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. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. i. To become less; to shrink; to contract; to decrease; to be diminished;
The objection lessens much, and comes to no more than this: there was one witness of no good reputation. Atterbury. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t.
Charity . . . shall lessen his punishment. Calamy. [ 1913 Webster ]
St. Paul chose to magnify his office when ill men conspired to lessen it. Atterbury.
n. One who, or that which, lessens. [ 1913 Webster ]
His wife . . . is the lessener of his pain, and the augmenter of his pleasure. J. Rogers (1839). [ 1913 Webster ]
n. a change downward; a decrease; a reduction.
adj. becoming less in dimension or degree;
adv. Less. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
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. [ 1913 Webster ]
God made . . . the lesser light to rule the night. Gen. i. 15. [ 1913 Webster ]
☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]
The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
The larger here, and there the lesser lambs. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]
By the same reason may a man, in the state of nature, punish the lesser breaches of the law. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. pl. [ F. laissées, from laisser to leave. See Lease, v. t. ] The leavings or dung of beasts. [ 1913 Webster ]