Etimology
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 let, leave behind”).
verb
let (third-person singular simple present lets, present participle letting, simple past let or (obsolete) leet, past participle let or (obsolete) letten)
(transitive) To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to).
(transitive) To allow to be or do without interference; to not disturb or meddle with; to leave (someone or something) alone.
(transitive) To allow the release of (a fluid).
(transitive) To allow possession of (a property etc.) in exchange for rent.
(transitive) To give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or contract; often with out.
(auxiliary, transitive) Used to introduce a first or third person imperative verb construction.
(transitive, obsolete except with know) To cause (+ bare infinitive).
Examples
After he knocked for hours, I decided to let him come in.
Pharaoh said, I will let you go.
If your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is […]
He could not be let die of thirst there alone in the dark.
The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about […], or offering services that let you "stay up to date with what your friends are doing", […] and so on. But the real way to build a successful online business is to be better than your rivals at undermining people's control of their own attention.
Let me be!
Yet neither spinnes nor cardes, ne cares nor frets, / But to her mother Nature all her care she lets.
The physicians let about a pint of his blood, but to no avail.
I decided to let the farmhouse to a couple while I was working abroad.
Trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let, fifty cents.
to let the building of a bridge; to let out the lathing and the plastering
Let's put on a show!
Let us have a moment of silence.
Let me just give you the phone number.
Let P be the point where AB and OX intersect.
Can you let me know what time you'll be arriving?
Soo within a whyle kynge Pellinore cam with a grete hoost / and salewed the peple and the kyng / and ther was grete ioye made on euery syde / Thenne the kyng lete serche how moche people of his party ther was slayne / And ther were founde but lytel past two honderd men slayne and viij knyȝtes of the table round in their pauelions
Time's sea hath been five years at its slow ebb, / Long hours have to and fro let creep the sand […].
Related words
synonyms
(to allow): allow, permit
noun
let (plural lets)
The allowing of possession of a property etc. in exchange for rent.
Examples
Then he says “You would call it a Good Let, Madam?”“O certainly a Good Let sir.”
Etimology
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)
(archaic) To hinder, prevent, impede, hamper, cumber; to obstruct (someone or something).
(obsolete) To prevent someone from doing something; also to prevent something from happening.
(obsolete) To tarry or delay.
Examples
He who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
Sir King, mine ancient wound is hardly whole, / And lets me from the saddle; […]
& there was syr Mordred redy awaytynge vpon his londage to lette his owne fader to lāde vp the lande that he was kyng ouer."And there was Sir Mordred ready awaiting upon his landing, to let his own father to land upon the land that he was king over."
And as they went on their waye, they cam unto a certayne water, and the gelded man sayde: Se here is water, what shall lett me to be baptised?
And for that strake I would not let, / Another upon him soon I set, […]
noun
let (plural lets)
An obstacle or hindrance.
(tennis) The hindrance caused by the net during serve, only if the ball falls legally.
Examples
[E]ver conſider vvhether our doings be to the let of our ſalvation or not.The spelling has been modernized.
The spelling has been modernized.
And Cadmus saw his campanie make tarience in that sort / He marveld what should be their let, and went to seeke them out.
Paulus Emilius going to the glorious expedition of Macedon, advertised the people of Rome during his absence not to speake of his actions: For the licence of judgements is an especiall let in great affaires.