n.
The children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. Ex. xvi. 17. [ 1913 Webster ]
The less is blessed of the better. Heb. vii. 7. [ 1913 Webster ]
conj. Unless. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. [ OE. lesse, AS. l&aemacr_;ssa; akin to OFries. lēssa; a compar. from a lost positive form. Cf. Lesser, Lest, Least. Less has the sense of the comparative degree of little. ] Smaller; not so large or great; not so much; shorter; inferior;
☞ The substantive which less qualifies is often omitted; as, the purse contained less (money) than ten dollars. See Less, n. [ 1913 Webster ]
Thus in less [ time ] than a hundred years from the coming of Augustine, all England became Christian. E. A. Freeman. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t. To make less; to lessen. [ Obs. ] Gower. [ 1913 Webster ]
adv. [ AS. l&aemacr_;s. See Less, adj., and cf. Lest. ] Not so much; in a smaller or lower degree;
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. t.
Charity . . . shall lessen his punishment. Calamy. [ 1913 Webster ]
St. Paul chose to magnify his office when ill men conspired to lessen it. Atterbury.
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 ]
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 ]
adj. becoming less in dimension or degree;