Leave \Leave\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Left; p. pr. & vb. n.
Leaving.]
[OE. leven, AS. l?fan, fr. l[=a]f remnant,
heritage; akin to lifian, libban, to live, orig., to remain;
cf. bel[=i]fan to remain, G. bleiben, Goth. bileiban. ?. See
Live, v.]
1. To withdraw one's self from; to go away from; to depart
from; as, to leave the house.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his
mother, and shall cleave unto his wife. --Gen. ii.
24.
2. To let remain unremoved or undone; to let stay or
continue, in distinction from what is removed or changed.
If grape gatherers come to thee, would they not
leave some gleaning grapes ? --Jer. xlix.
9.
These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the
other undone. --Matt. xxiii.
23.
Besides it leaveth a suspicion, as if more might be
said than is expressed. --Bacon.
3. To cease from; to desist from; to abstain from.
Now leave complaining and begin your tea. --Pope.
4. To desert; to abandon; to forsake; hence, to give up; to
relinquish.
Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. --Mark
x. 28.
The heresies that men do leave. --Shak.
5. To let be or do without interference; as, I left him to
his reflections; I leave my hearers to judge.
I will leave you now to your gossiplike humor.
--Shak.
6. To put; to place; to deposit; to deliver; to commit; to
submit -- with a sense of withdrawing one's self from; as,
leave your hat in the hall; we left our cards; to leave
the matter to arbitrators.
Leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy
way. --Matt. v. 24.
The foot That leaves the print of blood where'er it
walks. --Shak.
7. To have remaining at death; hence, to bequeath; as, he
left a large estate; he left a good name; he left a legacy
to his niece.
To leave alone.
(a) To leave in solitude.
(b) To desist or refrain from having to do with; as, to
leave dangerous chemicals alone.
To leave off.
(a) To desist from; to forbear; to stop; as, to leave off
work at six o'clock.
(b) To cease wearing or using; to omit to put in the usual
position; as, to leave off a garment; to leave off the
tablecloth.
(c) To forsake; as, to leave off a bad habit.
To leave out, to omit; as, to leave out a word or name in
writing.
To leave to one's self, to let (one) be alone; to cease
caring for (one).
Syn: Syn>- To quit; depart from; forsake; abandon;
relinquish; deliver; bequeath; give up; forego; resign;
surrender; forbear. See Quit.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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