loss

Etymology 1

From Middle English los, from Old English los (“damage, destruction, loss”), from Proto-Germanic *lusą (“dissolution, break-up, loss”), from Proto-Indo-European *lews- (“to cut, sunder, separate, loose, lose”). Cognate with Icelandic los (“dissolution, looseness, break-up”), Old English lor, forlor (“loss, ruin”), Middle High German verlor (“loss, ruin”). More at lose.

noun

1. (countable) The result of no longer possessing an object, a function, or a characteristic due to external causes or misplacement.
   loss of limb; weight loss; loss of cognitive functions; loss of appetite.
   In other areas, glacier loss creates serious risk of a dry period across the Third Pole, Wang said. File:In other areas, glacier loss creates serious risk of a dry period across the Third Pole, Wang said.ogg
2. (uncountable) The destruction or ruin of an object.
3. (countable) Something that has been destroyed or ruined.
   It was a terrible crash; both cars were total losses.
4. (countable) Defeat; an instance of being defeated.
   The match ended in their first loss of the season.
5. (countable) The death of a person or animal.
   We mourn his loss.
   The battle was won, but losses were great.
6. (uncountable) The condition of grief caused by losing someone or something, especially someone who has died.
   Her daughter's sense of loss eventually led to depression.
7. (financial, countable) The sum an entity loses on balance.
   The sum of expenditures and taxes minus total income is a loss, when this difference is positive.
8. (engineering) Electricity of kinetic power expended without doing useful work.
   The inefficiency of many old-fashioned power plants exceeds 60% loss before the subsequent losses during transport over the grid.

Etymology 2

Pronunciation spelling of lost, representing African-American Vernacular English.

verb

1. (colloquial) Alternative spelling of lost