leas

n. [ Cf. OF. lais. See Lease, v. t. ] 1. The temporary transfer of a possession to another person in return for a fee or other valuable consideration paid for the transfer; especially, A demise or letting of lands, tenements, or hereditaments to another for life, for a term of years, or at will, or for any less interest than that which the lessor has in the property, usually for a specified rent or compensation. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The contract for such letting. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Any tenure by grant or permission; the time for which such a tenure holds good; allotted time. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our high-placed Macbeth
Shall live the lease of nature. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lease and release a mode of conveyance of freehold estates, formerly common in England and in New York. its place is now supplied by a simple deed of grant. Burrill. Warren's Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ AS. lesan to gather; akin to D. lezen to gather, read, G. lesen, Goth. lisan to gather; cf. Lith lesti to peck. ] To gather what harvesters have left behind; to glean. [ Obs. ] Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Leased p. pr. & vb. n. Leasing. ] [ F. laisser, OF. laissier, lessier, to leave, transmit, L. laxare to loose, slacken, from laxus loose, wide. See Lax, and cf. Lesser. ] 1. To grant to another by lease the possession of, as of lands, tenements, and hereditaments; to let; to demise; as, a landowner leases a farm to a tenant; -- sometimes with out. [ 1913 Webster ]

There were some [ houses ] that were leased out for three lives. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To hold under a lease; to take lease of; as, a tenant leases his land from the owner. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Held by lease. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A tenure by lease; specifically, land held as personalty under a lease for years. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A tenant under a lease. -- Lease"hold`ing, a. & n. [1913 Webster]

n. Same as lend-lease. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A liar. [ Obs. ] See Leasing. [ 1913 Webster ]