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by your leave. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
by your leave, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
by your leave in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
by your leave you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Prepositional phrase
by your leave
- With your permission.
c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 40, column 2:Miſtris Ford, by my troth you are very wel met: / by your leaue good Miſtris.
1983, Tamora Pierce, Alanna: The First Adventure:She leaned over and picked up Lightning. "By your leave, your Grace."
Noun
by your leave (plural by your leaves)
- Request for permission.
- 1897, Shanghai Mercury, Shanghai by Night and Day: Illustrated by 23 Reproductions from Photographs. Vol. I.
- The natives have gathered on the top of every grave mound near by and though many resent the riding over their fields without a so much as a 'By your leave'
- 1946, Konstantin Trenev, In a Cossack Village, and Other Stories
- He picked flowers without so much as a 'by your leave.'
1979, Monty Python's Life of Brian, spoken by Ex-Leper (Michael Palin):One minute I'm a leper with a trade, next minute my livelihood's gone. Not so much as a by-your-leave!
- 1986, Judith A. Jance, Trial by Fury
- 'To a place you've broken into without so much as a by-your-leave, to say nothing of a search warrant?'
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