Dead letter, Drop letter, etc. See under Dead, Drop, etc. -- Letter
book, a book in which copies of letters are kept. -- Letter box, a box
for the reception of letters to be mailed or delivered. -- Letter
carrier, a person who carries letters; a postman; specif., an officer
of the post office who carries letters to the persons to whom they are
addressed, and collects letters to be mailed. -- Letter cutter, one who
engraves letters or letter punches. -- Letter lock, a lock that can not
be opened when fastened, unless certain movable lettered rings or disks
forming a part of it are in such a position (indicated by a particular
combination of the letters) as to permit the bolt to be withdrawn.
A strange lock that opens with AMEN.
Beau. & Fl.
-- Letter paper, paper for writing letters on; especially, a size of
paper intermediate between note paper and foolscap. See Paper. --
Letter punch, a steel punch with a letter engraved on the end, used in
making the matrices for type. -- Letters of administration (Law), the
instrument by which an administrator or administratrix is authorized to
administer the goods and estate of a deceased person. -- Letter of
attorney, Letter of credit, etc. See under Attorney, Credit, etc. --
Letter of license, a paper by which creditors extend a debtor's time
for paying his debts. -- Letters close or clause (Eng. Law.), letters
or writs directed to particular persons for particular purposes, and
hence closed or sealed on the outside; -- distinguished from letters
patent. Burrill. -- Letters of orders (Eccl.), a document duly signed
and sealed, by which a bishop makes it known that he has regularly
ordained a certain person as priest, deacon, etc. -- Letters patent,
overt, or open (Eng. Law), a writing executed and sealed, by which
power and authority are granted to a person to do some act, or enjoy
some right; as, letters patent under the seal of England. --
Letter-sheet envelope, a stamped sheet of letter paper issued by the
government, prepared to be folded and sealed for transmission by mail
without an envelope. -- Letters testamentary (Law), an instrument
granted by the proper officer to an executor after probate of a will,
authorizing him to act as executor. -- Letter writer. (a) One who
writes letters. (b) A machine for copying letters. (c) A book giving
directions and forms for the writing of letters.
Let"ter (lt"tr), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Lettered (-trd); p. pr. & vb. n.
Lettering.] To impress with letters; to mark with letters or words; as,
a book gilt and lettered.
Let"tered (lt"trd), a. 1. Literate; educated; versed in literature. "
Are you not lettered?" Shak.
The unlettered barbarians willingly accepted the aid of the
lettered clergy, still chiefly of Roman birth, to reduce to writing
the institutes of their forefathers.
Milman.
2. Of or pertaining to learning or literature; learned. " A lettered
education." Collier.