let

present singular third person lets · participle present letting · obsolete past leet · obsolete participle past leet · obsolete participle past letten · alternative archaic lett · alternative archaic past present second person singular lettest · alternative archaic present singular third person letteth

1. transitiveTo allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to).

   I never let myself worry about the future.

   5 more examples

   After he knocked for hours, I decided to let him come in.

   Pharaoh said, I will let you go.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 8:28

   If your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is[…]

   c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vi]

   He could not be let die of thirst there alone in the dark.

   1971, Ursula K. Le Guin, The Tombs of Atuan

   The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about […], or offering services that let you "stay up to date with what your friends are doing",[…]and so on. But the real way to build a successful online business is to be better than your rivals at undermining people's control of their own attention.

   2013 June 21, Oliver Burkeman, “The tao of tech”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 27

2. transitiveTo allow to be or do without interference; to not disturb or meddle with; to leave alone.

   Let me be!

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   Yet neither spinnes nor cardes, ne cares nor frets, / But to her mother Nature all her care she lets.

   1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 16

3. transitiveTo allow the release of (a fluid).

   The physicians let about a pint of his blood, but to no avail.

4. UKtransitiveTo allow possession of (a property etc.) in exchange for rent.

   I decided to let the farmhouse to a couple while I was working abroad.

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   “My dear Mr. Bennet,” said his lady to him one day, “have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?” Mr. Bennet replied that he had not. “But it is,” returned she; “for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.”

   1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter I, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume I, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, pages 1–2

   Trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let, fifty cents.

   1965, Roger Miller, “King Of The Road”

5. transitiveTo give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or contract; often with out.

   to let the building of a bridge;  to let out the lathing and the plastering

6. auxiliarytransitiveUsed to introduce a first or third person imperative verb construction.

   Let the show go on!

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   Let's put on a show!

   Let us have a moment of silence.

   Let me just give you the phone number.

   Let P be the point where AB and OX intersect.

   "Let there be no doubt: I saw your boyfriend with another girl" "Let him, see if I care!".

7. transitiveobsolete except with know or beTo cause (+ bare infinitive).

   Can you let me know what time you'll be arriving?

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   Soo within a whyle kynge Pellinore cam with a grete hoost and salewed the peple and the kyng and ther was grete ioye made on euery syde. Thenne the kyng lete serche how moche people of his party ther was slayne. And ther were founde but lytel past two honderd men slayne and viij knyȝtes of the table round in their pauelions.

   So after a while King Pellinore came with a great host and saluted the people and the king, and there was great joy on every side. Then the king let search how many people of his faction were slain. And there were found only a little more than two hundred men slain, and eight knights of the Table Round in their pavilions.

   1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter IV, in Le Morte Darthur, book IV

   Time's sea hath been five years at its slow ebb, / Long hours have to and fro let creep the sand[…].

   1818, John Keats, To—

   What right had the unclean and stupid farmer, whose farm abutted on this sky water, whose shores he has ruthlessly laid bare, to give his name to it? ... Rather let it be named from the fishes that swim in it, the wild fowl or quadrupeds which frequent it, the wild flowers which grow by its shores, or some wild man or child the thread of whose history is interwoven with its own...

   1854 August 9, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, “The Ponds”, in Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC, page 212

plural lets · alternative archaic lett · alternative archaic past present second person singular lettest · alternative archaic present singular third person letteth

1. The allowing of possession of a property etc. in exchange for rent.

   Then he says “You would call it a Good Let, Madam?” “O certainly a Good Let sir.”

   1854, Charles Dickens, Christmas Stories, page 317

present singular third person lets · participle present letting · past letted · alternative archaic lett · alternative archaic past present second person singular lettest · alternative archaic present singular third person letteth

1. archaicTo hinder, prevent, impede, hamper, cumber; to obstruct (someone or something).

   He who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Thessalonians 2:7

   1 more example

   Sir King, mine ancient wound is hardly whole, / And lets me from the saddle; […]

   1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Elaine”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 152

2. obsoleteTo prevent someone from doing something; also to prevent something from happening.

   And as they went on their waye, they cam unto a certayne water, and the gelded man sayde: Se here is water, what shall lett me to be baptised?

   1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts viij

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   & there was syr Mordred redy awaytynge vpon his londage to lette his owne fader to lāde vp the lande that he was kyng ouer. "And there was Sir Mordred ready awaiting upon his landing, to let his own father to land upon the land that he was king over."

   1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur Book XXI, Chapter ii, leaf 421r

3. obsoleteTo tarry or delay.

   And for that strake I would not let, / Another upon him soon I set, […]

   1826, Early Metrical Tales; Including the History of Sir Egeir, Sir Gryme, and Sir Gray-Steill, Edinburgh, The History of Sir Eger, Sir Grahame, And Sir Gray-Steel, page 7

plural lets · alternative archaic lett · alternative archaic past present second person singular lettest · alternative archaic present singular third person letteth

1. obsoletelawAn obstacle or hindrance.

   without let or hindrance

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   [E]ver conſider vvhether our doings be to the let of our ſalvation or not.

   1552 June 21 (Gregorian calendar), Hugh Latimer, Augustine Bernher, compiler, “Sermon XXV. Preached on the Twenty First Sunday after Trinity.”, in The Sermons of the Right Reverend Father in God, Master Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester. […], volume II, London: […] J. Scott, […], published 1758, →OCLC, page 541

   And Cadmus saw his campanie make tarience in that sort / He marveld what should be their let, and went to seeke them out.

   1567, Ovid, “The Third Booke”, in Arthur Golding, transl., The XV. Bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, Entytuled Metamorphosis, […], London: […] Willyam Seres […], →OCLC, lines 60–61

   Paulus Emilius going to the glorious expedition of Macedon, advertised the people of Rome during his absence not to speake of his actions: For the licence of judgements is an especiall let in great affaires.

   1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 16, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC

2. hobbiesThe hindrance caused by the net during serve, only if the ball falls legally.