conjunction
1.
for fear that; so that (one) should not (used negatively to introduce a clause expressive of an action or occurrence requiring caution): He kept his notes by his side lest faulty memory lead him astray.
2.
that (used after words expressing fear, danger, etc.): There was danger lest the plan become known.
Origin:
before 1000; Middle English leste, contraction of the lesse the, thi les the; late Old English the lǣste, earlier thȳ lǣs the, literally, whereby less that (thȳ instrumental case of the demonstrative and relative pronoun, lǣs less, the relative particle)
before 1000; Middle English leste, contraction of the lesse the, thi les the; late Old English the lǣste, earlier thȳ lǣs the, literally, whereby less that (thȳ instrumental case of the demonstrative and relative pronoun, lǣs less, the relative particle)
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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|
Link To lest
00:10
Lest
is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
lest (lɛst) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —conj | |
| 1. | so as to prevent any possibility that: he fled the country lest he be captured and imprisoned |
| 2. | (after verbs or phrases expressing fear, worry, anxiety, etc) for fear that; in case: he was alarmed lest she should find out |
| [Old English the lǣste, earlier thӯ lǣs the, literally: whereby less that] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
lest
c.1240, from O.E. phrase þy læs þe "whereby less that," from þy, instrumental case of demonstrative article þæt "that" + læs (see less) + þe "the." The þy was dropped and the other two words contracted into leste.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Even the docile mainstream media were forced to devote more coverage to the opposition, lest readers forsake them.
Meanwhile, the world's older dams are in dire need of refurbishment, lest the floods burst their bounds.
Lest you think my rhetoric too strong, look at what the great recession has wrought.
It is not surprising that she has to remain a mystery, lest the world drain her blood looking for her essence.
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