Forms: 1 léaf, 2 lǽf, dat. léve, (3 luve), 3–6 leve, 4 lef, leef, lyve, Sc. leyf(e, leife, 4–5 lefe, leeve, Sc. leiff, 4–6 Sc. leif, 5 lewe, 6 leffe, Sc. leive, live, lyve, 6–7 lieve, 3, 6– leave. [OE. léaf, str. fem. = OHG. *louba (MHG. loube, str. fem., early mod.G. laube):—OTeut. type *lauƀâ, whence *lauƀjan (see LEVE v.1 to permit).
The etymological sense is prob. ‘pleasure, approval’; the root is identical with that of LOVE, LIEF, BELIEVE, etc. The mod. form represents not the OE. nom. (which would have given *leaf), but the dat. and accus. léafe, which was more frequent in use.]
1. Permission asked for or granted to do something: freq. in phr. to ask, beg, get, give, grant, have, obtain leave; † beside (obs.), by, with, without (the) leave (of).
By your leave: used as an apology for taking a liberty; often ironically used when some remark is made which will be unwelcome to the person addressed.
c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., IV. v. (1890), 278. Buton þæs biscopes leafe.
11[?]. O. E. Chron., an. 1048 (Laud MS.). [He] sæt on þam biscoprice þe se cyng him ær ʓeunnan hæfde be his fulre leafe. Ibid. (a. 1131), an. 1128 (Laud MS.). Be þes kynges leue.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 167. Ure drihten … ȝaf leue þe deuel to binimende him his oref and his ahte.
c. 1220. Bestiary, 226. Wat if he leue haue of ure heuen louerd for to deren us.
a. 1300[?]. Shires & Hundreds Eng., in O. E. Misc., 145. Myd þes kinges leaue.
a. 1300. Fall & Passion, 75, in E. E. P. (1862), 14. Þo pilat had igrant is luue glade y-noȝ ho was: he nem þat swet bodi adun an biriid hir in a fair plas.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 14744. Mi hus agh be … Hus o praier … And yee mak it, wit-vten leue, A to-draght o reuer and thefe.
c. 1325. Deo Gracias, 33, in E. E. P. (1862), 125. Þen seide þe prest, sone bi þi leue I most seye forþ my seruise.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, III. 622. But execut was al bisyde hir leue At the goddes wil.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XVII. 863. But leiff, he hame has tane his gat.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 40. Here wyues han ȝouen here housbondis lyue [MS. W. leeve].
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 2283, Philomene. At the laste leue hath she to go.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), v. 17. To haue leue for to passe mare surely thurgh þe cuntreez.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., IV. i. 395. I pray you giue me leaue to goe from hence.
1599. in Buttes’ Dyets drie Dinner, P vij b. Buttes (by thy leaue) Ile be a Guest of thine.
1608. Topsell, Serpents (1658), 816. But by their leaves these reasons are very weak.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 293. They never goe abroad without leave, except to the Bath.
1653. A. Wilson, Jas. I., 112. Sir Walter Rawleigh … made Accesses to the King, whereby he got leave to visit the New World.
1705. Hickeringill, Priest-cr. (1721), I. 41. If the French King invade without putting off his Hat, or saying, by your Leave.
1713. Addison, Guardian, No. 140, ¶ 2. By my correspondent’s good leave, I can by no means consent.
1815. W. H. Ireland, Scribbleomania, 253. Upon which subject I shall beg leave to dwell a little.
1838. Dickens, Nich. Nick., iii. I’ll speak to you a moment, ma’am, with your leave. Ibid. (1840), Barn. Rudge, xvi. The solitary passenger was startled by the chairmen’s cry of ‘By your leave there!’ as two came trotting past him.
1855. Browning, Fra Lippo L., 1. I am poor brother Lippo, by your leave!
1885. Law Rep. 29 Chanc. Div. 268. Pursuant to this leave, the daughter … applied to add to the decree.
b. Proverbs.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 143. Seldom doth the housbande thryve withoute the leve of his wyfe.
1546. J. Heywood, Prov. (1867), 20. Ye might haue knokt er ye came in, leaue is light.
1633. B. Jonson, Love’s Welcome at Welbeck. Leave is ever faire, being ask’d; and granted is as light, according to our English Proverbe, Leave is light.
† c. To give leave (fig., of conditions or circumstances): to allow, permit. Obs.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xxix. 7. Quhen I wald blythlie ballattis breif, Langour thairto givis me no leif.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 316. As the measure of my abilitie wil give me leave.
1617. Moryson, Itin., II. 109. He would … keepe the field as neere Tyrone, as his meanes would give him leave.
1644. Direct. Publ. Worship, 39. So far as the time will giue leaue.
1797. Encycl. Brit., IX. 14/1. One … of these … columns will become longer … and give the lighter fluid … leave to rise in its place.
† d. To give (a fish) leave: to give (him) play.
1653. W. Lauson, Comm. on Secr. Angling, C 5. When you have hookt him, give him leave, keeping your Line straight.
e. In military, naval and official use (also sometimes in schools): (a) Leave of absence, or simply leave, permission to be absent from a post of duty. (See also sick-leave.) On leave: absent from duty by permission. (b) Hence, the period of such absence.
1771. Burke, Lett., 31 July, Corr. (1844), I. 255. He has got a leave of absence.
1802. C. James, Milit. Dict., Leave of absence, a permission which is granted to officers … and soldiers, to be absent from camp or quarters for any specific period.
1829. Marryat, F. Mildmay, x. To-morrow my leave expires.
1831. Lamb, Ess. Elia, Ser. II. Newspapers 35 yrs. ago, 342. On one fine summer holyday (a ‘whole day’s leave’ we called it at Christ’s Hospital).
1844. Regul. & Ord. Army, 86. Officers, going on Leave of Absence.
1860. Reade, Cloister & H., xxxviii. He was going on leave, after some years of service, to see his kindred at Remiremont.
1864. Tennyson, Sea-Dreams, 6. They … Came, with a month’s leave given them, to the sea.
1878. N. Amer. Rev., CXXVI. 93. Furloughed men returned … before their ‘leaves’ had terminated.
2. To take (one’s) leave (const. of, † at, † to, † on): orig. † to obtain permission to depart (obs. rare); hence, to depart with some expression of farewell; to bid farewell. † Also rarely, to fang, get, have, latch leave. (See also FRENCH LEAVE.)
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2697. Mai he no leue at hire taken but-if he it mai mið crafte maken.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4999. Þair leue þai laght [Trin. toke], and war ful blith.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, V. 253. Thar-with-all he lowtit, and his leyf has tane. Ibid., XX. 109. Quhen on bath halfis levis wes tane.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Frankl. T., 763. They take hir leue, and on hir wey they gon.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 899. Faire at philip þe fers þair leue þai fangen.
c. 1430. Syr Tryam., 52. He toke hys leve at the quene.
c. 1435. Torr. Portugal, 946. Torrente … toke leve on kyng and knyght.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys (Roxb.), 31. Aftyr leve takyn to shyp they went.
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, 970. Of youre souerayne take no leue; but low to hym alowt.
c. 1500. Melusine, lvii. 334. He toke leue to the Pope.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. x. 9. This lady departed … and all her company, with syr John of Heynaulte, who with great peyne gatte leue of his brother.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., I. iii. 50. Let vs take a ceremonious leaue And louing farwell of our seuerall friends.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., X. 458. Jlk from vther takeng thair lyue departet.
1610. B. Jonson, Alch., V. iv. We will … take our leaues of this ore-weaning raskall.
1667. Milton, P. L., III. 739. And Satan bowing low … Took leave.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, II. xvi. (1840), 342. The young lord took his leave of us.
1864. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., III. 236. When she took leave of me the night before starting.
b. transf. and fig.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xxii. 73. Twa curis or thre hes vpolandis Michell Thocht he fra nolt had new tane leif.
1508. in Dunbar’s Poems (1893), 321. I tak my leve at all vnstedfastnes.
1597. Morley, Introd. Mus., 115. I wil then take my leaue of you for this time, till my next leisure, at which time I meane to learne of you that part of musicke which resteth.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., V. iv. § 41. 225. We take our leaves of Tyndal.
1660. Milton, Free Commw., Wks. 1738, I. 587. They may permit us a little Shroving-time first, wherin to speak freely, and take our leaves of Liberty.
1703. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus. (1732), 108. We went to take our leaves of the holy Sepulcher.
1723. Wodrow, Corr. (1843), III. 33. There was never a schoolboy more desirous to have the play than I am to have leave of this world.
1771. Franklin, Autobiog., Wks. 1840, I. 65. I now took leave of printing, as I thought, for ever.
† 3. Leave-taking; in phr. audience of leave: see AUDIENCE 6. Obs.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, v. 1823. Antenor vntomly turnet his way Withoutyn lowtyng or lefe.
1711. [see AUDIENCE 6].
1724. Lond. Gaz., No. 6321/1. Mr. Finch had his Audience of Leave of the King and Queen of Sweden.
1734. trans. Rollin’s Anc. Hist. (1827), VII. VII. xvii. 226. The king having likewise tendered them very considerable presents at their audience of leave.
4. To give (a person) his leave: to give him his dismissal. To get one’s leave: to get one’s dismissal. Now only Sc. (Cf. F. congé.)
1508. Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 67. We suld … gif all larbaris thair leveis, quhan thai lak curage.
c. 1568. Coverdale, Bk. Death, xxvi. (1579), 118. The sicke must geue all other worldely matters theyr leave.
1637. Rutherford, Lett. (1862), I. 272. He … wd. give an evil servant his leave at mid-term.
5. attrib. and Comb., as leave-giving; leave-breaker, a sailor who breaks his leave of absence; so leave-breaking; leave-day (also leave-out day), at certain schools, a day on which boys are allowed to go beyond the precincts of the school; † leave-niming = LEAVE-TAKING.
c. 1860. H. Stuart, Seaman’s Catech., p. v. *Leave-breakers prevent the officers from giving the indulgence. Ibid. *Leave-breaking is occasioned by the indulgence of … vices.
1817. Coleridge, Biog. Lit., I. 16. In my friendless wanderings on our *leave-days. [footnote] The Christ Hospital phrase, not for holidays altogether, but for those on which the boys are permitted to go beyond the precincts of the school.
1854. Keble, in Life (1869), xvii. 394. When he comes here on leave-out days.
1450–1530. Myrr. Our Ladye, 102. Wyttynge well that the blyssyng, or *leaue geuynge, longeth pryncypally to God.
1340. Ayenb., 112. Vor he hit ous let: at his *yleave-nymynge and at his laste bequide.
