Obs. Forms: (1 -léosan), 2–4 leosen, (3 -ien), (3 2nd pers. sing. lust), 2–5 lesen, 3–4 leose, (Kent. 3 liese, 3–4 lyese, 3rd sing. pres. lyest, liest), 3–6 lese, 3, 5–6 lease, 4 Sc. leiss, 4–5 les, 4–7 leese, (5 lesyn, ? lyse), 5–6 lesse, leze, lees, Sc. leis, 6 leeze. Pa. t. α. strong. (1 -léas), 3 læs, las, leos, 3–4 leas, (pl. and subj. 2 lure, 3–4 lore, 4 pl. lorn), 4 lese, lees, Kent. lyeas, (5 ? lyse), 6 Sc. leis. β. weak. 3 leosede, Kent. liesed, 4 leste, leest, 4–5 lest, Sc. lessit, -yt. Pa. pple. α. strong. (1 -loren), 3 i-loren, 3–5 ilore, 4 yloren, lorin, losen, -in, 4–5 ylore, ylorn(e, lore(n, 5 yloore, 4–7 lorne, 4– lorn (see LORN ppl. a.). β. weak. 3 ileosed, 4–5 lest(e, 6 Sc. lesit. [A Com. Teut. str. vb.: OE. -léosan, only in compounds, beléosan, forléosan (-léas, -luron, -loren) corresponds to OFris. ur-liasa, OS. far-liosan (Du. ver-liezen), OHG. vir-liosan (MHG. verliesen, mod.G. verlieren, influenced by the pa. t. and pa. pple.), Goth. fra-liusan; other derivatives of the root (*leus-: laus-: los-) are LEASING sb., -LESS, LOOSE a. and v., LOSE v., LOSS.
The root *leus- is usually regarded as an extension of the *leu-, *lu- in Gr. λύ-ειν, L. so-lv-ĕre to loosen.]
1. trans. = LOSE, in its various senses; to part with or be parted from by misadventure, through change in conditions, etc.; to be deprived of; to cease to possess; to fail to preserve, or maintain; to fail to gain or secure; to fail to profit by, to spend (time) unprofitably; to use (labor) to no advantage. Also refl.
a. In present stem.
c. 1205. Lay., 20112. Þat he scal þat lif leosen & leosien his freonden. Ibid., 24914. Idelnesse makeð mon his monscipe leose [c. 1275 lease].
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 102. Þe cat of helle … makede hire to leosen boðe God & mon, mid brod schome & sunne.
c. 1250. Kent. Serm., in O. E. Misc., 26. He was ofdred for to liese his king riche of ierusalem.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6. Þere many thosand lesis þer lijf.
a. 1300. Beket (Percy Soc.), 859. Thu must do so. Other thu lust thi bischopriche: other peraventure thi lyf.
1340. Ayenb., 52. Þos he lyest al his time, and þe niȝt and þane day.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. III. 131. Heo doth men leosen heore lond and heore lyues after.
a. 1366[?]. Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 448. For a litel glorie veine, They lesen god and eek his reine.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VII. 49. He is worþy to lese [MS. γ luse] his heed. Ibid. (1398), Barth. De P. R., XII. xxxii. (1495), 432. The pecok lesyth his fetheres whan the fyrste tree lesyth his leues. Ibid., XIV. xliv. 483. This mount is perylous to stranges that knowe not the wayes therin, for they may lightly lese themself.
a. 1400[?]. Arthur, 231. As þu wold nat leze þy lyf, Fulfylle þys wythoute stryff.
c. 1430. Hymns Virg., 46. I leese on him so myche trauaile.
1485. Galway Arch., in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 384. To lesse and forfayte one hundred shillinges.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cclix. 384. He that all coueteth al leseth.
a. 1547. Earl Surrey, in Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 7. Farre of I burne, in both I wast, and so my life I leze.
1553. Douglas’ Æneis, XI. viii. 75. Thou sall neuer leis [ed. Small los] … Sic ane peuische and catiue saule as thine.
a. 1568. Ascham, Scholem., I. (Arb.), 63. I do not meene … that yong Ientlemen … by vsing good studies, shold lease honest pleasure.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., v. Flowers distil’d,… Leese but their show, their substance still liues sweet.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 168. Mans memorie … oftentimes it assaieth and goeth about to leese it selfe, euen whiles a mans body is otherwise quiet and in health.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. Ded. to King § 3. Water … doth scatter and leese itselfe in the ground, except it be collected into some Receptacle.
1611. Bible, 1 Kings xviii. 5. Peraduenture we may finde grasse to saue the horses and mules aliue, that we leese not all the beasts.
1625. Bacon, Ess., Empire (Arb.), 307. For that that he winnes in the Hundred, he leeseth in the Shire. Ibid. (1626), Sylva, § 390. Flowers Pressed or Beaten, do leese the Freshness and Sweetness of their Odour.
1675. Hobbes, Odyssey (1677), 119. Your life, quoth he, amongst the rest you’ll leese.
b. In pa. t. and pa. pple.
α. strong.
c. 1205. Lay., 15519. Þe King his swinc læs. Ibid., 18202. Ne les [c. 1275 leos] he næuere leouere mon. Ibid., 20463. Þenne [wes] heore wurðscipe iloren a þissere worlde-richen.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 54. Heo leas hire meidenhod, & was imaked hore.
c. 1275. XI Pains Hell, 139, in O. E. Misc., 151. Heo heore mayden-hod lure.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 6287. He dradde wanne he lore þat lif, & were ybroȝt to deþe.
a. 1300. Body & Soul, in Map’s Poems (Camden), 337. Al mi love on the I las.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 714 (Gött.). To win þat bliss þat he ha lorin [Fairf. lorne].
1307. Elegy Edw. I., ix. Jerusalem, thou hast ilore The flour of all chivalerie.
13[?]. Sir Tristr., 1116. Þai lorn all her swink.
1340. Ayenb., 85. Ac þis lhordssip he leas be zenne. Ibid., 203. Be huam he wes ouercome, and be huam he lyeas his miȝte.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VII. 44. [He] Persauit the hund the sleuth had lorn.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., Prol. 26. If that olde bokis weryn aweye I-loryn were of remembrance the keye. Ibid., 945, Dido. By the weye his wif Crusa he les [v.r. lees].
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. VIII. 132. The sonne for sorwe ther-of lees lyght for a tyme.
c. 1400. Beryn, 3731. Fond this blynd seching … Grasping al aboute to fynd that he had lore.
1406. Hoccleve, Misrule, 349. My purs his stuf hath lore.
c. 1425. Seven Sag. (P.), 892. As dyde the knyght … That slew his hounde and lyse hys lyfe, For a worde of hyse wyfe.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys (Roxb.), 39. Here shal I hope no labour be lorn.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, III. x. 104. The port of Drepanoun, and the raid quhar … I leis my fadir.
β. weak.
c. 1205. Lay., 10629. Þa Pohtes weoren uuele, he leoseden heore aðele. Ibid., 26360. While þine aldren France ieoden … and seoðen heo hit leoseden [c. 1275 losede]. Ibid., 28337. Nu ich ileosed habbe mine sweines leofe.
c. 1250. Kent. Serm., in O. E. Misc., 30. Alle þo … þet … þurch yemer i-wil liesed þo blisce of heuene.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2084. Nine hundreth ȝere and tensith fiue Was noe wen he lest his liue.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 9. Allas! I leste hyr in on erbere.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. X. 269. Ich leyue, for thy lacchesse thow leest meny wederes.
1430–40. Lydg., Bochas, I. i. (1544), 2 b. They lost the dominacion Of Paradise … Their fredome lest, and became mortal.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IX. 477. Feyll lessyt thar lyff apon the Sotheroun sid.
c. 1555. Lyndesay, Tragedie, 120. Efter that boith strenth and speche wes lesit.
2. absol. and intr. To lose, be a loser.
c. 1275. Lay., 12492. We habbeþ for oure loue ilore of [c. 1205 ilosed] vre leode.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XII. 347. Thai haf tald … how thai lessit off thair men.
1481. Caxton, Myrr., I. iii. 10. He may wynne by doyng well and also lese by doyng euyll. Ibid. (1484), Fables of Auian, xviii. Suche supposen to wynne somtyme whiche lesen.
a. 1592. Greene, Geo. a Greene (1599), D 2 b. To know whether we shall win or leese.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. I. 68. Whereby the Empire of Constantinople leeseth, and is like to leese.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. viii. § 6 (1873), 72. Copies cannot but leese of the life and truth.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 59. All things [are] to follow in an easie and expedite course if you win, but all against you, if you leese.
3. trans. To destroy; to bring to ruin or perdition; to spoil. = L. perdere.
a. 1325. Prose Psalter, v. 6. Þou shalt lesin [L. perdes] alle þat speken lesyng.
c. 1330. Spec. Gy Warw., 130. Þurw þat sinne he was lorn.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 988. Þerfor, comeliche creature … les nouȝt is liif ȝut for a litel wille.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, Prol. 52. Hou þat crist ves of hire borne, to ransone mankynd þat ves lorne.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., III. 462. Oyl pausia, whil hit is grene is best, But sone in age hit is corrupt & lest.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon., xix. (1885), 155. It is no prerogatyff or power to mowe lese any good, or to mowe wast, or put it awey.
c. 1485. in E. E. Misc. (Warton Club), 30. Sone after the sperit with a dredly speche Begane to crye and sayd,—I am lorne!
1496. Dives & Paup. (W. de W.), I. viii. 39/2. The fendes that ben besy nyght & daye to lese us.
1553. Douglas’ Æneis, X. vi. 64. Syne smate he Lycas, and him has al to lorne [ed. Small torn], That of his dede moderis wame furth was schorne.
b. With dative: To cause (a person) the loss of.
1550–3. Decaye of Engl. (E.E.T.S.), 100. It leseth the kings Maiesty in prouision for his noble housholdes,… v. thousande markes by the yeare.
4. intr. To come to ruin, to be ‘lost.’ rare.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 109. Vniseli bið þe ȝitsere þe þurh his iselhðe leosað.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, XI. 646. To succour thaim that was in poynt to leis.
5. To fail to do something. rare.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 887. Þay lest of Lotez logging any lysoun to fynde.
¶ 6. Spenser uses the vb. in the str. pa. t. and pa. pple. (lore, lorn) incorrectly with the sense ‘to forsake, desert, leave.’ Cf. the corresponding sense of LORN a., which first appears in the 16th c.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. iv. 2. After that he had faire Una lorne, Through light misdeeming of her loialtie. Ibid., III. i. 44. Neither of them she found where she them lore.
