Lessee to Letter
Lessee
(Les*see") n. [F. laissé, p. p. of laisser. See Lease, v. t.] (Law) The person to whom a lease
is given, or who takes an estate by lease. Blackstone.
Lessen
(Less"en) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Lessened (-'nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Lessening.] [From Less, a.]
To make less; to reduce; to make smaller, or fewer; to diminish; to lower; to degrade; as, to lessen a kingdom,
or a population; to lessen speed, rank, fortune.
Charity . . . shall lessen his punishment.
Calamy.
St. Paul chose to magnify his office when ill men conspired to lessen it.
Atterbury. Syn. — To diminish; reduce; abate; decrease; lower; impair; weaken; degrade.
Lessen
(Less"en), v. i. To become less; to shrink; to contract; to decrease; to be diminished; as, the apparent
magnitude of objects lessens as we recede from them; his care, or his wealth, lessened.
The objection lessens much, and comes to no more than this: there was one witness of no good reputation.
Atterbury. Lessener
(Less"en*er) n. One who, or that which, lessens.
His wife . . . is the lessener of his pain, and the augmenter of his pleasure.
J. Rogers Lesser
(Less"er) a. [This word is formed by adding anew the compar. suffix -er (in which r is from an
original s) to less. See Less, a.] Less; smaller; inferior.
God made . . . the lesser light to rule the night.
Gen. i. 15. Lesser is used for less, now the compar. of little, in certain special instances in which its employment
has become established by custom; as, Lesser Asia (i. e., Asia Minor), the lesser light, and some others; also
in poetry, for the sake of the meter, and in prose where its use renders the passage more euphonious.
The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace.
Shak.
The larger here, and there the lesser lambs.
Pope.
By the same reason may a man, in the state of nature, punish the lesser breaches of the law.
Locke. Lesser
(Less"er), adv. Less. [Obs.] Shak.
Lesses
(Les"ses) n. pl. [F. laissées, from laisser to leave. See Lease, v. t.] The leavings or dung of
beasts.
Lesson
(Les"son) n. [OE. lessoun, F. leçon lesson, reading, fr. L. lectio a reading, fr. legere
to read, collect. See Legend, and cf. Lection.]
1. Anything read or recited to a teacher by a pupil or learner; something, as a portion of a book, assigned
to a pupil to be studied or learned at one time.
2. That which is learned or taught by an express effort; instruction derived from precept, experience,
observation, or deduction; a precept; a doctrine; as, to take or give a lesson in drawing." A smooth and
pleasing lesson." Milton.
Emprinteth well this lesson in your mind.
Chaucer. 3. A portion of Scripture read in divine service for instruction; as, here endeth the first lesson.
