Definition of "let"

let¹

/lɛt/

verb
third-person singular simple present lets, present participle letting, simple past let or (obsolete) leet, past participle let or (obsolete) letten
1. (transitive) To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to).
  Quotations
  Pharaoh said, I will let you go.
  1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Exodus 8:28
  If your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is […]
  c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act IV, scene vi]
  He could not be let die of thirst there alone in the dark.
  1971, Ursula K. Le Guin, The Tombs of Atuan
  The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about […], or offering services that let you "stay up to date with what your friends are doing", […] and so on. But the real way to build a successful online business is to be better than your rivals at undermining people's control of their own attention.
  2013 June 21, Oliver Burkeman, “The tao of tech”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 27
2. (transitive) To allow to be or do without interference; to not disturb or meddle with; to leave (someone or something) alone.
  Quotations
  Yet neither spinnes nor cardes, ne cares nor frets, / But to her mother Nature all her care she lets.
  1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, stanza 16
3. (transitive) To allow the release of (a fluid).
4. (transitive) To allow possession of (a property etc.) in exchange for rent.
  Quotations
  Trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let, fifty cents.
  1965, Roger Miller (lyrics and music), “King Of The Road”
5. (transitive) To give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or contract; often with out.
6. (auxiliary, transitive) Used to introduce a first or third person imperative verb construction.
7. (transitive, obsolete except with know) To cause (+ bare infinitive).
  Quotations
  Soo within a whyle kynge Pellinore cam with a grete hoost / and salewed the peple and the kyng / and ther was grete ioye made on euery syde / Thenne the kyng lete serche how moche people of his party ther was slayne / And ther were founde but lytel past two honderd men slayne and viij knyȝtes of the table round in their pauelions(please add an English translation of this quotation)
  1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter IV, in Le Morte Darthur, book IV
  Time's sea hath been five years at its slow ebb, / Long hours have to and fro let creep the sand […].
  1818, John Keats, To—
noun
plural lets
1. The allowing of possession of a property etc. in exchange for rent.
  Quotations
  Then he says “You would call it a Good Let, Madam?”“O certainly a Good Let sir.”
  1854, Charles Dickens, Christmas Stories‎, page 317

let²

/lɛt/

verb
third-person singular simple present lets, present participle letting, simple past letted, past participle let
1. (archaic) To hinder, prevent, impede, hamper, cumber; to obstruct (someone or something).
  Quotations
  He who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
  1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], 2 Thessalonians 2:7
  Sir King, mine ancient wound is hardly whole, / And lets me from the saddle; […]
  1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Elaine”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], page 152
2. (obsolete) To prevent someone from doing something; also to prevent something from happening.
  Quotations
  & there was syr Mordred redy awaytynge vpon his londage to lette his owne fader to lāde vp the lande that he was kyng ouer."And there was Sir Mordred ready awaiting upon his landing, to let his own father to land upon the land that he was king over."
  1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur Book XXI, Chapter ii, leaf 421r
  And as they went on their waye, they cam unto a certayne water, and the gelded man sayde: Se here is water, what shall lett me to be baptised?
  1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], Acts viij]
3. (obsolete) To tarry or delay.
  Quotations
  And for that strake I would not let, / Another upon him soon I set, […]
  1826, Early Metrical Tales; Including the History of Sir Egeir, Sir Gryme, and Sir Gray-Steill, Edinburgh, The History of Sir Eger, Sir Grahame, And Sir Gray-Steel, page 7
noun
plural lets
1. An obstacle or hindrance.
  Quotations
  [E]ver conſider vvhether our doings be to the let of our ſalvation or not.The spelling has been modernized.
  1552 June 22 (Gregorian calendar), Hugh Latimer, Augustine Bernher, compiler, “Sermon XXV. Preached on the Twenty First Sunday after Trinity.”, in The Sermons of the Right Reverend Father in God, Master Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester. […], volume II, London: […] J. Scott, […], published 1758, page 541
  And Cadmus saw his campanie make tarience in that sort / He marveld what should be their let, and went to seeke them out.
  1567, Ovid, “The Third Booke”, in Arthur Golding, transl., The XV. Bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, Entytuled Metamorphosis, […], London: […] Willyam Seres […], lines 60–61
  Paulus Emilius going to the glorious expedition of Macedon, advertised the people of Rome during his absence not to speake of his actions: For the licence of judgements is an especiall let in great affaires.
  1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 16, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […]
2. (tennis) The hindrance caused by the net during serve, only if the ball falls legally.

Definition of "let"

let1

verb

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let2

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let¹

let²