Definition: left
Source: WordNet (r) 1.7
left
adj 1: being or located on or directed toward the side of the body
to the west when facing north; "my left hand"; "left
center field"; on the left when facing downstream; "on
the left bank" [ant: right]
2: not used up; "leftover meatloaf"; "she had a little money
left over so she went to a movie"; "some odd dollars
left"; "saved the remaining sandwiches for supper";
"unexpended provisions" [syn: leftover, left over,
left, odd, remaining, unexpended]
3: intended for the left hand; "I rarely lose a left-hand
glove" [syn: left, left-hand]
4: of or belonging to the political or intellectual left [ant:
center, right]
5: on the left-hand side of a vessel or aircraft when facing
forward; "the port side" [syn: port, larboard] [ant: starboard]
n 1: location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the
side to the north when a person or object faces east:
"she stood on the left" [ant: right]
2: those trying to overthrow the established order [syn: left
wing]
3: the hand that is on the left side of the body; "jab with
your left" [syn: left hand]
4: the piece of ground in the outfield on the catcher's left
[syn: leftfield]
5: a turn to the left; "take a left at the corner"
adv : toward or on the left; "he looked right and left"; also
figuratively; "the political party has moved left"
[ant: right]
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Leave \Leave\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Left; p. pr. & vb. n. Leaving.] [OE. leven, AS. l?fan, fr. l[=a]f remnant, heritage; akin to lifian, libban, to live, orig., to remain; cf. bel[=i]fan to remain, G. bleiben, Goth. bileiban. ?. See Live, v.] 1. To withdraw one's self from; to go away from; to depart from; as, to leave the house. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife. --Gen. ii. 24. 2. To let remain unremoved or undone; to let stay or continue, in distinction from what is removed or changed. If grape gatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes ? --Jer. xlix. 9. These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. --Matt. xxiii. 23. Besides it leaveth a suspicion, as if more might be said than is expressed. --Bacon. 3. To cease from; to desist from; to abstain from. Now leave complaining and begin your tea. --Pope. 4. To desert; to abandon; to forsake; hence, to give up; to relinquish. Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. --Mark x. 28. The heresies that men do leave. --Shak. 5. To let be or do without interference; as, I left him to his reflections; I leave my hearers to judge. I will leave you now to your gossiplike humor. --Shak. 6. To put; to place; to deposit; to deliver; to commit; to submit -- with a sense of withdrawing one's self from; as, leave your hat in the hall; we left our cards; to leave the matter to arbitrators. Leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way. --Matt. v. 24. The foot That leaves the print of blood where'er it walks. --Shak. 7. To have remaining at death; hence, to bequeath; as, he left a large estate; he left a good name; he left a legacy to his niece. To leave alone. (a) To leave in solitude. (b) To desist or refrain from having to do with; as, to leave dangerous chemicals alone. To leave off. (a) To desist from; to forbear; to stop; as, to leave off work at six o'clock. (b) To cease wearing or using; to omit to put in the usual position; as, to leave off a garment; to leave off the tablecloth. (c) To forsake; as, to leave off a bad habit. To leave out, to omit; as, to leave out a word or name in writing. To leave to one's self, to let (one) be alone; to cease caring for (one). Syn: Syn>- To quit; depart from; forsake; abandon; relinquish; deliver; bequeath; give up; forego; resign; surrender; forbear. See Quit.
Left \Left\ (l[e^]ft), imp. & p. p. of Leave.
Left \Left\, a. [OE. left, lift, luft; akin to Fries. leeft, OD. lucht, luft; cf. AS. left (equiv. to L. inanis), lyft[=a]dl palsy; or cf. AS. l[=e]f weak.] Of or pertaining to that side of the body in man on which the muscular action of the limbs is usually weaker than on the other side; -- opposed to right, when used in reference to a part of the body; as, the left hand, or arm; the left ear. Also said of the corresponding side of the lower animals. Left bank of a river, that which is on the left hand of a person whose face is turned downstream. Left bower. See under 2d Bower. Left center, the members whose sympathies are, in the main, with the members of the Left, but who do not favor extreme courses, and on occasions vote with the government. They sit between the Center and the extreme Left. Over the left shoulder, or Over the left, an old but still current colloquialism, or slang expression, used as an aside to indicate insincerity, negation, or disbelief; as, he said it, and it is true, -- over the left.
Left \Left\, n.
1. That part of surrounding space toward which the left side
of one's body is turned; as, the house is on the left when
you face North.
Put that rose a little more to the left. --Ld.
Lytton.
2. Those members of a legislative assembly (as in France) who
are in the opposition; the advanced republicans and
extreme radicals. They have their seats at the left-hand
side of the presiding officer. See Center, and Right.
Left \Left\, a. Situated so that the left side of the body is toward it; as, the left side of a deliberative meeting is that to the left of the presiding officer; the left wing of an army is that to the left of the center to one facing an enemy.
