Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

leese

/liːz/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.99 in modern English

Syllables: leese
IPA: /liːz/

5

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To lose.

Obsolete

verb

Obsolete

verb

To forsake or abandon.

Obsolete

verb

To release; let go; set free.

Obsolete; Transitive verb

verb

To loosen, unfasten.

Obsolete

verb

To hurt.

Obsolete; Transitive verb

name

Example Sentences

"But flowers distill'd though they with winter meet, Leese but their show; their substance still lives sweet."
"They would rather leese their friend than their jest."
"Yet better leave off with a little losse, Then by much wrestling to leese the grosse"
"Take heed you leeſe it not Signior, ere you come there: preſerue it."

Etymology

From Middle English lesen, from Old English lēosan, from Proto-West Germanic *leusan, from Proto-Germanic *leusaną (“to lose”), from Proto-Indo-European *lews- (“to cut; sever; separate; loosen; lose”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: lesen, lēosan, *leusan, *leusaną, *lews-, *lewh₁-

Usage

Inflected Forms

leeses (present, singular) leesing (participle, present) lore (past) leesed (past) lorn (participle, past) leesed (participle, past) lese (alternative) lease (alternative) Leeses (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

forlese

Homonyms

lees leas

Rhymes With

police release increase piece peace greece decrease lease cease luis vietnamese niece

Questions

How do you pronounce leese?: The recorded pronunciation is /liːz/.
What does leese mean?: To lose.
Where does leese come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce leese

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “leese”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/liːz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “leese”.
Repeat and practice — Say “leese” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.