left

For the verb: "to leave"

Simple Past:	left
Past Participle:	left

Multiple Entries:
  left    leave  

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
left1

▶adjective

• 1 on, towards, or relating to the side of a human body or of a thing which is to the west when the person or thing is facing north.

• 2 relating to a left-wing person or group.

▶adverb on or to the left side. ▶noun

• 1 (the left) the left-hand part, side, or direction.

  ■ a left turn.

  ■ a person's left fist, or a blow given with it.

• 2 (often the Left) [treated as sing. or pl.] a group or party favouring radical, reforming, or socialist views.

– phrases
have two left feet be clumsy or awkward.
left, right, and centre (also left and right or right and left) on all sides.

– derivatives
leftish adjective,
leftmost adjective,
leftward adjective & adverb,
leftwards adverb.

– origin OE lyft, left ‘weak’, of W. Gmc origin.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
left2

past and past participle of leave1.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
leave1

▶verb (past and past part. left)

• 1 go away from.

  ■ depart from permanently: he left home at 16.

  ■ cease attending or working for (an organization, school, etc.).

  ■ abandon (a spouse or partner).

• 2 allow or cause to remain.

  ■ (often leave someone/thing behind) go away from a place without taking (someone or something).

  ■ have as (a surviving relative) after one's death.

  ■ (leave something off) omit to add or put on something.

  ■ (leave someone/thing out) fail to include someone or something.

• 3 (be left) remain to be used or dealt with.

• 4 deposit (something) to be collected or attended to.

• 5 cause to be in a particular state or position.

  ■ let (someone) do or deal with something without offering help or assistance.

  ■ (leave something to) entrust a decision, choice, or action to.

• 6 (often leave something to) bequeath (something).

• 7 (leave off) discontinue (an activity).

▶noun (in snooker, croquet, etc.) the position in which a player leaves the balls for the next player.

– phrases
be left for dead be abandoned as being almost dead or certain to die.
be left to oneself be left alone or allowed to do what one wants.
leave someone be informal refrain from disturbing or interfering with someone.
leave go Brit. informal remove one's hold.
leave hold of cease holding.
leave much (or a lot) to be desired be very unsatisfactory.

– derivatives
leaver noun.

– origin OE lǣfan, of Gmc origin.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
leave2

▶noun

• 1 (also leave of absence) time when one has permission to be absent from work or duty.

• 2 formal permission.

– phrases
take one's leave formal say goodbye.
take leave to do something formal venture or presume to do something.

– origin OE lēaf ‘permission’, of W. Gmc origin; rel. to lief and love.