LESSES

Etymology

Noun

lesses pl (plural only)

animal dung

Source: Wiktionary


Les"ses, n. pl. Etym: [F. laissées, from laisser to leave. See Lease, v. t.]

Definition: The leavings or dung of beasts.

LESS

-less. Etym: [AS. leás loose, false; akin to OS. l loose, false, D. los loose, loos false, sly, G. los loose, Icel. lauss loose, vacant, Goth. laus empty, vain, and also to E. loose, lose. sq. root127. See Lose, and cf. Loose, Leasing.]

Definition: A privative adjective suffix, denoting without, destitute of, not having; as witless, childless, fatherless.

Less (lês), conj.

Definition: Unless. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Less, a. Etym: [OE. lesse, AS. læssa; akin to OFries. lessa; a compar. from a lost positive form. Cf. Lesser, Lest, Least. Less has the sense of the comparative degree of little.]

Definition: Smaller; not so large or great; not so much; shorter; inferior; as, a less quantity or number; a horse of less size or value; in less time than before.

Note: The substantive which less qualifies is often omitted; as, the purse contained less (money) than ten dollars. See Less, n. Thus in less [time] than a hundred years from the coming of Augustine, all England became Christian. E. A. Freeman.

Less, adv. Etym: [AS. l. See Less, adj., and cf. Lest.]

Definition: Not so much; in a smaller or lower degree; as, less bright or loud; less beautiful.

Less, n.

1. A smaller portion or quantity. The children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. Ex. xvi. 17.

2. The inferior, younger, or smaller. The less is blessed of the better. Heb. vii. 7.

Less, v. t.

Definition: To make less; to lessen. [Obs.] Gower.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

25 November 2024

ONCHOCERCIASIS

(noun) infestation with slender threadlike roundworms (filaria) deposited under the skin by the bite of black fleas; when the eyes are involved it can result in blindness; common in Africa and tropical America


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, on 25 September 2016, the Birla Institute of Management Technology (India) in Uttar Pradesh, India, constructed the largest coffee cups pyramid consisting of 23,821 cups. They used paper takeaway coffee cups to build the pyramid.

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