Part 630

Lease"hold` (?), a. Held by lease.

Lease"hold`, n. A tenure by lease; specifically, land held as personalty under a lease for years.

Lease"hold`er (?), n. A tenant under a lease. -- Lease"hold`ing, a. & n.

Leas"er (?), n. [From 1st Lease.] One who leases or gleans. [Obs.] Swift.

Leas"er, n. A liar. [Obs.] See Leasing.

Leash (?), n. [OE. lese, lees, leece, OF. lesse, F. laisse, LL. laxa, fr. L. laxus loose. See Lax.] 1. A thong of leather, or a long cord, by which a falconer holds his hawk, or a courser his dog.

Even like a fawning greyhound in the leash.

Shak.

2. (Sporting) A brace and a half; a tierce; three; three creatures of any kind, especially greyhounds, foxes, bucks, and hares; hence, the number three in general.

kept my chamber a leash of days.

B. Jonson.

Then were I wealthier than a leash of kings.

Tennyson.

3. (Weaving) A string with a loop at the end for lifting warp threads, in a loom.

Leash, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Leashed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Leashing.] To tie together, or hold, with a leash.

Leas"ing (?), n. [AS. leásung, fr. leás loose, false, deceitful. See -less, Loose, a.] The act of lying; falsehood; a lie or lies. [Archaic] Spenser.

Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing.

Ps. v. 6.

Blessed be the lips that such a leasing told.

Fairfax.

Leasing making (Scots Law), the uttering of lies or libels upon the personal character of the sovereign, his court, or his family. Bp. Burnet.

Lea"sow (?), n. [AS. lesu, læsu.] A pasture. [Obs.]

Least (lst), a. [OE. last, lest, AS. lsast, lsest, superl. of lssa less. See Less, a.] [Used as the superlative of little.] Smallest, either in size or degree; shortest; lowest; most unimportant; as, the least insect; the least mercy; the least space.

Least is often used with the, as if a noun.

I am the least of the apostles.

1 Cor. xv. 9.

At least, or At the least, at the least estimate, consideration, chance, etc.; hence, at any rate; at all events; even. See However.

He who tempts, though in vain, at least asperses The tempted with dishonor.