1.
2.
3.
1.
[syn: less, to a lesser extent]
2. comparative of little;
- Example: "she walks less than she should"
- Example: "he works less these days"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Less \Less\, v. t.
To make less; to lessen. [Obs.] --Gower.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Less \Less\ (l[e^]s), conj.
Unless. [Obs.] --B. Jonson.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Less \Less\, a. [OE. lesse, AS. l[=ae]ssa; akin to OFries.
l[=e]ssa; 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.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The substantive which less qualifies is often omitted;
as, the purse contained less (money) than ten dollars.
See Less, n.
[1913 Webster]
Thus in less [time] than a hundred years from the
coming of Augustine, all England became
Christian. --E. A.
Freeman.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Less \Less\, adv. [AS. l[=ae]s. See Less, adj., and cf.
Lest.]
Not so much; in a smaller or lower degree; as, less bright or
loud; less beautiful.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Less \Less\, n.
1. A smaller portion or quantity.
[1913 Webster]
The children of Israel did so, and gathered, some
more, some less. --Ex. xvi. 17.
[1913 Webster]
2. The inferior, younger, or smaller.
[1913 Webster]
The less is blessed of the better. --Heb. vii. 7.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
-less \-less\ (-l[e^]s) suff. [AS. le['a]s loose, false; akin to
OS. l[=o]s 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. [root]127. See Lose, and cf.
Loose, Leasing.]
A privative adjective suffix, denoting without, destitute of,
not having; as witless, childless, fatherless.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
less
adv 1: used to form the comparative of some adjectives and
adverbs; "less interesting"; "less expensive"; "less
quickly" [syn: less, to a lesser extent] [ant:
more, to a greater extent]
2: comparative of little; "she walks less than she should"; "he
works less these days" [ant: more]
adj 1: (comparative of `little' usually used with mass nouns) a
quantifier meaning not as great in amount or degree; "of
less importance"; "less time to spend with the family";
"a shower uses less water"; "less than three years old"
[ant: more than, more(a)]
2: (usually preceded by `no') lower in quality; "no less than
perfect"
3: (nonstandard in some uses but often idiomatic with measure
phrases) fewer; "less than three weeks"; "no less than 50
people attended"; "in 25 words or less"