Part 654

-less (-ls). [AS. leás loose, false; akin to OS. ls loose, false, D. los loose, loos false, sly, G. los loose, Icel. lauss loose, vacant, Goth. laus empty, vain, and also to E. loose, lose. √127. See Lose, and cf. Loose, Leasing.] A privative adjective suffix, denoting without, destitute of, not having; as witless, childless, fatherless.

Less (ls), conj. Unless. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Less, a. [OE. lesse, AS. lssa; akin to OFries. lssa; a compar. from a lost positive form. Cf. Lesser, Lest, Least. Less has the sense of the comparative degree of little.] Smaller; not so large or great; not so much; shorter; inferior; as, a less quantity or number; a horse of less size or value; in less time than before.

The substantive which less qualifies is often omitted; as, the purse contained less (money) than ten dollars. See Less, n.

Thus in less than a hundred years from the coming of Augustine, all England became Christian.

E. A. Freeman.

Less, adv. [AS. ls. See Less, adj., and cf. Lest.] Not so much; in a smaller or lower degree; as, less bright or loud; less beautiful.

Less, n. 1. A smaller portion or quantity.

The children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.

Ex. xvi. 17.

2. The inferior, younger, or smaller.

The less is blessed of the better.

Heb. vii. 7.

Less, v. t. To make less; to lessen. [Obs.] Gower.

Les*see" (ls*s"), n. [F. laissé, p. p. of laisser. See Lease, v. t.] (Law) The person to whom a lease is given, or who takes an estate by lease. Blackstone.

Less"en (ls"'n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Lessened (-'nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Lessening.] [From Less, a.] To make less; to reduce; to make smaller, or fewer; to diminish; to lower; to degrade; as, to lessen a kingdom, or a population; to lessen speed, rank, fortune.

Charity . . . shall lessen his punishment.

Calamy.

St. Paul chose to magnify his office when ill men conspired to lessen it.

Atterbury.

Syn. -- To diminish; reduce; abate; decrease; lower; impair; weaken; degrade.

Less"en, v. i. To become less; to shrink; to contract; to decrease; to be diminished; as, the apparent magnitude of objects lessens as we recede from them; his care, or his wealth, lessened.

The objection lessens much, and comes to no more than this: there was one witness of no good reputation.

Atterbury.

Less"en*er (-r), n. One who, or that which, lessens.

His wife . . . is the lessener of his pain, and the augmenter of his pleasure.

J. Rogers (1839).

Less"er (-r), a. [This word is formed by adding anew the compar. suffix -er (in which r is from an original s) to less. See Less, a.] Less; smaller; inferior.