Leisure

Forms: 4 leisere, leysir, Sc. lasere, 4–5 leiser, leysere, Sc. lasair, 4–6 laiser, layser, leyser, Sc. laser, -are, 5 laisir, -our, -ure, laysar, -ir, leyzer, -soure, lesure, 5–6 leysar, Sc. lasar, 6 laisere, -ure, layso(u)r, -ure, leisar, -our, leaser, -our, leesar, leser, leysour(e, leys(s)or, Sc. laseir, lasar, lazar, laisar, 5–7 leysure, 6–8 leasure, 7 liesure, leizure, 6– leisure. [a. OF. leisir (mod.F. loisir), subst. use of the infinitive leisir, repr. L. licēre to be permitted.

  In Fr. the word has undergone much the same development of sense as in Eng.]

  † 1.  Freedom or opportunity to do something specified or implied. Obs.

1303.  R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 28. Þe seruyng man þat serueþ yn þe ȝere Oweþ to come when he haþ leysere. Ibid. (c. 1330), Chron. (1810), 229. Whan þou sees leysere, þat he ne perceyue þi witte … with þe knyfe him to smite.

a. 1366[?].  Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 462. No more was there … To clothe her with … Gret leyser hadde she to quake. Ibid. (c. 1386), Miller’s T., 107. She wol been at his comandement, Whan that she may hir leyser wel espie.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 3119. Þai hade laisure at lust þere likyng to say.

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 295/2. Leysere, oportunitas.

c. 1489.  Caxton, Blanchardyn, xliii. 169. Sadoyne folowed hym of so nyghe … that with grete peyne gaf them leyser to saue hem self.

1500–20.  Dunbar, Poems, ix. 8. I cry the mercy, and lasar to repent.

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, IV. x. 83. Quhy will thow nocht fle spedely be nycht, Quhen for to haist thow hes laisar and mycht?

a. 1533.  Ld. Berners, Huon, xci. 291. Huon mette with hym so hastly that he had no layser to stryke hym.

1640.  Bp. Hall, Chr. Moder., I. viii. 75. The Jewes … hold, that after twenty yeares of age, who so finds (the lezer) in himselfe, is bound under paine of sin to marry.

  † b.  An opportunity. Obs.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Sqr.’s T., 485. Whil þat I haue a leyser and a space Myn harm I wol confessen.

1390.  Gower, Conf., II. 95. If so is, that I may hent Somtime amonge a good leiser. Ibid., II. 242. That she with him had [= might have] a leiser To speke and telle of her desir.

14[?].  Epiph., in Tundale’s Vis. (1843), 116. They haue a leysar found To take hor leyve.

1412–20.  Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. v. Euer eft on him she cast an eye Whan that she founde a leyser opportune. Ibid. (1430–40), Bochas, IX. xxxiii. (1554), 212 b. To their entent a leysure they did spie.

  2.  In narrower sense: Opportunity afforded by freedom from occupations.

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, iii. (St. Andrew), 999. Waitand bot lasare quhen he mycht purchess oportunitie.

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, XX. 234. Gif God will me gif Laser and space so lange till liff.

c. 1400.  Maundev. (Roxb.), xxx. 137. I … saw all þis … and mykill mare þan I hafe layser for to tell.

1489.  Caxton, Faytes of A., I. xxii. 70. Noo layser they had to putte hem self in ordynaunce.

1526.  Tindale, Mark iii. 20. They had nott leesar so moche as to eate breed.

1553.  T. Wilson, Rhet., Ep. A ij. I traveyled so muche as my leasure myghte serve therunto.

1599.  Shaks., Much Ado, III. ii. 84. If your leisure seru’d, I would speake with you.

1667.  Milton, P. L., X. 510. He wonderd, but not long Had leasure, wondring at himself now more.

1712.  Addison, Spect., No. 418, ¶ 5. It does not give us Time or Leisure to reflect on ourselves.

1791.  Mrs. Radcliffe, Rom. Forest, ii. They had leisure to laugh at their late terrors.

1857.  Buckle, Civiliz., I. ii. 38. As long as every man is engaged in collecting the materials necessary for his own subsistence, there will be neither leisure nor taste for higher pursuits.

  b.  Duration of opportunity; time allowed before it is too late. Now rare.

1553.  Bale, Vocacyon, 41. More than .xxvj. dayes of layser for the payment therof [of the ransom] might not be graunted.

1555.  Eden, Decades, 100. That Tumanama … myght haue no leasure to assemble an armye.

1603.  Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 1331. The Turkes had scarce leasure to leape to land, and to flie into the country.

1781.  Gibbon, Decl. & F., xxxi. III. 259. The unfortunate youth had scarcely leisure to deplore the elevation of his family.

1818.  Jas. Mill, Brit. India, II. V. v. 547. The authority of the government of Batavia, for whose sanction there was no leisure to wait.

1828.  Scott, F. M. Perth, xxix. He found himself unexpectedly in Eachin’s close neighbourhood, with scarce leisure to avoid him.

1846.  J. Baxter, Libr. Pract. Agric. (ed. 4), I. 383. The young blades in the field have leisure to expand and grow again before the scythe returns to cut them down a second time.

  3.  The state of having time at one’s own disposal; time that one can spend as one pleases; free or unoccupied time.

13[?].  K. Alis., 234. Heo thougte heo wolde him y-here, Whan heo was of more leisere.

1479.  in Eng. Gilds (1870), 413. I … praye [them] … at theire ceasons of leysoure to rede … this present boke.

c. 1540.  Gardiner, in Strype, Cranmer, II. (1694), 75. To spend some of my laysor to wryte … to your G[race] who hath lesse laysor.

1576.  Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 255. To the perfourmance of such an enterprise, much leasure and labour is required.

c. 1600.  Shaks., Sonn., xxxix. Oh absence what a torment wouldst thou proue Were it not thy soure leisure gaue sweet leaue To entertaine the time with thoughts of loue.

1672.  Temple, Ess. Govt., Wks. 1731, I. 97. Where Ambition and Avarice have made no Entrance, the Desire of Leisure is much more Natural, than of Business and Care.

1780.  Johnson, Lett. to Mrs. Thrale, 25 Aug. I am not grown, I am afraid, less idle; and of idleness I am now paying the fine by having no leisure.

1830.  D’Israeli, Chas. I., III. vi. 91. Charles commanded his Lordship to employ some of his leisure in a dramatic composition.

1887.  Ruskin, Præterita, II. 143. The first volume of ‘Modern Painters’ took the best of the winter’s leisure.

  personified.  1632.  Milton, Penseroso, 49. And adde to these retired Leasure, That in trim Gardens takes his pleasure.

  b.  In particularized sense: A period or spell of unoccupied time. Now rare.

c. 1449.  Pecock, Repr., II. xv. 236. That thei go in pilgrimage thanne or in sum other leiser which thei wolen to hem silf point.

a. 1535.  Fisher, Wks. (E.E.T.S.), 432. To spare a leysoure for hym to here the bottom of his mynde.

1597.  Morley, Introd. Mus., 115. I will then take my leaue of you for this time, till my next leisure.

1654.  R. Codrington, trans. Iustine, I. 2. In the leisures which in this City I enjoyed.

1856.  Emerson, Eng. Traits, Lit., Wks. (Bohn), II. 110. It is because he [Bacon] had imagination, [and] the leisures of the spirit … that he is impressive to the imaginations of men.

1873.  Lowell, Among my Bks., Ser. II. 181. In keeping with that sense of endless leisures which it is one chief merit of the poem to suggest.

  c.  To tarry, attend or stay (upon) a person’s leisure: to wait until he is unoccupied; to wait his time. Also fig. arch.

1517.  in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. I. II. 4, note. If ye be not contente to tary my Leysure, departe when ye wille.

1535.  Coverdale, Ps. xxvi[i]. 14 [16]. O tary thou y^e Lordes leysure.

1595.  Shaks., John, II. i. 58. The aduerse windes Whose leisure I haue staid, haue giuen him time To land his Legions all as soone as I. Ibid. (1596), Merch. V., I. i. 68. Wee’ll make our leysures to attend on yours. Ibid. (1605), Macb., I. iii. 148. Worthy Macbeth, wee stay vpon your leysure.

1656.  Jeanes, Fuln. Christ, 91. Not contented to wait the Lords Leisure.

  † 4.  Leisureliness, deliberation. Obs.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 29370. Þe toþer [case] es of dorward or porter … þat clerk wit laiser smites oght.

1450–80.  Secreta Secret., 25. Ete with leyser and good masticacioun.

1486.  Surtees Misc. (1888), 55. Sex kinges … with certaine convenient laisour, avisedly shall commyt a ceptour unto Salamon.

1563–7.  Buchanan, Reform. St. Andros, Wks. (1892), 8. Tellyng … to thayme the lettres … in sik lasar that the barnis may easely writ eftyr his pronunciation.

1664.  Power, Exp. Philos., II. 123. Much leisure and accurateness were used in filling the Tube.

1677.  Marvell, Corr., cccvi. Wks. 1872–5, II. 563. I having presented him your letter, he read it with great leisure.

  5.  Phrases. a. At leisure: with free or unoccupied time at one’s disposal; without haste, with deliberation. Also with qualifying adjs., as all, best, convenient, full, less, more.

c. 1340.  Cursor M., 7239 (Trin.). Hir tyme she toke a leiser þere And whil he slepte kut his here.

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, V. 390. He … sat and ete at all lasare.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Pars. T., ¶ 761. Som folk stonden of hir owene wyl to eten at the lasse leyser.

1444.  Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 219. Whoo hath no dyneer at leyser must abyde, To staunche his hungir abyde upon his ffood.

c. 1450.  Merlin, 7. Go youre wey, and anothir tyme, we shall speke more at leyser.

1522.  Skelton, Why nat to Courte? 622. My lorde is nat at layser.

1590.  Shaks., Com. Err., IV. i. 100. I will debate this matter at more leisure.

1598.  Epulario, H iv. And so let it bake at leisure, strawing Sugar … vpon it.

1613.  Heywood, Silver Age, I. i. Wks. 1874, III. 92. The full circumstance I shall relate at leasure.

1655.  Fuller, Ch. Hist., I. v. § 17. We for the present are well at Leisure, we will present the Reader with the Description of their severall Principalities.

1687.  Congreve, Old Bach., V. i. (1693), 50. Marry’d in Haste, we may repent at leisure.

1823.  Byron, Juan, XIII. vi. Men love in haste, but they detest at leisure.

  Const. for; also inf. or a clause introduced by that.

1603.  Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 1250. They were not at liesure now to send such great forces as they had before used, into Hungarie.

1669.  Clarendon, Ess., Tracts (1727), 95. We complain … of those who are in place and authority … that they are never at leisure that we may speak to them.

1732.  Berkeley, Alciphr., VI. § 20. I am not at leisure to peruse the learned writings of divines.

1852.  Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., vii. The dinner being now fairly sent in, the whole kitchen was at leisure to gossip with her.

1875.  Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), V. 334. The wardens … shall be men of ability, and at leisure to take care of the public interest.

  b.  At one’s leisure: when one has unoccupied time at one’s disposal; at one’s ease or convenience. Also with adjs. as in a.

1481.  Caxton, Godfrey, Prol. 5. To whom I humbly beseche, at theyr leyzer and playsyr, to see & here redde this symple book. Ibid. (1483), G. de la Tour, D iv. Wherfore atte his beste leyser he showed her his deceyuable purpos.

c. 1592.  Shaks., Ven. & Ad., 518. A thousand kisses buyes my heart from me, And pay them at thy leisure, one by one. Ibid. (1601), Jul. C., III. i. 5. Trebonius doth desire you to ore-read (At your best leysure) that his humble suite. Ibid. (1605), Macb., II. i. 24. At your kind’st leysure. Ibid. (1605), Lear, II. iv. 232. Mend when ibou can’st, be better at thy leisure.

1636.  Sanderson, Serm. (1681), II. 48. [They] think they can continue in their sins … and then repent of them and forsake them at their leasure, whensoever they list.

1901.  Kipling, Kim, in Cassell’s Mag., Jan., 176/2. He would go to Umballa at his leisure.

  † c.  By leisure (also by good leisure): with deliberation, in a leisurely manner; at one’s leisure; in course of time, by degrees; slowly. Also (= Gr. σχολῇ), barely, not at all. Obs.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 65. Thilke Iuge is wys that soone vnderstondeth a matiere and Iuggeth by leyser.

1430–40.  Lydg., Bochas (1544), Prol. 34. From the trueth shall I not remoue But on the substance, by good leysar abyde.

c. 1483.  Caxton, Dialogues, viii. 46. William the brusshemaker Selleth the brusshes by leyzer.

1522.  More, De Quat. Noviss., Wks. 99/1. By the stuffing of his paunch so ful, it bringeth in by leysour, the dropsy [etc.].

1555.  in Strype, Eccl. Mem., III. App. xxxiii. 87. Let him tary, and … work by leysure.

1588.  Shaks., Tit. A., I. i. 301. Ile trust by Leisure him that mocks me once.

1589.  R. Harvey, Pl. Perc. (1590), 20. Though it take fire quickly, yet it takes light by leisure.

1607.  Collins, Serm. (1608), 41. He gaue order to Salomon to see to the execution of them by leasure.

1633.  Bp. Hall, Hard Texts, 1. Not all together and at once, nor in this perfect form, at first … but by leisure and degrees.

a. 1688.  Villiers (Dk. Buckhm.), To Celia, in Misc. Poems (1705), II. 54.

  † d.  In (good) leisure: at leisure. Obs.

c. 1315.  Shoreham, 61. Ine leyser other in haste.

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, iii. (St. Andrew), 904. Þe bischope … made hym chifte In gud lasere to here hyr schrift. Ibid., xxix. (Placidas), 34. He þat … penance to do here wil begyne & in gud lasare mend his syne.

  6.  attrib. often passing into adj. a. Of periods of time: = Free, unoccupied; occas. compared with more and most. † b. Leisurely (obs.). c. Leisured.

1669.  Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., IV. 161. Some will expect … other sort of Questions … For them, and their leisure time, I have inserted these … following.

1673.  O. Walker, Educ. (1677), 112. The product of his leasure hours.

1681.  Dryden, Abs. & Achit., 612. If any Leisure time he had from Pow’r.

1694.  Atterbury, Serm. (1723), I. 90. It did not establish it self like other kingdoms in a slow and leisure manner.

1712.  Arbuthnot, John Bull, III. vii. In his leisure minutes, he was posting his books.

1742.  Lond. & Country Brewer, I. (ed. 4), 34. By the leisure Putting over the Bowls of Water, the Goodness of the Malt is the more extracted and washed out … than if the Wort was drawn out hastily.

1772.  Ann. Reg., 198. This was the most leisure time of the year.

1785.  Burns, To Jas. Smith, iv. Hae ye a leisure-moment’s time To hear what’s comin?

1809.  Campbell, Gertr. Wyom., II. xiii. His leisure pace.

1841.  Catlin, N. Amer. Ind. (1844), I. xxiv. 194. A more leisure occasion.

1845.  Athenæum, 1 Feb., 110. That the leisure classes are not more misled and perverted than they are.

1850.  H. Miller, Footpr. Creat. (1874), 325. They are in part the fruits of a leisure fortnight spent this autumn.

1859.  Smiles, Self-Help, x. (1860), 258. This is an advantage which the working classes … certainly possess over the leisure classes.

1875.  Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), III. 249. Let us pass a leisure hour in story telling.