Let, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Let (Letted [Obs].); p. pr. & vb. n. Letting.]
 1. To leave; to relinquish; to abandon. [Obs. or Archaic, except when followed by alone or be.]
    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. To consider; to think; to esteem. [Obs.]
 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. To permit; to allow; to suffer; -- either affirmatively, by positive act, or negatively, by neglecting to restrain or prevent.
 Note: ☞ In this sense, when followed by an infinitive, the latter is commonly without the sign to; as to let us walk, i. e., to permit or suffer us to walk. Sometimes there is entire omission of the verb; as, to let [to be or to go] loose.
    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. 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. 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.
 Note: ☞ The active form of the infinitive of let, as of many other English verbs, is often used in a passive sense; as, a house to let (i. e., for letting, or to be let). This form of expression conforms to the use of the Anglo-Saxon gerund with to (dative infinitive) which was commonly so employed. See Gerund, 2. “ Your elegant house in Harley Street is to let.” --Thackeray.
   In the imperative mood, before the first person plural, let has a hortative force. “ Rise up, let us go.” --Mark xiv. 42. “ Let us seek out some desolate shade.” --Shak.
 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. (a) To lower. (b) To soften in tempering; as, to let down tools, cutlery, and the like.
 To let fly or To let drive, to discharge with violence, as a blow, an arrow, or stone. See under Drive, and Fly.
 To let in or To let into. (a) To permit or suffer to enter; to admit. (b) To insert, or imbed, as a piece of wood, in a recess formed in a surface for the purpose.
 To let loose, to remove restraint from; to permit to wander at large.
 To let off. (a) To discharge; to let fly, as an arrow; to fire the charge of, as a gun. (b) To release, as from an engagement or obligation. [Colloq.]
 To let out. (a) To allow to go forth; as, to let out a prisoner. (b) To extend or loosen, as the folds of a garment; to enlarge; to suffer to run out, as a cord. (c) To lease; to give out for performance by contract, as a job. (d) To divulge.
 To let slide, to let go; to cease to care for. [Colloq.] “ Let the world slide.” --Shak.


 A·lone a.
 1. Quite by one's self; apart from, or exclusive of, others; single; solitary; -- applied to a person or thing.
    Alone on a wide, wide sea.   --Coleridge.
    It is not good that the man should be alone.   --Gen. ii. 18.
 2. Of or by itself; by themselves; without any thing more or any one else; without a sharer; only.
    Man shall not live by bread alone.   --Luke iv. 4.
    The citizens alone should be at the expense.   --Franklin.
 3. Sole; only; exclusive. [R.]
    God, by whose alone power and conversation we all live, and move, and have our being.   --Bentley.
 4. Hence; Unique; rare; matchless.
 Note: ☞ The adjective alone commonly follows its noun.
 To let alone or  To leave alone, to abstain from interfering with or molesting; to suffer to remain in its present state.