Part 6479

<h1>Letheed</h1> <Xpage=845>

<hw>Le"theed</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Caused by Lethe.</def> " <i>Letheed</i> dullness." <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Shak.</i>

<h1>Letheon</h1> <Xpage=845>

<hw>Le"the*on</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[NL., fr. Gr. <?/.]</ety> <fld>(Med.)</fld> <def>Sulphuric ether used as an an\'91sthetic agent.</def> <mark>[R.]</mark>

<h1>Letheonize</h1> <Xpage=845>

<hw>Le"the*on*ize</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <def>To subject to the influence of letheon.</def> <mark>[R. or Obs.]</mark>

<h1>Lethiferous</h1> <Xpage=845>

<hw>Le*thif"er*ous</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>lethifer</ets>, <ets>letifer</ets>, fr. <ets>lethum</ets>, <ets>letum</ets>, death + <ets>ferre</ets> to bear, to bring: cf. F. <ets>l\'82thif\'8are</ets>.]</ety> <def>Deadly; bringing death or destruction.</def>

<h1>Lethy</h1> <Xpage=845>

<hw>Le"thy</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Lethean.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Marston.</i>

<h1>Let-off</h1> <Xpage=845>

<hw>Let"-off`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <fld>(Mach.)</fld> <def>A device for letting off, releasing, or giving forth, as the warp from the cylinder of a loom.</def>

<h1>Lette</h1> <Xpage=845>

<hw>Let"te</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Letted</er>.]</wordforms> <def>To let; to hinder. See <er>Let</er>, to hinder.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Chaucer.</i>

<h1>Letter</h1> <Xpage=845>

<hw>Let"ter</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[From <er>Let</er> to permit.]</ety> <def>One who lets or permits; one who lets anything for hire.</def>

<h1>Letter</h1> <Xpage=845>

<hw>Let"ter</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[From <er>Let</er> to hinder.]</ety> <def>One who retards or hinders.</def> <mark>[Archaic.]</mark>

<h1>Letter</h1> <Xpage=845>

<hw>Let"ter</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OE. <ets>lettre</ets>, F. <ets>lettre</ets>, OF. <ets>letre</ets>, fr. L.<ets>littera</ets>, <ets>litera</ets>, a letter; pl., an epistle, a writing, literature, fr. <ets>linere</ets>, <ets>litum</ets>, to besmear, to spread or rub over; because one of the earliest modes of writing was by graving the characters upon tablets smeared over or covered with wax. <i>Pliny, xiii. 11</i>. See <er>Leniment</er>, and cf. <er>Literal</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>A mark or character used as the representative of a sound, or of an articulation of the human organs of speech; a first element of written language.</def>

<blockquote>And a superscription also was written over him in <b>letters</b> of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew. <i>Luke xxiii. 38.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>A written or printed communication; a message expressed in intelligible characters on something adapted to conveyance, as paper, parchment, etc.; an epistle.</def>

<blockquote>The style of <b>letters</b> ought to be free, easy, and natural. <i>Walsh.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>A writing; an inscription.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<blockquote>None could expound what this <b>letter</b> meant. <i>Chaucer.</i></blockquote>