

• lett (archaic)
• lettest (2nd person singular simple present and simple past; archaic)
• letteth (3rd person singular simple present; archaic)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɛt/
• Rhymes: -ɛt
• Homophone: Lett

Etymology 1

Derived from Middle English leten, læten, from Old English lǣtan (“to allow, let go, bequeath, leave, rent”), from Proto-West Germanic *lātan, from Proto-Germanic *lētaną (“to leave behind, allow”), from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d- (“to be tired, leave”).

Verb

let (third-person singular simple present lets, present participle letting, simple past let or (obsolete) leet, past participle let or (obsolete) letten)

1. (transitive) To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to).
2. (transitive) To allow to be or do without interference; to not disturb or meddle with; to leave alone.
3. (transitive) To allow the release of (a fluid).

4. (transitive, chiefly British) To allow possession of (a property etc.) in exchange for rent.
5. (transitive) To give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or contract; often with out.

6. (auxiliary, transitive) Used to introduce a first or third person imperative verb construction.

7. (transitive, obsolete except with know or be) To cause (+ bare infinitive).

Usage notes

• The use of “let” to introduce an imperative may sometimes be confused with its use, as its own imperative, in the sense of “to allow”. For example, the sentence “Let me go to the store.” could either be a second-person imperative of “let” (addressing someone who might prevent the speaker from going to the store) or a first-person singular imperative of “go” (not implying any such preventer).

Synonyms

• (to allow): allow, permit

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

let (plural lets)

1. The allowing of possession of a property etc. in exchange for rent.

Derived terms

• holiday let

Etymology 2

Derived from Middle English letten (“to hinder, delay”), from Old English lettan (“to hinder, delay”; literally, “to make late”), from Proto-West Germanic *lattjan, from Proto-Germanic *latjaną. Akin to Old English latian (“to delay”), Dutch letten, Old English læt (“late”). More at late, delay.

Verb

let (third-person singular simple present lets, present participle letting, simple past letted, past participle let)

1. (archaic) To hinder, prevent, impede, hamper, cumber; to obstruct (someone or something).
2. (obsolete) To prevent someone from doing something; also to prevent something from happening.
3. (obsolete) To tarry or delay.

Noun

let (plural lets)

1. An obstacle or hindrance.
2. (tennis) The hindrance caused by the net during serve, only if the ball falls legally.

Derived terms

• without let or hindrance

Translations

References

• The Dictionary of the Scots Language

Anagrams

• ELT, ETL, LTE, TEL, TLE, Tel., elt, tel

Champenois

Alternative forms

• (Rémois) leuil, leil
• (Langrois) leu

Etymology

Inherited from Old French lit, from Latin lectus.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /lɛ/

Noun

let m (plural lets)

1. (Troyen, Langrois) bed

References

• Daunay, Jean (1998) Parlers de Champagne : Pour un classement thématique du vocabulaire des anciens parlers de Champagne (Aube - Marne - Haute-Marne)‎^[2] (in French), Rumilly-lés-Vaudes
• Baudoin, Alphonse (1885) Glossaire de la forêt de Clairvaux‎^[3] (in French), Troyes

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈlɛt]
• Homophone: led

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *letъ.

Noun

let m inan

1. flight (the act of flying)

Declension

Related terms

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

let n

1. genitive plural of léto

Further reading

• “let”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “let”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “let”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

Danish

Etymology 1

Derived from Old Norse léttr, from Proto-Germanic *linhtaz, cognate with Swedish lätt, English light and German leicht.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈlɛd̥]

Adjective

let (plural and definite singular attributive lette)

1. light (not heavy)
2. easy
3. slight
4. mild

Inflection

Synonyms

• (easy): nem, enkel

Adverb

let

1. lightly
2. easily
3. slightly
4. mildly

References

• “let,2” in Den Danske Ordbog

Etymology 2

Abbreviation of letmælk.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈlɛd̥]

Noun

let c (singular definite letten, plural indefinite let)

1. low-fat milk

Declension

References

• “let,1” in Den Danske Ordbog

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈlɛd̥]

Verb

let

1. imperative of lette

Etymology 4

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈleˀd̥]

Verb

let

1. past participle of le

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɛt

Verb

let

1. inflection of letten:
   1. first/second/third-person singular present indicative
   2. imperative

Anagrams

• tel

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English let.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɛt/

Interjection

let

1. (tennis) indicates a let on service

Further reading

• “let”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Friulian

Etymology

Inherited from Latin lēctus, perfect passive participle of legō.

Verb

let

1. past participle of lei (“read”)

Gothic

Romanization

lēt

1. Romanization of 𐌻𐌴𐍄

Irish

Alternative forms

• led

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lʲɛt̪ˠ/

Contraction

let (triggers lenition)

1. (Munster) Contraction of le do (“with your sg”).

   let thoil ― please

Related terms

North Frisian

Alternative forms

• leet (Föhr-Amrum)
• lätje (Mooring)

Etymology

Inherited from Old Frisian lēta, from Proto-West Germanic *lātan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [lɛt]

Verb

let

1. (Sylt) to let

Conjugation

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

Derived from Old Norse litr (“colour”), related to líta (“to see”).

Noun

let m (definite singular leten, indefinite plural leter, definite plural letene)

1. color / colour

Synonyms

• farge

Derived terms

• hamlet

Etymology 2

Verb

let

1. imperative of lete

References

• “let” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Norse litr (“colour”), from Proto-Germanic *wlitiz, *wlituz. Related to Old Norse líta (“to see”).

Alternative forms

• (non-standard since 2012) lett

Noun

let m (definite singular leten, indefinite plural leter or letar, definite plural letene or letane)

1. color / colour

   Synonym: farge

Derived terms

• einleta
• hamlet

Etymology 2

Verb

let

1. present tense of la
2. present of lata
3. past tense of la
4. past of lata

Etymology 3

Verb

let

1. imperative of leta

Further reading

• “let” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Anagrams

• elt, etl, lèt, lét, tel

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /leːt/

Verb

lēt

1. first/third-person singular preterite indicative of lǣtan

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *letъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lêːt/

Noun

lȇt m (Cyrillic spelling ле̑т)

1. flight

Declension

Related terms

• lèteti

References

• “let”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025

Slovene

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *letъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɛ́t/

Noun

lȅt m inan

1. flight

Declension

Tok Pisin

Etymology

Derived from English leather.

Noun

let

1. leather
2. strap (of leather)
3. belt