Hypertext Webster Gateway: "less"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

-less \-less\ (-l[e^]s). [AS. le['a]s loose, false; akin to OS.
l[=o]s loose, false, D. los loose, loos false, sly, G. los
loose, Icel. lauss loose, vacant, Goth. laus empty, vain, and
also to E. loose, lose. [root]127. See {Lose}, and cf.
{Loose}, {Leasing}.]
A privative adjective suffix, denoting without, destitute of,
not having; as witless, childless, fatherless.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Less \Less\ (l[e^]s), conj.
Unless. [Obs.] --B. Jonson.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Less \Less\, a. [OE. lesse, AS. l[=ae]ssa; akin to OFries.
l[=e]ssa; a compar. from a lost positive form. Cf. {Lesser},
{Lest}, {Least}. Less has the sense of the comparative degree
of little.]
Smaller; not so large or great; not so much; shorter;
inferior; as, a less quantity or number; a horse of less size
or value; in less time than before.

Note: The substantive which less qualifies is often omitted;
as, the purse contained less (money) than ten dollars.
See {Less}, n.

Thus in less [time] than a hundred years from the
coming of Augustine, all England became
Christian. --E. A.
Freeman.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Less \Less\, adv. [AS. l[=ae]s. See {Less}, adj., and cf.
{Lest}.]
Not so much; in a smaller or lower degree; as, less bright or
loud; less beautiful.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Less \Less\, n.
1. A smaller portion or quantity.

The children of Israel did so, and gathered, some
more, some less. --Ex. xvi. 17.

2. The inferior, younger, or smaller.

The less is blessed of the better. --Heb. vii. 7.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Less \Less\, v. t.
To make less; to lessen. [Obs.] --Gower.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

less
adj 1: (comparative of `little' usually used with mass nouns)
quantifier meaning not as great in amount or degree;
"of less importance"; "less time to spend with the
family"; "a shower uses less water"; "less than three
years old" [syn: {less(a)}] [ant: {more(a)}]
2: (usually preceded by `no') lower in quality; "no less than
perfect"
3: (usually preceded by `no)' lower in esteem; "no less a
person than the king himself" [syn: {lower}]
4: (nonstandard in some uses but often idiomatic with measure
phrases; `we had less apples' is not acceptable) fewer;
"less than three weeks"; "no less than 50 people
attended"; "in 25 words or less"
adv 1: used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs;
"less interesting"; "less expensive"; "less quickly"
[syn: {to a lesser extent}] [ant: {more}]
2: comparative of little; "she walks less than she should"; "he
works less these days" [ant: {more}]


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