a. [ OE. lesse, AS. l&aemacr_;ssa; akin to OFries. lēssa; a compar. from a lost positive form. Cf. Lesser, Lest, Least. Less has the sense of the comparative degree of little. ] Smaller; not so large or great; not so much; shorter; inferior; as, a less quantity or number; a horse of less size or value; in less time than before. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The substantive which less qualifies is often omitted; as, the purse contained less (money) than ten dollars. See Less, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thus in less [ time ] than a hundred years from the coming of Augustine, all England became Christian. E. A. Freeman. [ 1913 Webster ]

Less

conj. Unless. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Less

v. t. To make less; to lessen. [ Obs. ] Gower. [ 1913 Webster ]

Less

n. 1. A smaller portion or quantity. [ 1913 Webster ]

The children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. Ex. xvi. 17. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The inferior, younger, or smaller. [ 1913 Webster ]

The less is blessed of the better. Heb. vii. 7. [ 1913 Webster ]

Less

adv. [ AS. l&aemacr_;s. See Less, adj., and cf. Lest. ] Not so much; in a smaller or lower degree; as, less bright or loud; less beautiful. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lessee

n. [ F. laissé, p. p. of laisser. See Lease, v. t. ] (Law) The person to whom a lease is given, or who takes an estate by lease. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lessen

v. i. To become less; to shrink; to contract; to decrease; to be diminished; as, the apparent magnitude of objects lessens as we recede from them; his care, or his wealth, lessened. [ 1913 Webster ]

The objection lessens much, and comes to no more than this: there was one witness of no good reputation. Atterbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lessen

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Lessened p. pr. & vb. n. Lessening. ] [ From Less, a. ] To make less; to reduce; to make smaller, or fewer; to diminish; to lower; to degrade; as, to lessen a kingdom, or a population; to lessen speed, rank, fortune. [ 1913 Webster ]

Charity . . . shall lessen his punishment. Calamy. [ 1913 Webster ]

St. Paul chose to magnify his office when ill men conspired to lessen it. Atterbury.

Syn. -- To diminish; reduce; abate; decrease; lower; impair; weaken; degrade. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lessener

n. One who, or that which, lessens. [ 1913 Webster ]

His wife . . . is the lessener of his pain, and the augmenter of his pleasure. J. Rogers (1839). [ 1913 Webster ]

lessening

adj. becoming less in dimension or degree; as, the lessening distance between us. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

WordNet (3.0) WordNet (3.0)

lesseps

(n) French diplomat who supervised the construction of the Suez Canal (1805-1894), Syn. Ferdinand de Lesseps, Vicomte Ferdinand Marie de Lesseps

lesser

(adj) of less size or importance, Ant. greater, Example:the lesser anteater; the lesser of two evils

lesser

(adj) smaller in size or amount or value, Example:the lesser powers of Europe; the lesser anteater

lesser antilles

(n) a group of islands in the southeastern West Indies, Syn. Caribees

lesser ape

(n) gibbons and siamangs

lesser bullrush

(n) reed maces of America, Europe, North Africa, Asia, Syn. narrow-leaved reedmace, soft flag, narrow-leaf cattail, Typha angustifolia

lesser butterfly orchid

(n) south European orchid having fragrant greenish-white flowers; sometimes placed in genus Habenaria, Syn. Habenaria bifolia, Platanthera bifolia

lesser calamint

(n) low-growing strongly aromatic perennial herb of southern Europe to Great Britain; naturalized in United States, Syn. Satureja calamintha glandulosa, field balm, Calamintha nepeta glantulosa, Satureja nepeta, Calamintha nepeta

lesser celandine

(n) perennial herb native to Europe but naturalized elsewhere having heart-shaped leaves and yellow flowers resembling buttercups; its tuberous roots have been used as a poultice to relieve piles, Syn. Ranunculus ficaria, pilewort

lesser centaury

(n) common European glabrous annual centaury with flowers in dense cymes, Syn. Centaurium minus

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