Le*the"an (l*th"an), a. [L. Lethaeus, Gr. lh`qaios or lhqai^os.] Of or
pertaining to Lethe; resembling in effect the water of Lethe. Milton.
Barrow.
Le"theed (l"thd), a. Caused by Lethe. " Letheed dullness." [Obs.] Shak.
Le"the*on (l"th*n), n. [NL., fr. Gr. lh`qh.] (Med.) Sulphuric ether
used as an anæsthetic agent. [R.]
Le"the*on*ize (-z), v. t. To subject to the influence of letheon. [R.
or Obs.]
Le*thif"er*ous (l*thf"r*s), a. [L. lethifer, letifer, fr. lethum,
letum, death + ferre to bear, to bring: cf. F. léthifère.] Deadly;
bringing death or destruction.
Le"thy (l"th), a. Lethean. [Obs.] Marston.
Let"-off` (lt"f`; 115), n. (Mach.) A device for letting off, releasing,
or giving forth, as the warp from the cylinder of a loom.
Let"te (lt"te), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Letted.] To let; to hinder. See
Let, to hinder. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Let"ter (lt"tr), n. [From Let to permit.] One who lets or permits; one
who lets anything for hire.
Let"ter, n. [From Let to hinder.] One who retards or hinders.
[Archaic.]
Let"ter, n. [OE. lettre, F. lettre, OF. letre, fr. L. littera, litera,
a letter; pl., an epistle, a writing, literature, fr. linere, litum, to
besmear, to spread or rub over; because one of the earliest modes of
writing was by graving the characters upon tablets smeared over or
covered with wax. Pliny, xiii. 11. See Liniment, and cf. Literal.] 1. A
mark or character used as the representative of a sound, or of an
articulation of the human organs of speech; a first element of written
language.
And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek,
and Latin, and Hebrew.
Luke xxiii. 38.
2. A written or printed communication; a message expressed in
intelligible characters on something adapted to conveyance, as paper,
parchment, etc.; an epistle.
The style of letters ought to be free, easy, and natural.
Walsh.