/liːz/
OriginFrom Middle English lesen, from Old English *lēosan (only attested in compounds: belēosan, forlēosan, etc.), from Proto-Germanic *leusaną (“to lose”), from Proto-Indo-European *lews- (“to cut; sever; separate; loosen; lose”).
- obsoleteTo lose.
“But flowers distill'd though they with winter meet,
Leese but their show; their substance still lives sweet.”
“They would rather leese their friend than their jest.”
“Yet better leave off with a little losse,
Then by much wrestling to leese the grosse”
- obsoleteTo release, set free.
- obsoleteTo loosen, unfasten.
- obsolete, transitiveTo hurt.
Formsleeses(present, singular, third-person) · leesing(participle, present) · lore(past) · leesed(past) · lorn(participle, past) · leesed(participle, past) · Leeses(plural)