Forms: 3 leattre, letere, 3–5 let(t)re, 5 lettere, 4–6 lettur, (4 litter, 5 lettyr), 3– letter. [a. or ad. OF. and F. lettre:—L. littera a letter of the alphabet (pl. litteræ an epistle, written documents, records), also lītera (in inscriptions leitera), of obscure origin; the hypothesis that it is connected with linĕre ‘to smear’ is now generally rejected.]
I. An alphabetic character.
1. A character or mark designed to represent one of the elementary sounds used in speech; one of the symbols that compose the alphabet. † These letters = this inscription. For capital, double, Roman, etc., letter, see the adjs.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 42. Þe uif lettres of vre lefdi nome.
a. 1240. Sawles Warde, in Cott. Hom., 249. A gret boc … iwriten wið swarte smeale leattres.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 993. His name ðo wurð a lettre mor … For ðo wurd abram abraham.
c. 1300. Havelok, 2481. And þare be writen þise leteres: ‘Þis is þe swike’ [etc.].
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xliii. (Cecile), 111. Vith goldine lettris wrytine brad.
c. 1391. Chaucer, Astrol., II. § 3. A capital lettre that is cleped an X.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), iii. 9. Þai wrate letters with þaire fingers.
1430–40. Lydg., Bochas, II. xiii. (1554), 48. Chadmus founde fyrst letters for to write.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 73. Over whose hedde was written in letters of Romayn in gold, faicte bonne chere quy voudra.
1598. Grenewey, Tacitus, Ann., XI. iv. (1622), 145. He added and published new letters and characters.
c. 1620. A. Hume, Brit. Tongue (1865), 16. Thus have I breeflie handled the letteres and their soundes.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxvi. 141. In antient time, before letters were in common use.
1709. Berkeley, Theory Vision, § 140. The monosyllable consisting of six letters.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, I. i. ¶ 2. By teaching me my letters he brushed up his own learning.
1840. Lardner, Geom., 116. The letters a, b, c express respectively the sides of the triangle.
b. sing. collective for pl. Now only in before the letter (= the more usual before letters): a proof taken from an engraved plate before the lettering is inserted.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 93. Þe cankre haþ a propre sauour, þe which mai not be write wiþ lettre.
1642. C. Vernon, Consid. Excheq., 43. His Clerk … writeth upon every Tally the whole letter of the Tellers Bill, that when the Tally is cloven both the foile and the stocke thereof, may have like letter upon them.
1849. Thackeray, Pendennis, xviii. Your Stranges, and Rembrandt etchings, and Wilkies before the letter.
c. Phrases. † To affect, hunt, lick the letter: to practise, or study alliteration. Letter-by-letter: taking each letter in its turn; in quot. attrib.
1579. E. K., Ep. Ded. to Spenser’s Sheph. Cal. I scorne and spue out the rakehellye route of our ragged rymers (for so themselues vse to hunt the letter).
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., IV. ii. 56. I will something affect the letter, for it argues facilitie.
1605. [see LICK v. 3].
1624. Bp. Mountagu, Gagg, Pref. 18. I could have played the fool in alliteration and hunted the letter as you have done.
1836. Southey, Cowper’s Wks., III. 226. ‘In a firm and delicate hand’ … (no doubt the same letter-by-letter writing that has before been noticed).
d. pl. A round game in which the players have to form words out of letters inscribed on separate pieces of card or ivory.
1856. Whyte-Melville, Kate Cov., xxi. We sat round a large table and played at ‘letters,’ sedulously ‘shuffling’ the handsome capitals as we gave each other long jaw-breaking words.
2. Printing. a. pl. Types. ? Obs.
1563. Edin. City Rec., in Ann. Scott. Print., xv. (1890), 157. [He] desyrit thair lordschippes to deliuer him the saidis irnis and letteris.
1588. Marprel. Epist. (Arb.), 22. Waldegraves printing presse and Letters were takken away.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 14. Wee can no more ascribe these things to chance, than a Printers Case of letters could by chance fall into the right composition of the Bible which he printeth.
1683. S. Sewall, Diary, I. 50. The last half-sheet was printed with my letters at Boston.
b. sing. Types collectively. Also, a fount of type; a particular style of printed characters.
1588. Marprel. Epist. (Arb.), 23. Another printer, that had presse and letter in a place called Charterhouse.
1599. Thynne, Animadv. (1875), 71. Caxtone … first printed Chaucers tales in one colume in a ragged letter, and after in one colume in a better order.
1618. Bolton, Florus, To Rdr. The words … inserted in a different letter through the text of Florus.
1683. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., Printing, 370. By broken Letter is not meant the breaking of the Shanks of any of the Letters, but the breaking the orderly Succession the Letters stood in in a Line, Page, or Form, &c. and mingling the Letters together, which mingled Letters is called Py.
1699. Bentley, Phal., Introd. 3. I have distinguish’d the Former Dissertation by printing it in a Greater Letter.
1706. Hearne, Collect., 14 March (O. H. S.), I. 204. He … is resolv’d to print in a Less Letter & in columns.
1709. Lond. Gaz., No. 4617/4. Printed upon Extraordinary Paper, and with a New Brevier Letter.
1719. Swift, Bancis & Philemon. The ballads pasted on the wall … Now seem’d to look abundance better, Improv’d in picture, size, and letter.
1816. J. Scott, Vis. Paris (ed. 5), 221. Lying pretensions … in all the varieties of a large and small letter.
1823. J. Badcock, Dom. Amusem., 144. When the usual page of letter (fusil type) has been made ready for press, it is … surrounded with a moveable square of wood, which rises nearly as high as the beard of the letter.
1842. Brande, Dict. Sci., etc., s.v., There is plenty of letter.
II. Something written.
† 3. a. sing. Anything written; an inscription, document, text; a written warrant or authority. b. pl. Writings, written records. Obs.
a. c. 1325. Metr. Hom., 10. Malachye, And … Ysaie … Thai scheu bathe an wit sere letter.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1580. Alle þat loked on þat letter as lewed þay were.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, X. 353. The gud erll Thomas Assegit, as the lettir sais, Edinburgh.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XI. 198. In the olde lawe, as holy lettre telleth, Mennes sons men called vs vchone.
c. 1380. Antecrist, in Todd, 3 Treat. Wyclif, 136. Þei wole þat men preche fables & lesyngis & þerto graunte lettre.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Monk’s T., 218. In al that lond Magicien was noon That koude expounde what this lettre mente.
c. 1475. Songs & Carols 15th C. (Percy Soc.), 56. To a lettere alone I me ledde, That wel was wretyn upon a wal.
1534. More, Treat. Passion, Wks. 1316/1. Then foloweth it in the letter, ‘Hee came then into Simon Peter’ [etc.].
b. c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2527. And he ðat ðise lettres wrot, God him helpe weli mot.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), B v. For except the diuyne letters, there is nothyng so well written, but that there maie bee founde necessitie of correction.
1557. F. S[eager], Sch. Vertue, 185, in Babees Bk., 340. If letters had not then brought them to lyght The truth of suche thynges who could nowe resyght?
1789. Brand, Hist. Newcastle, II. 380. By letters alone the accounts of past actions can be handed down to us with accuracy.
4. A missive communication in writing, addressed to a person or body of persons; an epistle. Also, in extended use, applied to certain formal documents issued by persons in authority.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 422. Ȝe ne schulen senden lettres, ne underuon lettres, ne writen buten leaue.
c. 1275. Lay., 4496. Þo sende Delgan … one deorne lettre.
13[?]. Cour de L., 1173. Kyng Rychard dede a lettre wryte (A noble clerk it gan adyte).
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. VIII. 25. Vndur his secre seal Treuþe sende a lettre.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 288. I wole a lettre unto mi brother … With al my wofull herte endite.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., xxx. (Percy Soc.), 149. I shall a letter make Unto your lady, and send it by my sonne.
1535. Coverdale, Isa. xxxvii. 14. When Ezechias had receaued ye lettre of the messaungers, & red it.
1630. Milton, 2nd Poem Univ. Carrier, 33. His Letters are deliver’d all and gon.
1676. Ray, Corr. (1848), 123. I have been lately solicited … by an unknown person who sent me a letter.
c. 1700. Prior, Epist. to F. Shepherd, 12. By penny-post to send a letter.
1777. Cowper, Lett., 20 April. I once thought Swift’s Letters the best that could be written; but I like Gray’s better.
1848. in Gilbart’s Treat. Banking, I. 150. Government were obliged to interpose by a letter, in order to protect the public from the restrictive effects of the Act.
1852. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., xxii. I’d teach them to … write their own letters, and read letters that are written to them.
1885. Law Times Rep., LIII. 479/2. Her trustees … applied by letter to Messrs. Thompson for delivery of their bills of costs.
b. pl. with sing. meaning, after L. litteræ. Chiefly in the formal or legal sense, as in letters dimissory, letters patent, letters rogatory, etc., for which see the adjs. Also letters of administration, caption, ejection, fraternity, horning, etc., for which see those words.
c. 1290. Becket, 1219, in S. Eng. Leg., I. 141. To þe kinge of Fraunce heo comen and lettres with heom bere fram þe king of engelond.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 4842. Loo here hire owne letteres to leue it þe beter.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xi. 41. I had lettres of þe sowdan with his grete seele.
1429. Rolls Parlt., IV. 345/2. Sende your Letters of Prive Seal.
1501. Ld. Treas. Acc. Scotl. (1900), II. 126. Ormund pursewant, to pas to summond the lard of Fivee and his folkis with lettrez in the secund forme.
1604. Shaks., Oth., IV. i. 286. Did the Letters worke vpon his blood.
1629. Laud, in Ussher’s Lett. (1686), 410. I … prevailed with his Majesty that I might write these Letters to you, which are to let your Grace understand that [etc.].
1651. Evelyn, Mem. (1857), I. 274. I had letters of the death of Mrs. Newton, my grandmother-in-law.
1883. R. W. Dixon, Mano, I. xvi. 53. And I shall give thee letters unto those Who there abide.
c. In phrases and special collocations. Letter of advice (Comm.), a letter notifying, e.g., the drawing of a bill on, or the consignment of goods to, the correspondent. Letter of attorney, a formal document empowering another person to perform certain acts on one’s behalf (now more usually ‘power of attorney’). Letter of brotherhood = letter of fraternity (see FRATERNITY 4). St. Agatha’s letters, letters written on her day (Feb. 5) as a charm against fire (see quot. 1563). King’s Letters (see quot. 1770). Queen’s Letter, a circular letter to the clergy first issued by Queen Anne (see quot. 1715). Letters of slains (Scots law): see SLAIN. To run one’s letters (Scots law): see quot. 1861.
1401. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 21. Why aske ye no letters of bretherheads of other mens praiers?
1467. in Bury Wills (1850), 50. I will … that myn executours … make hym a letter of attorney if need be.
1563. Homilies, II. Idolatry, III. (1859), 225. Instead of Vulcan and Vesta … our men have placed St. Agatha and make letters on her day for to quench fire with.
1683. W. Lloyd, in Lett. Lit. Men (Camd.), 187. I desire that whensoever you send any thing for me you would be pleased to send your letter of advice by the Post.
1715. Nelson, Addr. Pers. Qual., 120. The Queen’s Letter for making a Collection in several Parishes, in and about London and in several Cities.
1770. Hailes, Henryson’s Tale of Dog, Bannatyne Poems, 280. Charges to pay or to perform, issued in the name of the Sovereign, are still termed the King’s letters.
1770. Cowper, Lett., 21 April. To receive it [a dividend] by letter of attorney.
1825. Knapp & Baldw., Newgate Cal., IV. 286/2. Having run his letters against His Majesty’s advocate.
1849. Freese, Comm. Class-bk., 31. The letter wherein the drawing of the bill is advised, commonly called the ‘letter of advice.’
1861. W. Bell, Dict. Law Scot., s.v. Liberation, The prisoner may run his letters, that is, he may apply in writing to any of the Lords of Justiciary … and within twenty-four hours the judge must issue precepts to intimate to the public prosecutor and party concerned … to fix a diet for trial.
5. The precise terms of a statement; the signification that lies on the surface. The letter: often used (after St. Paul’s τὸ γράμμα) for the literal tenor of a law or statement, opposed to the spirit. † After the letter: literally. † In letter: in the more literal meaning (opposed to in spirit). To the letter: implicitly, to the fullest extent.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 6759. Þir wordes, aftir þe lettre, er hard to here.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Cor. iii. 6. The lettre sleith, forsoth the spirit quykeneth.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xv. 68. Þai vnderstand noȝt haly writte spiritually, bot after þe letter.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 3. God hath no suche bodyly membres, as this texte to the lettre dothe pretende.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 6. Cleauing as fast as we can to the letter … let vs draw as neare as we may to the sense of Moses work.
1636. Massinger, Bashf. Lover, V. i. To tread on My sovereign’s territories with forbidden feet The severe letter of the law calls death.
1642. J. Eaton, Honey-c. Free Justif., 219. That truth which they seemed before to hold, at leastwise in letter.
1678. Butler, Hud., III. ii. 609. To … Disdain the Pedantry o’th’ Letter.
1700. Astry, trans. Saavedra-Faxardo, I. 160. A Prince is not oblig’d by the strict Letter of the Law.
1724. A. Collins, Gr. Chr. Relig., 107. And to look on reasoning from the letter to be mean and low.
1776. Bentham, Fragm. Govt., Wks. 1843, I. 270. A King may … impair the happiness of his people without violating the letter of any single Law.
1809–10. Coleridge, Friend (1865), 27. He who most faithfully adheres to the letter of the law of conscience.
1821. Byron, Sardan., V. i. 354. I shall obey you to the letter.
1844. Ld. Brougham, Brit. Const., xix. § 2 (1862), 311. Applying the strict letter of the law to the circumstances.
1858. Froude, Hist. Eng., III. xvi. 406. The English criminal law was in its letter one of the most severe in Europe.
1886. ‘Hugh Conway,’ Living or Dead, iv. You had better follow your father’s commands to the letter.
1888. Bryce, Amer. Commw., II. liii. 326. Jefferson … without venturing to propose alterations in the text of the Constitution, protested against all extensions of its letter.
6. Literature in general; hence, acquaintance with it, learning, study, erudition.
† a. sing. Obs.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 624. Arystotill … one of the coronest clerkis þat euer knew letter.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VI. clxxix. 176. Lower than his fader in letter and connynge.
b. pl. † Also good letters (obs.). Occasionally, the profession of literature, authorship. Man of letters [= F. homme de lettres]: a man of learning, a scholar; now usually, a man of the literary profession, an author. Commonwealth, republic of letters: see those words.
a. 1250. Prov. Ælfred, in O. E. Misc., 106. Ne may non ryhtwis king … Bute if … he cunne lettres lokie him seolf one, hw he schule his lond laweliche holde.
1483. Caxton, Cato, B j b. By letters and by scyence is the man made semblable or lyke to god.
c. 1532. Du Wes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr., 894. Well lerned in good lettres.
1577. Northbrooke, Dicing (1843), 54. Learning and good letters to yong men bringeth sobrietie.
1611. Bible, John vii. 15. How knoweth this man letters, hauing neuer learned?
1645. Evelyn, Mem. (1857), I. 146. There were likewise the effigies of the most illustrious men of letters.
1693. Wood, Life (O. H. S.), IV. 50. I … have from my youth laboured in good letters.
1708. Partridge, Bickerstaff Detected, in Swift’s Wks. (1735), I. 169. As he was bred to Letters, and is Master of a Pen, let him use it in his own Defence.
1720. Waterland, Eight Serm., 330. Such an Abuse of the Readers, as one shall seldom meet with among Men of Letters.
1751. Harris, Hermes (1841), 111. He has always been a lover of letters.
1766. Goldsm., Vic. W., xiv. It was sufficient to show me that he was a man of letters.
1811. Scott, Prose Wks., IV. Biographies, II. (1870), 191. Lord Minto, himself a man of letters, a poet and a native of Teviotdale.
1827. Hallam, Const. Hist. (1876), II. x. 188. That life of exile and privacy which religion and letters would have rendered tolerable to the King.
1855. Prescott, Philip II., I. vi. (1857), 95. Letters kept pace with art.
1880. Athenæum, 10 Jan., 56. Several guests well known in letters were present.
1891. Speaker, 2 May, 532/1. Metaphysics have again condescended to speak the language of polite letters.
7. attrib. and Comb. a. simple attributive, chiefly in sense 4, as letter-bag, -change, -clip, -envelope, -file, -post, -slit; b. objective and obj. gen., as letter-bearer, † -kerner, -opener, -sorter; letter-copying, -writing.
1809. T. Brown, in Naval Chron., XXII. 294. The *letter-bag was saved.
1838. Dickens, O. Twist, xlviii. The guard was standing at the door, waiting for the letter-bag.
c. 1340. Cursor M., 7907 (Fairf.). Al *letter-berers for-þi ta ensaumple be vrry.
1846. R. Garnett, in Proc. Philol. Soc., II. 233. On certain Initial *Letter-changes in the Indo-European Languages.
1859. Sala, Gas-light & D., xviii. 204. *Letter-clips, portfolios, music-cases.
1858. in Abr. Specif. Patents Printing, II. (1864), 3. Stands for *letter-copying presses.
1798. W. Hutton, Autobiog., 24. Pencils, Cards,… *Letter-files, Maps and Pictures.
1683. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., Printing, xiii. ¶ 4. They … left the *Letter-Kerner, after the Letter was Cast, to Kern away the Sholdering.
1898. Westm. Gaz., 8 Dec., 3/1. New ideas in pencil-cases and *letter-openers.
1823. Bentham, Not Paul, 286. Between Thessalonica and Athens … there was not … any established *letter-post.
1845. Punch, VIII. 53. The Clerk … hearing a knocking at the outer door, looks through the *letter-slit.
1851. H. Melville, Moby-Dick, xxxi. 147. No ordinary *letter-sorter in the Post-office is equal to it.
1788. Cowper, Lett. to Mrs. King, 6 Dec. My *letter-writing time is spent, and I must now to Homer.
1791. Boswell, Johnson, 8 May an. 1781. We talked of letter-writing.
1837. Lockhart, Scott, xlix. (1839), VI. 235. He varied his style of letter writing according to the character … of his … correspondents.
8. Special Combs.: letter-balance, a contrivance for ascertaining the weight of a letter; letter-board (Printing), a board on which matter in type is placed for convenience in handling; letter-book, a book in which letters are († written or) filed, or in which copies of letters are kept for reference; letter-bound a., characterized by close adherence to the letter of a law; letter-box, (a) a box in which letters are kept; (b) one in which they are deposited for transmission by post or on delivery; hence letter-box v. nonce-wd., to put (a letter) into a letter-box; letter-carrier, one who carries letters either as a private messenger or as a public official; letter-case, (a) a case to hold letters; † (b) an envelope; letter-corporal, one entrusted with the duty of fetching and delivering letters; † letter-cover, an envelope; letter-cutter, one who makes punches for type-founding; so letter-cutting; letter-drop (U.S.), a slot into which letters may be dropped, as into a post-office or postal car (Cent. Dict.); letter-dropper nonce-wd. (see quot.); letter-founder, -founding, -foundry = type-founder, etc.; letter-head, (a) a sheet of letter-paper with a printed or engraved heading giving address, date, or the like; (b) dial., a postage-stamp; letter-heading (see quot.); letter-high a. (Printing), of the same height as the ordinary printing-type; letter-house dial. = POST-OFFICE; letter-leaf, an epiphytic orchid of the genus Grammatophyllum, so named from the markings on the leaves; letter-learned, † (a) learnt from letters or books; (b) = BOOK-LEARNED; letter-learning = BOOK-LEARNING; letter-lichen, a lichen of the genus Opegrapha or order Graphidei (see quot.); letter-lock, a lock that can be opened only by arranging letters attached externally so as to form the word on which the lock is set; † letter-man, one of the Chelsea pensioners who was entitled to extra pay on the ground of a letter from the sovereign; † letter-money, in the English Civil War, the money contributed to the support of the royal army in response to Charles I.’s letters; † letter-monger nonce-wd., a forger of letters; letter-office = POST-OFFICE; letter-ornament, a decoration made up of the forms of letters; letter-paper, paper for writing letters; as a trade term, restricted to the quarto size, the smaller sizes being called note-paper; letter-perfect a. (Theatr.), knowing one’s part to the letter; letter-plant = letter-leaf; letter-punch, a steel punch used in making matrices for type; letter-rack, (a) a tray with divisions to hold an assortment of types; (b) a small frame in which letters or papers are kept; letter-racket slang (see quot.); † letter-receiver, one who receives letters for transmission by post; letter-stamp, a stamp used at a post-office for cancelling postage-stamps or for impressing notifications on letters or parcels; letter-struck a. nonce-wd., smitten with the love of learning; letter-weight = paper-weight; † letter-will Sc., one’s testament; letter-winged a., of a kite, having the wings marked as if with letters (Cent. Dict.); letter-wood, the wood of the South American tree Brosimum Aubletii, which is marked with black spots resembling letters or hieroglyphics; letter-worship, an undue attention to the letter of a law or commandment; letter-writer, (a) one who writes letters (hence used in the titles of manuals of letter-writing); (b) a machine for taking copies of letters. Also LETTER-CARD, LETTER-PRESS.
1683. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., Printing, vii. *Letter-Boards are Oblong Squares … of clean and well-season’d Stuff.
1776. J. Adams, in Fam. Lett. (1876), 224. It would fill this *letter-book to give you all the arguments for and against this measure.
1892. Sir R. V. Williams, in Law Times Rep., LXVII. 234/1. The letter-book satisfies me that Mr. Norton was right.
1643. Milton, Divorce, II. xx. That *letter-bound servility of the canon doctors.
1812. Examiner, 30 Nov., 766/1. The libel was found in the *letter-box of the Newspaper.
1849. Thackeray, 4 Sept., in Scribner’s Mag., I. 683/1. I put the letter into the unpaid-letter box.
1807. W. Taylor, in Robberds, Mem., II. 187. It is better … that I should *letter-box it here.
1552. Huloet, *Letter carier, ambulus, libellio, tabellarius.
1697. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), IV. 304. A warrant is come from his majestic, appointing Mr. Vanhulse, the Dutch secretary, to be court letter carrier.
1828. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. III. 20. Such another Dick and such another donkey, who acted as letter-carriers to that side of the village.
1672. T. Jordan, Lond. Triumph., 16. By Ladies *Letter-case, [He] Shall have a better place.
1790. Mad. D’Arblay, Diary, Nov. My memorial was always in my mind; my courage never rose to bringing it from my letter-case.
1823. J. Badcock, Dom. Amusem., 44. Let a person choose any one of them [cards], and inclose it in a letter-case.
1896. Mrs. Croker, Village Tales, 1. Tips to the mess-servants, the *letter-corporal, and colour-sergeant.
1742. Richardson, Pamela, IV. 233. Her Handkerchief, and *Letter-cover.
1683. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., Printing, xii. ¶ 1. A *Letter-Cutter should have a Forge set up. Ibid., p. 81. *Letter-Cutting is a Handy-Work hitherto kept so conceal’d among the Artificers of it.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 59, ¶ 2. The Lipogrammatists or *Letter-droppers of Antiquity.
1683. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., Printing, xi. ¶ 23. To let you know how the *Letter-Founder Cuts the Punches.
1887. T. B. Reed (title), History of the Old English Letter Founders.
1769. Connect. Col. Rec. (1885), XIII. 273. Resolved … that the Treasurer … pay out of the public treasury to said Buel one hundred pounds … conditioned that he set up and pursue the art of *letter-founding in this Colony.
a. 1887. Jefferies, Field & Hedgerow (1889), 88. At the village post-office they ask for *‘Letterhead, please Sir,’ instead of a stamp.
1887. Harper’s Mag., March, 649/2. He drew up a note upon the ‘tavern’ *letter-head.
1871. Amer. Encycl. Printing (ed. Ringwalt), *Letter-Headings, lines printed at the head of sheets of letter-paper, containing the residence, and generally the name and place of business, of the party for whom such work is done.
1683. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., Printing, ii. ¶ 2. In the choice of his Brass Rules, he examines that they be exactly *Letter high.
1832. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. V. 47 The *letter-house had lately acquired another occupant.
1866. Treas. Bot., *Letter-leaf or Letter-plant.
1649. trans. Warn. Jac. Beem, xxviii. 18. That selfe-reason which without Gods spirit is onely *letter-learned.
1770. Whitefield, Wks. (1772), VI. 30. The letter-learned Scribes and Pharisees in our Saviour’s time.
1678. R. Barclay, Apol. Quakers (1841), 283. As for *letter learning, we judge it not so much necessary to the well being of one.
a. 1845. Hood, To Tom Woodgate, ix. All letter-learning was a line you, somehow, never crossed.
1856. W. L. Lindsay, Pop. Hist. Brit. Lichens, 245. Graphideaceæ … in allusion to the resemblance of the apothecia … to ancient hieroglyphics or written characters. For the same reason the Graphideæ are popularly designated *‘Letter Lichens’ or ‘Scripture-worts.’
1850. Chubb, Locks & Keys, 6. Another description of lock is that well known by the name of the *‘Letter Lock.’
1724. Lond. Gaz., No. 6230/2. All the Out-Pensioners (as well *Letter-men as others) belonging to the said Hospital [Chelsea].
180[?]. in A. H. Craufurd, Gen. Craufurd & Light Div. (1891), 34. An increase in the pay and in the number of letter men.
a. 1674. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., IX. § 27. The *Letter Money and Subscription Money being almost exhausted.
1699. Bentley, Phal., 171. Our *Letter-monger has Herodotus’s very words.
1689. Lond. Gaz., No. 2486/4. Whoever gives notice of the said Robbers to the General *Letter-Office at London, shall be very well rewarded.
1711. Royal Proclam., 23 June, ibid. No. 4866/1. That … there be one General Letter-Office and Post-Office established in the City of London.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., xxxiii. Sam … stepped into the stationer’s shop, and requested to be served with a sheet of the best gilt-edged *letter-paper.
1888. Jacobi, Printer’s Vocab., Letter-paper. This term is applied to quarto paper—note paper being octavo.
1885. J. K. Jerome, On the Stage, 133. He would be *letter perfect in all by the following Thursday.
1871. Amer. Encycl. Printing (ed. Ringwalt), *Letter-rack, a rack for containing wood and metal letters of such a size that it would be inconvenient to keep them in cases.
1812. J. H. Vaux, Flash Dict., *Letter-racket, going about to respectable houses with a letter or statement, detailing some case of extreme distress, as shipwreck, sufferings by fire, &c.
1683. Lond. Gaz., No. 1812/4. Many of the *Letter-Receivers are Tradesmen.
1667. Evelyn, Pub. Employm., 77. There is nothing more stupid than some of these μουσοπάτακτοι, *letter-struck men.
1596. in Dickson & Edmond, Ann. Scot. Printing, 478. Followis the Deidis Legacie and Lettrewill. Ibid. (1598), 365. Made his Testament and Lettre-Will.
1698. Froger, Voy., 129. *Letter-wood (as they call it).
1892. Manufacturer’s Circular, Letterwood, £12 10s. to £50 per ton.
1879. Farrar, St. Paul (1883), 117. The subtler … idolatry of formalism and *letter-worship.
1710. Addison, Whig Exam., No. 2, ¶ 4. Our *Letter-writer here alludes to that known verse in Lucan.
1759. (title) The Complete Letter-Writer.
1855. Ogilvie, Suppl., Letter-writer … an instrument for copying letters.
1888. Athenæum, 14 Jan., 43/2. The same desire impels thousands of persons to write letters to the newspapers; but these letter-writers are not usually journalists.
Hence Letterlet, Letterling nonce-wds., a little letter. † Letterly adv., to the letter; literally.
c. 1440. Hylton, Scala Perf. (W. de W., 1494), II. xxvi. Yf they may fulfill letterly [corrected letterally 1499] the commaundementes of god.
1781. Twining, in T. Papers (1887), 5. Your reproaches about stretch-work, short lines, and letterlings.
1836. Coleridge’s Lett., Convers., etc. II. 109. I judge … from the numberless Letter-lets in my possession.
