v. Also 4 lasnen, 5 lessyn, 7 leasen. [f. LESS a. + -EN5 1.]
1. intr. To become less in size, quantity, amount, scope, etc.; to decrease.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 438. Þenne lasned þe llak þat large watz are. Ibid., 441. Þenne lasned þe loȝ lowkande togeder.
1423. James I., Kingis Q., 187. Quhen lessen gan my sore.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., iv. For kyng Goffarus peple might every day encrease mo & mo & Brute’s lessen.
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., I. xli. The world might die to live, and lessen to increase.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 262. The river … lessened every step we went.
a. 1728. Woodward, Nat. Hist. Fossils, I. (1729), I. 51. A Flint of Cylindric Figure, only lessening a little toward each end.
1745. Wesley, Answ. Ch., 10. My Regard for them lessen’d.
1798. Landor, Gebir, I. 182. I … seemed to lessen and shrink up with cold.
1821. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. New Year’s Eve. In proportion as the years both lessen and shorten.
2. To decrease in apparent size by the effect of distance: orig. said with reference to a bird’s flight (also refl.).
1611. Shaks., Cymb., V. v. 472. The Romaine Eagle From South to West, on wing soaring aloft Lessen’d her selfe, and in the Beames o’ th’ Sun So vanish’d.
1660. Fuller, Mixt Contempl., V. 9. The wealth of the Land doth begin (to use the Faulconer’s phrase) to flie to lessen.
a. 1720. Sheffield (Dk. Buckhm.), Wks. (1753), I. 93. Away she flies,… She lessens to us, and is lost at last.
a. 1771. Gray, Ode Pleas. fr. Viciss., ii. The sky-lark … lessening from the dazzled sight Melts into air and liquid light.
1795–7. Southey, Juvenile & Minor P., Poet. Wks. II. 56. As the white sail is lessening from thy view.
1807. J. Barlow, Columb., I. 195. Spain, lessening to a chart, beneath it swims.
1859. Kingsley, Misc. (1860), I. 145. The warm dark roof lessening away into endless gloom.
3. trans. To make less in size, quantity, amount, scope, etc.; to diminish.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 5368. Ser, if þou lessen my life, na lowere þou wynnes.
c. 1440. Jacob’s Well, 196. To lessyn his blood in blood-letyng.
1530. Palsgr., 607/1. His treasure is lessened sythe I knewe hym first.
1632. Heywood, 1st Pt. Iron Age, I. Wks. 1874, III. 283. It could not … Leasen my zeale to you.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., IV. xlvi. 373. Other things that serve to lessen the dependance of Subjects.
1713. Steele, Englishm., No. 34. 220. The late Tax upon Books and Pamphlets will lessen the Number of Scriblers.
1748. Anson’s Voy., I. vi. 60. We once or twice lessened our water to forty fathom.
1793. Blackstone’s Comm., I. 277, note. The increase of our paper has only a tendency to lessen the value of money at home.
1850. Hawthorne, Scarlet L., xv. (1879), 199. She upbraided herself for the sentiment, but could not overcome or lessen it.
1878. Jevons, Prim. Pol. Econ., 64. It is one thing to lessen the hours of work; it is another thing to increase the rate of wages per hour.
absol. 1611. Shaks., Cymb., III. iii. 13. Consider, When you aboue perceiue me like a Crow, That it is Place, which lessen’s, and sets off.
† b. Math. ? To reduce (an equation). Obs.
1676. Glanvill, Ess., iii. 15. How to convert the false Roots into true, to avoid Fractions, and to lessen Æquations.
† c. pass. To suffer loss or curtailment of; to be reduced in (some quality). Obs.
c. 1400. trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 114. Kepe þe fro vche mysauentrous man, þat ys lesnyd of any membre.
1647. N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., I. xvii. (1739), 34. The Lords thus lessened in their judiciary power.
1691. T. H[ale], Acc. New Invent., 38. Lessened … in that only quality upon which our Friggats most value themselves.
1793. Nelson, 21 Feb., in Nicolas, Disp. (1845), I. 301. I will not suffer any poor fellow to be lessened of his due.
4. To make less in estimation, represent as less; to extenuate, palliate (faults); to disparage, cast a slur upon. Obs. or arch.
1585. Fetherstone, trans. Calvin on Acts xxvi. 12. 564. They goe about to lessen or paint [L. extenuare aut fucare] these thinges, for which they ought humbly … to craue pardon.
1612. T. Taylor, Comm. Titus ii. 14. They obscure the brightnesse of this our sunne of righteousnesse, and lessen the merits of his sufferings.
1677. Wycherley, Pl. Dealer, I. i. 2. I never attempted to abuse, or lessen any person, in my life.
1714. Steele, Lover, No. 24 (1723), 143. Whenever … you have the evil Spirit upon you to lessen any Body you hear commended.
1769. Junius Lett., xxviii. 129. I am far from wishing to lessen the merit of this single benevolent action.
1799. Nelson, 9 Nov., in Nicolas, Disp. (1845), IV. 96. Your Royal Highness will not believe that I mean to lessen the conduct of the Army; I have the highest respect for them all.
1877. Mrs. Oliphant, Makers Flor., xii. 290. The meaner pleasure with which the ordinary observer often exerts himself to lessen a heroic figure.
† 5. To lower the dignity, position or character of; to humble; to degrade, demean. Obs.
a. 1654. Selden, Table-t. (Arb.), 69. The making of new Lords lessens all the rest.
1667. Milton, P. L., III. 304. Nor shalt thou, by descending to assume Mans Nature, less’n or degrade thine owne.
1706. Prior, Ode to Queen, 192. When swift-wing’d rumour told … How lessen’d from the field Bavar was fled.
1706. De Foe, Jure Div., XII. 243. King Charles the First … when ever he invaded their Priviledges, had the Misfortune to see his Mistake, and lessen himself, by undoing all he had done before.
a. 1715. Burnet, Own Time (1724), I. 245. It lessened him much in esteem of all the world.
1788. Disinterested Love, I. 102 (F. H.).
