. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
you have here. The definition of the word
will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Pronunciation
Verb
leave (third-person singular simple present leaves , present participle leaving , simple past and past participle left )
( heading, transitive ) To have a consequence or remnant.
To cause or allow (something) to remain as available ; to refrain from taking (something) away; to stop short of consuming or otherwise depleting (something) entirely.
I left my car at home and took a bus to work. The ants did not leave so much as a crumb of bread. There's not much food left . We'd better go to the shops.
To cause, to result in.
The lightning left her dazzled for several minutes. Infantile paralysis left him lame for the rest of his life.
( transitive ) To put; to place; to deposit; to deliver, with a sense of withdrawing oneself.
Leave your hat in the hall. We should leave the legal matters to lawyers. I left my sewing and went to the window to watch the falling snow.
Bible, Matthew v. 24
Leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way.
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The foot / That leaves the print of blood where'er it walks.
( heading ) To depart; to separate from.
To let be or do without interference.
I left him to his reflections. I leave my hearers to judge.
( transitive ) To depart from; to end one's connection or affiliation with.
I left the country and I left my wife.
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( transitive ) To end one's membership in (a group); to terminate one's affiliation with (an organization); to stop participating in (a project).
23 june 2018, The Independent, Brexit: Theresa May 'not bluffing' in threat to leave EU without a deal, Tory minister Liam Fox says
If we were to leave , the economic impact on a number of European countries would be severe.
I left the band.
( intransitive ) To depart; to go away from a certain place or state.
I think you'd better leave .
( heading ) To transfer something.
( transitive ) To transfer possession of after death.
When my father died, he left me the house.
( transitive ) To give (something) to someone; to deliver (something) to a repository; to deposit .
I'll leave the car in the station so you can pick it up there.
( transitive ) To transfer responsibility or attention of (something) (to someone); to stop being concerned with.
Can't we just leave this to the experts?
( intransitive , obsolete ) To remain (behind); to stay .
:
And whanne sire launcelot sawe them fare soo / he gat a spere in his hand / and there encountred with hym al attones syr bors sir Ector and sire Lyonel / and alle they thre smote hym atte ones with their speres / / and by mysfortune sir bors smote syre launcelot thurgh the shelde in to the syde / and the spere brake / and the hede lefte stylle in his syde
1910 , Emerson Hough , chapter II, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise , Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company , →OCLC :Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers, [ …] . Even such a boat as the Mount Vernon offered a total deck space so cramped as to leave secrecy or privacy well out of the question, even had the motley and democratic assemblage of passengers been disposed to accord either.
( transitive , archaic ) To stop , desist from; to "leave off " (+ noun / gerund).
1526 , William Tyndale , trans. Bible , Luke V:
When he had leeft speakynge, he sayde vnto Simon: Cary vs into the depe, and lett slippe thy nette to make a draught.
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Now leave complaining and begin your tea.
Etymology
From Middle English leven , from Old English lǣfan ( “ to leave ” ) , from Proto-Germanic *laibijaną ( “ to let stay, leave ” ) , causative of Proto-Germanic *lībaną ( “ to stay, remain ” ) , from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- ( “ to stick, fat ” ) . Cognate with Old Frisian lēva ( “ to leave ” ) , Old Saxon lēvian , Old High German leiban ( “ to leave ” ) , Old Norse leifa ( “ leave over ” ) (whence Icelandic leifa ( “ to leave food uneaten ” ) ), lifna ( “ to be left ” ) (whence Danish levne ). More at lave , belive .
Synonyms
Derived terms
( Terms derived from leave (verb) ) :
Translations
To cause to remain as available, not take away, refrain from depleting
Albanian: lëshoj (sq)
American Sign Language: 5@SideChesthigh-PalmAcross-5@SideChesthigh-PalmAcross 5@SideTrunkhigh-5@SideTrunkhigh
Arabic: تَرَكَ (ar) ( taraka )
Armenian: թողնել (hy) ( tʻoġnel )
Aromanian: alas , las
Assamese: এৰা ( era )
Asturian: dexar (ast)
Bashkir: ҡалдырыу ( qaldırıw )
Belarusian: пакіда́ць impf ( pakidácʹ ) , пакі́нуць pf ( pakínucʹ )
Bulgarian: оста́вям (bg) impf ( ostávjam ) , оста́вя (bg) pf ( ostávja )
Catalan: deixar (ca)
Chinese:
Cantonese: 留 ( lau4 )
Mandarin: 留 (zh) ( liú )
Czech: nechat (cs)
Danish: efterlade
Dutch: achterlaten (nl) , laten (nl) ( staan, zijn, etc. )
Esperanto: lasi (eo)
Finnish: jättää (fi)
French: laisser (fr)
Friulian: lassâ
Galician: deixar (gl)
Georgian: please add this translation if you can
German: lassen (de) , zurücklassen (de)
Alemannic German: laa
Greek: αφήνω (el) ( afíno )
Hebrew: השאיר ( hish'ír )
Hindi: छोड़ना (hi) ( choṛnā )
Indonesian: meninggalkan (id)
Irish: fág
Istriot: lassà
Italian: lasciare (it) , dimenticare (it)
Japanese: 残す (ja) ( のこす, nokosu ) , 放置する (ja) ( ほうちする, hōchi suru )
Korean: 떠나다 (ko) ( tteonada ) , 나가다 (ko) ( nagada ) , 방치하다 (ko) ( bangchihada )
Kurdish:
Sorani: بهجێی بێڵه ( becêy bêlle )
(deprecated template usage ) {{trans-mid }}
Ladin: lascer
Lao: please add this translation if you can
Latin: desero (la)
Latvian: atstāt (lv)
Macedonian: остава impf ( ostava ) , остави pf ( ostavi )
Neapolitan: lascià , lassà
Norman: laîssi
Norwegian: etterlate
Occitan: daissar (oc)
Old English: lǣtan
Polish: zostawiać (pl) impf , zostawić (pl) pf
Portuguese: deixar (pt)
Quechua: saqiy , sagii , hagii
Romanian: lăsa (ro)
Romansch: laschar , schar , lascher
Russian: оставля́ть (ru) impf ( ostavljátʹ ) , оста́вить (ru) pf ( ostávitʹ ) , покида́ть (ru) impf ( pokidátʹ ) , поки́нуть (ru) pf ( pokínutʹ )
Sardinian: lassare , lassai
Scottish Gaelic: fàg
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: остављати impf , оставити pf
Roman: ostavljati (sh) impf , ostaviti (sh) pf
Sicilian: lassari (scn)
Slovak: nechávať impf , nechať pf
Slovene: pustiti (sl)
Spanish: dejar (es)
Swahili: toka (sw)
Swedish: lämna (sv) (kvar (sv) )
Tagalog: matira
Thai: เหลือ (th) ( lʉ̌ʉa )
Turkish: please add this translation if you can
Ukrainian: покида́ти impf ( pokydáty ) , поки́нути pf ( pokýnuty ) , залишати ( zalyšaty ) , залиша́ти impf ( zalyšáty ) , залиши́ти pf ( zalyšýty )
Urdu: چھوڑنا ( choṛnā )
Venetian: lasar (vec)
Vietnamese: rời (vi)
Welsh: gadael (cy)
To transfer possession after death
To give (something) to someone; to deliver (something) to a repository; to deposit
To transfer responsibility or attention
To depart from, end one's connection or affiliation with
Afrikaans: verlaat (af)
American Sign Language: OpenB@CenterChesthigh-PalmDown-OpenB@DistalSideChesthigh-PalmDown A@NearSideCheshigh-PalmAcross-A@CenterChesthigh-PalmAside , FlatB@CenterTrunkhigh-PalmUp-FlatB@CenterChesthigh-PalmDown Contact FlatB@SideNeckhigh-PalmUp-FlatB@CenterChesthigh-PalmDown
Arabic: تَرَكَ (ar) ( taraka ) , غَادَرَ ( ḡādara )
Armenian: լքել (hy) ( lkʻel ) , թողնել (hy) ( tʻoġnel )
Asturian: marchar , colar
Atikamekw: matcaw
Bashkir: китеү ( kitew )
Bulgarian: изоста́вям (bg) impf ( izostávjam ) , изоста́вя (bg) pf ( izostávja ) ; напу́скам (bg) impf ( napúskam ) , напу́сна pf ( napúsna )
Catalan: deixar (ca)
Cherokee: ᎠᏓᏅᏍᏗ ( adanvsdi )
Chinese:
Mandarin: 離開 / 离开 (zh) ( líkāi ) , 离开 (zh) ( líkāi )
Czech: opustit (cs)
Danish: forlade (da)
Dutch: verlaten (nl) , achterlaten (nl)
Esperanto: ekiri
Finnish: jättää (fi)
French: quitter (fr)
Friulian: partî
Georgian: ტოვებს ( ṭovebs )
German: verlassen (de)
Alemannic German: verlaa
Greek: αφήνω (el) ( afíno )
Ancient Greek: λείπω ( leípō )
Hebrew: עזב ( azav )
Ido: departar (io)
Interlingua: abandonar (ia)
Irish: fág
Italian: partire (it)
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Japanese: 引き離す ( hiki-hanasu ) ( transitive ) , 引き離れる ( hiki-hanareru ) ( intransitive )
Khmer: ចាកចេញ ( caak cəɲ ) , ចចេញ ( cɑcəɲ )
Kurdish:
Sorani: به جێ هێشتن ( be cê hêştin )
Ladin: partir
Lao: ຈາກ ( chāk ) , ປະ ( pa )
Latin: discedo (la) , descisco
Lithuanian: palikti (lt)
Maori: maiki
Nahuatl: itopanecauiloc
Norman: tchitter
Norwegian: forlate (no)
Old English: forlǣtan
Persian: رفتن (fa) ( raftan )
Polish: opuszczać (pl) impf , opuścić (pl) pf
Portuguese: partir (pt) , sair (pt)
Quechua: ripuy
Romanian: pleca (ro)
Russian: оставля́ть (ru) impf ( ostavljátʹ ) , оста́вить (ru) pf ( ostávitʹ ) , покида́ть (ru) impf ( pokidátʹ ) , поки́нуть (ru) pf ( pokínutʹ ) , броса́ть (ru) impf ( brosátʹ ) , бро́сить (ru) impf ( brósitʹ )
Scottish Gaelic: fàg
Slovene: zapustiti (sl)
Spanish: salir de , dejar (es)
Swahili: toka (sw)
Swedish: lämna (sv)
Thai: please add this translation if you can
Tibetan: འགྲོ་བ ( 'gro ba ) , ཐོན ( thon ) , ཆས་པ ( chas pa )
Venetian: ndar (vec) , ndar vìa , ndar via
Vietnamese: bỏ (vi)
Welsh: gadael (cy)
To end one's membership in
To depart (intransitive)
Afrikaans: gaan vertrek
American Sign Language: OpenB@CenterChesthigh-PalmDown-OpenB@DistalSideChesthigh-PalmDown A@NearSideCheshigh-PalmAcross-A@CenterChesthigh-PalmAside
Arabic: تَرَكَ (ar) ( taraka ) , غَادَرَ ( ḡādara )
Egyptian Arabic: مشى ( mashaa )
Armenian: հեռանալ (hy) ( heṙanal ) , գնալ (hy) ( gnal ) , մեկնել (hy) ( meknel )
Aromanian: plec
Asturian: marchar
Bashkir: китеү ( kitew )
Bulgarian: тръгвам (bg) impf ( trǎgvam ) , тръгна (bg) pf ( trǎgna ) ; замина́вам (bg) impf ( zaminávam ) , зами́на pf ( zamína )
Catalan: sortir (ca) , partir (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 離開 / 离开 (zh) ( líkāi ) , 离开 (zh) ( líkāi )
Chuukese: feino
Danish: gå (da)
Dutch: weggaan (nl) , vertrekken (nl)
Esperanto: foriri (eo)
Estonian: lahkuma
Faroese: fara avstað
Finnish: lähteä (fi)
French: partir (fr)
Friulian: partî
Georgian: please add this translation if you can
German: gehen (de) , weggehen (de)
Greek: φεύγω (el) ( févgo )
Ancient Greek: λείπω ( leípō )
Hebrew: עזב ( azáv )
Hungarian: indul (hu) , elindul (hu) , elutazik (hu)
Icelandic: fara (is)
Ido: livar (io)
Indonesian: berangkat (id)
Irish: fág , imigh
Italian: partire (it)
Japanese: 出発する (ja) ( しゅっぱつする, shuppatsu-suru ) , 去る (ja) ( さる, saru )
(deprecated template usage ) {{trans-mid }}
Khmer: ចេញ (km) ( cəɲ )
Kilivila: -la-
Korean: 떠나다 (ko) ( tteonada )
Lao: ຈາກ ( chāk )
Latin: exeō (la) , abeo (la) , abambulo , decedo , discedo (la) , proficiscor , egredior , descisco
Maori: ngawīi , wehe atu , haere atu
Nahuatl: itopanecauiloc
Ngazidja Comorian: uroha
Norwegian: forlate (no)
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Occitan: partir (oc)
Old English: fēran
Old Saxon: farlēƀian
Persian: رفتن (fa) ( raftan )
Polish: odchodzić (pl) impf , odejść (pl) pf
Portuguese: partir (pt) , ir embora (pt)
Quechua: yarquy
Romanian: pleca (ro)
Romansch: partir , parteir
Russian: уходи́ть (ru) impf ( uxodítʹ ) , уйти́ (ru) ( ujtí ) , уезжа́ть (ru) impf ( ujezžátʹ ) , уе́хать (ru) pf ( ujéxatʹ )
Scottish Gaelic: fàg , falbh
Slovene: oditi (sl)
Spanish: partir (es) , irse (es) , salir (es)
Swahili: kuondoka
Swedish: åka (sv) , avresa (sv)
Tagalog: umalís
Telugu: వెళ్ళిపో ( veḷḷipō )
Thai: จาก (th) ( jàak )
Turkish: çıkmak (tr)
Venetian: caminar (vec) , caminare , ndar via , ndar vìa
Vietnamese: rời khỏi
Welsh: gadael (cy)
Translations to be checked: "be left over, remain"
Noun
leave (plural leaves )
( cricket ) The action of the batsman not attempting to play at the ball.
( billiards ) The arrangement of balls in play that remains after a shot is made (which determines whether the next shooter — who may be either the same player, or an opponent — has good options, or only poor ones).
1890 February 27, "Slosson's Close Shave" , in The New York Times :
Having counted 38 points he tried a beautiful massé out of the corner, hit the first ball just a trifle too hard and kissed his own ball off just when victory seemed to be his. The leave was unfortunate for Ives. Slosson played brilliantly and ran the game out, a close winner, with 22 points.
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium .)
Noun
leave (uncountable )
Permission to be absent; time away from one's work .
I've been given three weeks' leave by my boss.
( dated or law ) Permission .
Might I beg leave to accompany you?
The applicant now seeks leave to appeal and, if leave be granted, to appeal against these sentences.
( dated ) Farewell, departure .
I took my leave of the gentleman without a backward glance.
Etymology
From Middle English leve , from Old English lēaf ( “ permission, privilege ” ) , from Proto-Germanic *laubō , *laubą ( “ permission, privilege, favour, worth ” ) , from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- ( “ to love, hold dear ” ) . Cognate with obsolete German Laube ( “ permission ” ) , Swedish lov ( “ permission ” ) , Icelandic leyfi ( “ permission ” ) . Related to Dutch verlof , German Erlaubnis . See also love .
Derived terms
( Terms derived from the noun leave ) :
Translations
Verb
leave (third-person singular simple present leaves , present participle leaving , simple past and past participle leaved )
( transitive ) To give leave to; allow ; permit ; let ; grant .
Etymology
From Middle English leven , from Old English līefan ( “ to allow, grant, concede; believe, trust, confide in ” ) , from Proto-Germanic *laubijaną ( “ to allow, praise ” ) , from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- ( “ to love, hold dear ” ) . Cognate with German lauben ( “ to allow, believe ” ) , Icelandic leyfa ( “ to allow ” ) .
Verb
leave (third-person singular simple present leaves , present participle leaving , simple past and past participle left )
( intransitive , rare ) To produce leaves or foliage .[ 1]
1868 , Edward Fitzgerald , The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám , 2nd edition:
Each Morn a thousand Roses brings, you say:
Yes, but where leaves the Rose of Yesterday?
Etymology
From Middle English leven , from lef ( “ leaf ” ) . More at leaf .
Synonyms
Verb
leave (third-person singular simple present leaves , present participle leaving , simple past and past participle leaved )
( obsolete ) To raise ; to levy .
Spenser
An army strong she leaved .
Etymology
See levy .
This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term. So what is the actual etymology?
References
^ Oxford English Dictionary , 2nd ed.
“Rua/leave ”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co. , 1911 , →OCLC .
“Rua/leave ”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary , Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam , 1913 , →OCLC .
Anagrams