let | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

253 entries found.

1520s, Latin, literally "let the buyer beware;" see caveat and second element of exempt (adj.).

"clumsy in the use of the hands, apt to let things fall," 1610s, from butter (n.) + finger (n.).

late 14c., "to place (oneself) under the control of another, to yield oneself," from Latin submittere "to yield, lower, let down, put under, reduce," from sub "under" (see sub-) + mittere "let go, send" (see mission). Transitive sense of "refer to another for consideration" first recorded 1550s. Related: Submitted; submitting.

admit (v.)

late 14c., "let in," from Latin admittere "admit, give entrance, allow to enter; grant an audience," of acts, "let be done, allow, permit," from ad "to" (see ad-) + mittere "let go, send" (see mission). Sense of "to concede in argument as valid or true" is first recorded early 15c. In Middle English sometimes also amit, after Old French amettre, which was refashioned 15c. Related: Admitted; Admitting.

demit (v.)

early 15c., demitten, "to run or flow down," also figurative, "to humble oneself," from Old French demetre "to send, put, or let down," and directly from Latin demittere "to send down," from de "down" (see de-) + mittere "to release, let go; send, throw" (see mission).

lease (v.)

late 15c., "to take a lease," from Anglo-French lesser (13c.), Old French laissier "to let, let go, let out, leave" "to let, allow, permit; bequeath, leave," from Latin laxare "loosen, open, make wide," from laxus "loose" (from PIE root *sleg- "be slack, be languid"). Medial -x- in Latin tends to become -ss- or -s- in French (compare cuisse from coxa). The Latin verb also is the source of Spanish laxar; Italian lasciare "leave," lassare "loosen."

Compare release (v.). Meaning "to grant the temporary possession of at a fixed rate" is from 1560s. Related: Leased; leasing. The form has been influenced by the noun, and the modern sense of "to take a lease" might be a new 19c. formation. Lessor, lessee in contract language preserve the Anglo-French vowel.

butterfingers (n.)

also butter-fingers, "person apt to let things fall," 1837; see butter-fingered.

pretermit (v.)

1510s, "neglect to do, leave undone," from Latin praetermittere "let pass, overlook," from praeter- (see preter-) + mittere "to release, let go; send, throw" (see mission). From 1530s as "intentionally omit, leave unnoticed or unmentioned." Related: Pretermitted; pretermitting.

ludicrous (adj.)

1610s, "pertaining to play or sport" (a sense now obsolete), from Latin ludicrus "sportive" (source of Old French ludicre), from ludicrum "amusement, game, toy, source of amusement, joke," from ludere "to play."

This verb, along with Latin ludus "a game, play," is from the PIE root *leid- or *loid- "to play," perhaps literally "to let go frequently" [de Vaan], which is the source also of Middle Irish laidid "impels;" Greek lindesthai "to contend," lizei "plays;" Albanian lind "gives birth," lindet "is born;" Old Lithuanian leidmi "I let," Lithuanian leisti "to let," laidyti "to throw," Latvian laist "let, publish, set in motion."

Sense of "ridiculous, apt to evoke ridicule or jest" is attested from 1782. Related: Ludicrously; ludicrousness.

drawbridge (n.)

also draw-bridge, "bridge which may be drawn up or let down," c. 1300, drawebrigge, from draw (v.) + bridge (n.).

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