leave

Meanings

Verb

Noun

  • The action of the batsman not attempting to play at the ball.
  • The arrangement of balls in play that remains after a shot is made (which determines whether the next shooter — who may be either the same player, or an opponent — has good options, or only poor ones).
  • Permission to be absent; time away from one's work.
  • Permission.
  • Farewell, departure.

Related

Similar words

Origin

  • From Middle English leven, from Old English lǣfan, from Proto-West Germanic *laibijan, from Proto-Germanic *laibijaną, causative of *lībaną, from Proto-Indo-European *leyp-.
  • Cognate with Old Frisian lēva, Old Saxon lēvian, Old High German leiban, Old Norse leifa (whence Icelandic leifa), lifna (whence Danish levne). More at lave, belive.
  • Formed in English by conversion (anthimeria) of the transitive verb leave#Etymology 1. Attested since the 19th century, with earliest references to billiards.
  • From Middle English leve, from Old English lēaf ("permission, privilege"), from Proto-Germanic *laubō, *laubą, from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- ("to love, hold dear"). Cognate with obsolete German Laube ("permission"), Swedish lov ("permission"), Icelandic leyfi ("permission"). Related to Dutch verlof, German Erlaubnis. See also love.
  • From Middle English leven, from Old English līefan, from Proto-West Germanic *laubijan, from Proto-Germanic *laubijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ-. Cognate with German lauben ("to allow, believe"), Icelandic leyfa ("to allow").
  • From Middle English leven, from lef. More at leaf.
  • From French lever. Compare levy. Compare also Middle English leve, a variant of levy that may have been monosyllabic.

Modern English dictionary

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