Emily Dickinson Lexicon

LEAVE, v.t. [pret. and pp. left. Sax. læfan, to leave; to lefan, to permit, to believe; lefe, leave; lefian, to live; leofan, to leave, to live; leofa, leave, permission, license; lyfan, to permit, also to live. But live is also written liban, libban, with b, which leave is not. Belifan, to remain or be left; alyfan, to permit; ge-læfan, to leave, to permit, to believe; ge-leaf, leave, license, assent, consent, faith or belief; ge-lefan, to believe, to think or suppose, to permit, to live; ge-leofan, id.; ge-lyfan, to believe, to trust; ge-lyfed, permitted or allowed, believed, lawful, also alive, having life; leof, loved; lufa, love, also belief; leoflic, faithful; luflic, willingly, lubenter; luflic, lovely. The German has leave in urlaub, a furlow, and belief in glaube; live in leben; and love in liebe, lieben, the Latin libet, lubet. Gr. λειπω. Dan. lever, Sw. lefva, to live. These are a small part of the affinities of this word. The Germans and Dutch express the sense of leave by lassen, laaten, which is our let, Fr. laisser; and let in English has the sense both of permit and of hinder. The most prominent significations of leave, are to stop or forbear, and to withdraw.]

1. To withdraw or depart from; to quit for a longer or shorter time indefinitely, or for perpetuity. We left Cowes on our return to the United States, May 10, 1825. We leave home for a day or a year. The fever leaves the patient daily at a certain hour. The secretary has left the business of his office with his first clerk. A man shalt leave his father and his mother, and cleave to his wife. – Gen. ii.
2. To forsake; to desert; to abandon; to relinquish. We have left all and followed thee. – Mark x.
3. To suffer to remain; not to take or remove. Let no man leave of it till the morning. – Ex. xvi.
4. To have remaining at death; as, to leave a good name.
5. To commit or trust to, as a deposit; or to suffer to remain I left the papers in the care of the consul.
6. To bequeath; to give by will. The deceased has left hi lands to his sons, but he has left a legacy to his only daughter.
7. To permit without interposition. Of this, he leaves the reader to judge.
8. To cease to do; to desist from; to forbear. Let us return, lest my father leave caring for the asses an take thought for us. – 1 Sam. ix.
9. To refer; to commit for decision. To be left to one's self, to be deserted or forsaken; to be permitted to follow one's own opinions or desires. To leave off, to desist from; to forbear; as, to leave off work at six o'clock. To leave off, to cease wearing; as, to leave off a garment. #2. To forsake; as, to leave off an old acquaintance. – Arbuthnot. To leave out, to omit; as, to leave out a word or name in writing.