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Webster 1913 Edition

Left

Left

(lĕft)
,
imp.
&
p.
p.
of
Leave
.

Left

,
Adj.
[OE.
left
,
lift
,
luft
; akin to Fries.
leeft
, OD.
lucht
,
luft
; cf. AS.
left
(equiv. to L.
inanis
),
lyftādl
palsy; or cf. AS.
lēf
weak.]
1.
Of or pertaining to that side of the body in man on which the muscular action of the limbs is usually weaker than on the other side; – opposed to
right
, when used in reference to a part of the body;
as, the
left
hand, or arm; the
left
ear
. Also said of the corresponding side of the lower animals.
Left bank of a river
,
that which is on the left hand of a person whose face is turned downstream.
–
Left bower
.
See under 2d
Bower
.
–
Left center
,
the members whose sympathies are, in the main, with the members of the Left, but who do not favor extreme courses, and on occasions vote with the government. They sit between the Center and the extreme Left.
–
Over the left shoulder
, or
Over the left
,
an old but still current colloquialism, or slang expression, used as an aside to indicate insincerity, negation, or disbelief;
as, he said it, and it is true, –
over the left
.

Left

,
Noun.
1.
That part of surrounding space toward which the left side of one’s body is turned;
as, the house is on the
left
when you face North
.
Put that rose a little more to the
left
.
Ld. Lytton.
2.
Those members of a legislative assembly (as in France) who are in the opposition; the advanced republicans and extreme radicals. They have their seats at the left-hand side of the presiding officer. See
Center
, and
Right
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Left

LEFT

, pret. and pp. of leave.

LEFT

,
Adj.
[L. lavus; Gr. probably from the root of leave, Gr. and properly weak, deficient. Applied to the hand or arm, it denotes the weak arm, as opposed to the right, the strong or dextrous. Hence the ancient idea of sinister, unfortunate, attached to the left arm or side.]
1.
Denoting the part opposed to the right of the body; as the left hand, arm or side. Hence, the noun being omitted, we say, on the left, that is, on the left side or wing, as of an army.
2.
The left bank of a river, is that which is on the left hand of a person whose face is towards the mouth of the river.

Definition 2024

left

left

See also: lëft

English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /lɛft/
  • Rhymes: -ɛft

Adjective

left ‎(comparative more left or lefter, superlative most left or leftmost)

  1. The opposite of right; toward the west when one is facing north.
    Turn left at the corner.
  2. (politics) pertaining to the political left
The fruit to the viewer's left is smaller.
Translations
the west side of the body when one is facing north
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms

Adverb

left ‎(not comparable)

  1. On the left side.
  2. Towards the left side.
Translations

Noun

left ‎(plural lefts)

  1. The left side or direction.
  2. (politics) The ensemble of left-wing political parties. Those holding left-wing views as a group.
    The political left is not holding enough power.
  3. (boxing) A punch delivered with the left fist.
Synonyms
  • (left side or direction): 9 o'clock, port
  • (politics):
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

Middle English left, variant of laft ‎(“remaining, left”), from Old English lǣfd, ġelǣfd, past participle of lǣfan ‎(“to leave”). More at leave.

Verb

left

  1. simple past tense and past participle of leave.
    • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 8, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:
      Afore we got to the shanty Colonel Applegate stuck his head out of the door. His temper had been getting raggeder all the time, and the sousing he got when he fell overboard had just about ripped what was left of it to ravellings.
  2. Remaining.
    There are only three cups of juice left.‎
Translations

Etymology 3

From a verbal use of leave ‎(“permission”), perhaps connected to Middle English leven ‎(“to give leave to, permit, concede”), from Old English līefan, lȳfan ‎(“to allow”). More at leave.

Verb

left

  1. (Ireland, colloquial) permitted, allowed to proceed.
    We were not left go to the beach after school except on a weekend.

References

  • The Concise Dictionary of English Etymology, Walter W. Skeat.

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: ever · saw · things · #158: left · part · off · took

Anagrams

Etymology

From Middle English left, luft, leoft, lift, lyft, from Old English left, lyft ‎(“weak, useless”), from Proto-Germanic *luft- (compare Scots left ‎(“left”), North Frisian lefts, leeft, leefts ‎(“left”), West Frisian lofts ‎(“left”), dialectal Dutch loof ‎(“weak, worthless”), Low German lucht ‎(“left”)), from *lubjaną ‎(“to castrate, lop off”) (compare dialectal English lib, West Frisian lobje, Dutch lubben), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leup, *(s)lup ‎(“hanging limply”). More at lob, lop.

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