leese en · VERB · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /liːz/
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
From Middle English lesen, from Old English lēosan, from Proto-West Germanic *leusan, from Proto-Germanic *leusaną (“to lose”), from Proto-Indo-European *lews- (“to cut; sever; separate; loosen; lose”).
Meanings
-
(obsolete) To lose.
Yet better leave off with a little losse, Then by much wrestling to leese the grosse
1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “September. Ægloga Nona.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC:But flowers distill'd though they with winter meet, Leese but their show; their substance still lives sweet.
1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 5”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC:They would rather leese their friend than their jest.
a. 1598, William Cecil, Advice to his son:Take heed you leeſe it not Signior, ere you come there: preſerue it.
1599 (first performance), B. I. [i.e., Ben Jonson], The Comicall Satyre of Euery Man out of His Humor. […], London: […] [Adam Islip] for William Holme, […], published 1600, →OCLC, Act V, scene i, signature O iij, recto:
- (obsolete) To destroy.
- (obsolete) To forsake or abandon.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| lese | alternative | lexicographic | |
| leesed | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| leesed | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| lorn | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| leesing | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| lore | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| leeses | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |