leave

leave1 [ liv ] (past tense and past participle left [ left ] ) verb ***

▸ 1 go away from place

▸ 2 go away permanently

▸ 3 stop working for someone etc.

▸ 4 put something somewhere

▸ 5 make something that remains

▸ 6 make someone feel/think

▸ 7 not do something

▸ 8 not use something

▸ 9 give when going away

▸ 10 have family still living

▸ 11 in calculations

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) intransitive or transitive to go away from a place:

We left Boston at three in the afternoon.

Your plane leaves in ten minutes.

If they leave after lunch, they should arrive by dark.

We have to leave within the hour in order to be on time.

The ship left before dawn.

They left by the back door.

leave for: She leaves for work at 7:30 every morning.

a ) to go away from a place and allow someone to continue doing something there:

leave someone to something: I'll leave you to your crossword puzzle.

leave someone to do something: I'll leave you to get on with your book.

2. ) intransitive or transitive to leave a place permanently:

She left her home town for the bright lights of New York.

leave home: He didn't leave home until he was 24.

a ) to leave a person permanently because a relationship has ended:

The kids were devastated when Ben left.

His wife has threatened to leave him.

3. ) intransitive or transitive to stop working for an organization or going to school or college:

He decided to leave the company after 15 years.

At 16 he left school in order to work and support his family.

I'm leaving at the end of the month.

4. ) transitive to put something somewhere, especially in a place where it will stay:

Leave your things by the door.

I'll only be a minute so I'll leave my coat on.

Massage the conditioner into your hair and leave it in for a few minutes.

a ) to put something in a place and forget to take it away with you:

I left my homework on the bus.

b ) to arrange for someone to stay in a place or with a particular person:

I don't want to leave my mother at home on her own.

leave someone with someone: She left the children with a friend for the afternoon.

c ) to put a message somewhere for someone else to receive later:

Chris left a message on your answering machine.

I'll leave a note for Leigh.

5. ) transitive to produce a situation, especially a bad one, that continues after you have gone:

The previous government left the economy in ruins.

The storm left 50,000 homes without power.

a ) to produce a mark that remains after you have gone:

Wherever army ants go, they leave a chemical trail for other ants to follow.

6. ) transitive to make someone feel a particular emotion or have a particular opinion:

His betrayal left her heartbroken.

leave someone with something: Her hesitation left me with the impression that she wasn't being quite honest.

leave someone fuming/dangling/wondering etc.: Kate's sudden departure left us all wondering what was going to happen.

7. ) transitive to not do something, especially because you prefer to do it later or so that someone else can do it:

Leave the dishes and do them in the morning.

leave something to someone: Don't worry, just leave everything to me.

leave someone to it: I think I can manage OK now. Fine. I'll leave you to it then.

a ) to not make a decision and let someone else make it:

Leave questions of guilt or innocence for the jury to decide.

b ) leave something to chance/fate to not try to change the way something is developing or happening:

They planned for every possibility and left nothing to chance.

8. ) transitive often passive to not use something:

I hope you've left enough hot water for me to have a bath.

How much time is there left?

have something left: We don't have much money left.

be left over: There was some material left over when I'd finished making the dress.

a ) to not eat or drink something:

You've left half your dinner didn't you like it?

leave someone something/something for someone: Leave some cake for the rest of us!

b ) to not use an area of something:

leave a space/gap: Leave plenty of space between you and the car in front.

9. ) transitive to give something to someone before you go away:

Leave your pager number with me, and I'll call you if there's a change.

a ) to give something to someone after you die, in a WILL:

leave something to someone: She left her jewels to her favorite niece.

leave someone something: He left her all his money.

10. ) transitive FORMAL to have close family members who continue to live after you die:

He leaves a wife and three children.

11. ) transitive to make an amount remain after taking some away:

8 minus 5 leaves 3

leave someone cold

to completely fail to interest or attract someone

leave someone/something hanging

to fail to solve a difficult situation, or let someone remain in a difficult situation without solving it

leave someone high and dry

to put someone in a very difficult or unpleasant situation that they cannot escape from

leave it at that

to not do anything more about something

leave a lot/much to be desired

to be of a very low quality or standard

leave no stone unturned

to do everything possible to solve a problem or find something out

leave someone/something standing

to be so much better than someone or something that they cannot possibly reach the same standard or level

leave it out BRITISH SPOKEN

used for telling someone to stop saying something

,leave a`side phrasal verb transitive

to not consider something because you want to consider something else instead:

Leaving aside the financial implications, do you really believe your proposal will solve our problem?

,leave be`hind phrasal verb transitive

1. ) leave someone/something behind to increase the distance by which you are ahead of someone or something:

The other climbers were fitter and more experienced and I was worried I'd get left behind.

2. ) leave someone/something behind to improve or progress much faster than someone or something else

3. ) to deliberately forget something, especially something from your past:

a young woman trying to leave behind a difficult adolescence

4. ) to not take someone or something with you when you go somewhere:

He had to leave his family behind in Chile.

a ) leave something behind to forget to take someone or something with you:

It wasn't until she was halfway home that she realized that she'd left her purse behind.

,leave `off phrasal verb intransitive or transitive BRITISH INFORMAL

to stop doing something

,leave `out phrasal verb transitive

to not include someone or something:

We decided to leave the chapter out of the book altogether.

She feels left out because the other children don't play with her.

leave it out BRITISH SPOKEN

for telling someone to stop saying something

leave

leave 2 [ liv ] noun uncount **

1. ) a period of time away from your job, school, or the military:

Tony, who had been granted leave, was home for several weeks.

You are entitled to six weeks annual leave.

on leave (=away from your job): I met her while I was on leave.

a ) maternity/paternity/parental leave a period of time away from a job because you or your partner has just had a baby:

She worries that if she takes time off for maternity leave her career will suffer.

b ) sick leave a period of time away from a job because you are sick:

I'm afraid this position does not offer sick leave benefits.

=> LEAVE OF ABSENCE

2. ) FORMAL permission:

leave to do something: You've been granted leave to appeal against the decision.

absent without leave: Sanchez was absent without leave from Fort Liley.

by someone's leave (=with someone's permission): By your leave, I'll see to the arrangements immediately.

take your leave OLD-FASHIONED

to say goodbye

take leave of someone OLD-FASHIONED

to say goodbye to someone

take leave of your senses

to start behaving in a way that is not sensible or reasonable:

Have you taken leave of your senses?

without so much as a by your leave OLD-FASHIONED

rudely, without asking permission