to leave off

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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Leave \Leave\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Left (l[e^]ft); p. pr. & vb. n. Leaving.] [OE. leven, AS. l?fan, fr. l[=a]f remnant, heritage; akin to lifian, libban, to live, orig., to remain; cf. bel[imac]fan to remain, G. bleiben, Goth. bileiban. [root]119. See Live, v.]

1.To withdraw one's self from; to go away from; to depart from; as, to leave the house. [1913 Webster]

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife.— Gen. ii. 24.[1913 Webster]

2.To let remain unremoved or undone; to let stay or continue, in distinction from what is removed or changed. [1913 Webster]

If grape gatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes ?— Jer. xlix. 9.[1913 Webster]
These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.— Matt. xxiii. 23.[1913 Webster]
Besides it leaveth a suspicion, as if more might be said than is expressed.— Bacon.[1913 Webster]

3.To cease from; to desist from; to abstain from. [1913 Webster]

Now leave complaining and begin your tea.— Pope.[1913 Webster]

4.To desert; to abandon; to forsake; hence, to give up; to relinquish. [1913 Webster]

Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.— Mark x. 28.[1913 Webster]
The heresies that men do leave.— Shak.[1913 Webster]

5.To let be or do without interference; as, I left him to his reflections; I leave my hearers to judge. [1913 Webster]

I will leave you now to your gossiplike humor.— Shak.[1913 Webster]

6.To put; to place; to deposit; to deliver; to commit; to submit -- with a sense of withdrawing one's self from; as, leave your hat in the hall; we left our cards; to leave the matter to arbitrators. [1913 Webster]

Leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way.— Matt. v. 24.[1913 Webster]
The foot That leaves the print of blood where'er it walks.— Shak.[1913 Webster]

7.To have remaining at death; hence, to bequeath; as, he left a large estate; he left a good name; he left a legacy to his niece. [1913 Webster]

8.to cause to be; -- followed by an adjective or adverb describing a state or condition; as, the losses due to fire leave me penniless; The cost of defending himself left Bill Clinton with a mountain of lawyers' bills. [WordNet 1.5]

To leave alone. (a) To leave in solitude. (b) To desist or refrain from having to do with; as, to leave dangerous chemicals alone.

To leave off. (a) To desist from; to forbear; to stop; as, to leave off work at six o'clock. (b) To cease wearing or using; to omit to put in the usual position; as, to leave off a garment; to leave off the tablecloth. (c) To forsake; as, to leave off a bad habit.

To leave out, to omit; as, to leave out a word or name in writing.

To leave to one's self, to let (one) be alone; to cease caring for (one).

Syn: Syn>- To quit; depart from; forsake; abandon; relinquish; deliver; bequeath; give up; forego; resign; surrender; forbear. See Quit. [1913 Webster]


Leave \Leave\, v. i.

1.To depart; to set out. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster]

By the time I left for Scotland.— Carlyle.[1913 Webster]

2.To cease; to desist; to leave off. "He . . . began at the eldest, and left at the youngest." --Gen. xliv. 12. [1913 Webster]

To leave off, to cease; to desist; to stop. [1913 Webster]

Leave off, and for another summons wait.— Roscommon.[1913 Webster]
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