lease

Etymology 1

From Middle English *lesen, from Anglo-Norman *leser, Old French lesser, laisier (“to let, let go”), partly from Latin laxō (“to loose”) and partly from Old High German lāzan (“to let, let go, release”) (German lassen), cognate with Old English lǣtan (“to allow, let go, leave, rent”) whence let.

noun

1. (formal, law) An interest in land granting exclusive use or occupation of real estate for a limited period; a leasehold.
2. An interest granting exclusive use of any thing, such as a car or boat.
3. The contract or deed under which such an interest is granted.
4. The document containing such a contract or deed.
5. The period of such an interest.

verb

1. (transitive, formal, law) To grant a lease as a landlord; to let.
2. (transitive, informal) To hold a lease as a tenant.
   I'm leasing a small apartment in Runcorn for a month while I'm there for work.

Etymology 2

From Middle English lesen, from Old English lesan (“to collect, pick, select, gather”), from Proto-West Germanic *lesan, from Proto-Germanic *lesaną (“to gather”).

verb

1. (transitive) To gather.
2. (transitive) To pick, select, pick out; to pick up.
3. (transitive) To glean.
4. (intransitive) To glean, gather up leavings.

Etymology 3

From Middle English lesen, from Old English lēasian (“to lie, tell lies”), from lēas (“falsehood, lying, untruth, mistake”).

verb

1. (transitive, intransitive, UK dialectal) To tell lies; tell lies about; slander; calumniate.

Etymology 4

From Middle English lese, from Old English lǣs (“meadow”), from Proto-West Germanic *lāsu (“meadow”). See also leasow.

noun

1. An open pasture or common.
   Since as a child I used to lie Upon the leaze and watch the sky, Never, I own, expected I That life would all be fair. 1928, Thomas Hardy, He Never Expected Much

Etymology 5

From Middle English lesen, from Old English līesan (“to loosen, release, redeem, deliver, liberate”), from Proto-Germanic *lausijaną (“to release, loosen”).

verb

1. (transitive, UK dialectal) To release; let go; unloose.

Etymology 6

From leash.

noun

1. The place at which the warp-threads cross on a loom.