From Middle English lessenen, lasnen, equivalent to less + -en (verbal suffix).
Meanings
(dialectal, nonstandard) unless.
That usually all they need fuh go that straight and narrow path, lessen they got that real badness or foolishness in them. 2013, Lornabelle Gethers, Honey Bea's Everlasting Gift, page 88:
She was fine-looking; he couldn't find a fault with her 'lessen he made it up. 2011, Caroline Miller, Lamb in His Bosom, page 107:
Ober closed his encomium with the serious statement that “Lessen he could marry Miss Jennie he would be a bachelor the balance of his life," to which the drayman replied that " If Oi were Miss Janie Oi'd black yer oi the minute ye thought of such a thing. The oidee." 1895, Book-keeper (Detroit, Mich. : 1888). - Volume 8, Issue 6, page 10:
No more work outta them lessen they paid now. 2011, J. California Cooper, Family:
From Middle English lessenen, lasnen, equivalent to less + -en (verbal suffix).
Meanings
(transitive) To make less; to diminish; to reduce.
The thin glass that makes mirror tiles light in weight also tends to lessen their reflective quality. 1980, Robert M. Jones, editor, Walls and Ceilings, Time-Life Books, →ISBN, page 44:
a. 1686, Benjamin Calamy, a sermon
Charity […] shall lessen his punishment.
December 6, 1709, Francis Atterbury, a sermon preach'd before the sons of the clergy at their anniversary-meeting in the Church of St. Paul
St. Paul chose to magnify his office when ill men conspired to lessen it.
Many hospitals have not taken simple steps to lessen the distress and confusion which dementia sufferers' often feel on being somewhere so unfamiliar – such as making signs large and easy to read, using colour schemes to help patients find their way around unfamiliar wards and not putting family mementoes such as photographs nearby. 2011 December 16, Denis Campbell, “Hospital staff 'lack skills to cope with dementia patients'”, in Guardian:
cs zmenšit (to make less) · pt reduzir (to make less) · qu hiwiy (to make less) · sv minska (to make less) · es mermar (to become less) · es aminorar (to become less) · th ลดหย่อน (to make less) · nl verminderen (to become less) · bg смалявам (to make less) · bg намалявам (to become less) · hu kisebbedik (to become less) · io diminutar (to make less) · uk зме́ншитися (to become less) · ga laghdaigh (to become less) · fi vähentyä (to become less) · ru смягча́ть (to make less) · grc ἐλασσόω (to make less) · ru умеря́ть (to make less) · ru уменьша́ться (to become less) · es reducir (to make less) · nl afzwakken (to make less) · ga beagaigh (to make less) · io diminutar (to become less) · mi whakaharahara (to make less) · cy lleihau (to make less) · hu csökken (to become less) · la diminuō (to make less) · es aminorar (to make less) · mi māhaki (to make less) · fr atténuer (to make less) · hy պակասեցնել (to make less) · uk зме́ншити (to make less) · nl vergoelijken (to make less) · es disminuir (to make less) · fi vähentää (to make less) · bg смалявам се (to become less) · es menoscabar (to make less) · cs zmenšit se (to become less) · fr réduire (to make less) · ga laghdaigh (to make less) · grc μειόω (to make less) · es disminuir (to become less) · nl verminderen (to make less) · pt atenuar (to make less) · nl slinken (to become less) · pt diminuir (to make less) · ru уме́ньшить (to make less) · hy պակասել (to become less) · fr diminuer (to make less) · th ลดทอน (to make less) · nl afnemen (to become less) · th ลด (to make less) · th ผ่อนปรน (to make less) · th บั่นทอน (to make less) · no formilde (to make less) · fr amoindrir (to make less) · ru уме́рить (to make less) · sv minska (to become less) · cmn 減少 /减少 (to make less) · mi whakamimiti (to make less) · pt reduzir-se (to become less) · bg намалявам (to make less) · ru уме́ньшиться (to become less) · bg смекчавам (to make less) · es menguar (to make less) · nl verzachten (to make less) · uk зме́ншуватися (to become less) · mi whakaiti (to make less) · nl korten (to make less) · nl verkleinen (to make less) · es menguar (to become less) · hu kisebbít (to make less) · hu csökkent (to make less) · mi māwhe (to make less) · ru уменьша́ть (to make less) · la minuō (to make less) · es mermar (to make less) · uk зме́ншувати (to make less) · pt diminuir (to become less)