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Entry 11 senses · 4 variants Webster, 1913

Let

/(lĕt)/ · IPA /lɛt/
01 v. t. To retard; to hinder; to impede; to oppose.
  1. 1.
    To retard; to hinder; to impede; to oppose.[Archaic]
    “He was so strong that no man might him let.” — Chaucer.
    “He who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” — 2. Thess. ii. 7.
    “Mine ancient wound is hardly whole, And lets me from the saddle.” — Tennyson.
02 n. A retarding; hindrance; obstacle; impediment; delay; -- common in the phrase without let or hindrance, but elsewhere archaic.
  1. 1.
    A retarding; hindrance; obstacle; impediment; delay; -- common in the phrase without let or hindrance, but elsewhere archaic.
    “Consider whether your doings be to the let of your salvation or not.” — Latimer.
  2. 2.
    A stroke in which a ball touches the top of the net in passing over.(Lawn Tennis)
03 v. t. To leave; to relinquish; to abandon.
imp. & p. p. Let; p. pr. & vb. n. Letting
  1. 1.
    To leave; to relinquish; to abandon.[Obs]
    “He . . . prayed him his voyage for to let.” — Chaucer.
    “Yet neither spins nor cards, ne cares nor frets, But to her mother Nature all her care she lets.” — Spenser.
    “Let me alone in choosing of my wife.” — Chaucer.
  2. 2.
    To consider; to think; to esteem.[Obs.]
  3. 3.
    To cause; to make; -- used with the infinitive in the active form but in the passive sense; as, let make, i. e., cause to be made; let bring, i. e., cause to be brought.[Obs.]
    “This irous, cursed wretch Let this knight's son anon before him fetch.” — Chaucer.
    “He . . . thus let do slay hem all three.” — Chaucer.
    “Anon he let two coffers make.” — Gower.
  4. 4.
    To permit; to allow; to suffer; -- either affirmatively, by positive act, or negatively, by neglecting to restrain or prevent.
    “Pharaoh said, I will let you go.” — Ex. viii. 28.
    “If your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is.” — Shak.
  5. 5.
    To allow to be used or occupied for a compensation; to lease; to rent; to hire out; -- often with out; as, to let a farm; to let a house; to let out horses.
  6. 6.
    To give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or contract; -- often with out; as, to let the building of a bridge; to let out the lathing and the plastering.
Phrases & compounds
To let alone — to leave; to withdraw from; to refrain from interfering with.
To let blood — to cause blood to flow; to bleed.
To let down — To lower.
To let fly — to discharge with violence, as a blow, an arrow, or stone. See under Drive, and Fly.
To let in — To permit or suffer to enter; to admit.
To let loose — to remove restraint from; to permit to wander at large.
To let off — To discharge; to let fly, as an arrow; to fire the charge of, as a gun.
To let out — To allow to go forth; as, to let out a prisoner.
To let slide — to let go; to cease to care for.
04 v. i. To forbear.
  1. 1.
    To forbear.[Obs.]
  2. 2.
    To be let or leased; as, the farm lets for $500 a year. See note under Let, v. t. See: Let
Phrases & compounds
To let on — to tell; to tattle; to divulge something.
To let up — to become less severe; to diminish; to cease; as, when the storm lets up.