læs

From Old Danish las, læs, from Old Norse hlass n, from Proto-Germanic *hlassą (“load”), cognate with Norwegian lass, Swedish lass. The Danish form has taken over the vowel from the verb læsse. The Germanic noun is derived from the verb *hlaþaną (“to load”), hence Old Norse hlaða (“to stack”), Danish lade.

• IPA^(key): [ˈlɛs]

læs n (singular definite læsset, plural indefinite læs)

1. load, lot

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

• IPA^(key): [ˈlɛˀs]

læs

1. imperative of læse

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

• IPA^(key): [ˈlɛs]

læs

1. imperative of læsse

See lesa (“to read”).

• IPA^(key): [laiːs]
• Rhymes: -aiːs

læs (comparative læsari, superlative læsastur)

1. literate (able to read)
2. insightful, perceptive

• sæl

• IPA^(key): /læːs/

From Proto-West Germanic *lāsu.

lǣs f

1. pasture
   • late 9th century, translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History

     Hit is weliġ þis ēalond on wæstmum ⁊ on trēowum misenlīcra cynna; ⁊ hit is ġesċræpe on lǣwe sċēapa ⁊ nēata; ⁊ on sumum stōwum wīnġeardas grōwaþ.

     This island is rich in fruits and trees of various kinds; and it is suitable for the pasture of sheep and cattle; and in some places vineyards grow.

Strong wō-stem:

• lǣswian

• Middle English: leswe, lesewe, leesewe
  • Scots: lesu, lesoue; lesour, lesure
  • English: lease, lessow, leasow

From Proto-West Germanic *laisi, from Proto-Germanic *laisiz (“smaller, lesser, fewer, lower”), from Proto-Indo-European *leys- (“to shrink, grow thin, become small, be gentle”); see also Old Frisian lēs (“less”), Old Saxon lēs (“less”).

lǣs

2. less
4. (mathematics) minus

• In the sense of "minus", the number being subtracted is placed before lǣs, not after as in Modern English: Fīf lǣs twelf ("twelve minus five").

• lǣssa

• Middle English: lesse, lesce, lasse, leasse, leas (Early Middle English)
  • English: less
  • Yola: lhose, lass

From Proto-West Germanic *lāsi, from Proto-Germanic *lēsiz, *lēssiz (“a letting”), related to Old English lǣtan (“to let, release”).

lǣs f

1. a letting; an allowing or permitting of something to move, pass, or occur

   blōdes lǣs

   bloodletting

Strong i-stem:

• blōdlæswu
• blōdlǣte

• Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “less”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.