3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Letter  \Let"ter\,  n.  [OE.  lettre,  F.  lettre,  OF  letre,  fr  L. 
  littera,  litera,  a  letter;  pl.,  an  epistle,  a  writing, 
  literature,  fr  linere,  litum,  to  besmear,  to  spread  or  rub 
  over  because  one  of  the  earliest  modes  of  writing  was  by 
  graving  the  characters  upon  tablets  smeared  over  or  covered 
  with  wax.  --Pliny,  xiii.  11.  See  {Liniment},  and  cf 
  {Literal}.] 
  1.  A  mark  or  character  used  as  the  representative  of  a  sound, 
  or  of  an  articulation  of  the  human  organs  of  speech;  a 
  first  element  of  written  language. 
 
  And  a  superscription  also  was  written  over  him  in 
  letters  of  Greek,  and  Latin,  and  Hebrew.  --Luke 
  xxiii.  38. 
 
  2.  A  written  or  printed  communication;  a  message  expressed  in 
  intelligible  characters  on  something  adapted  to 
  conveyance,  as  paper,  parchment,  etc.;  an  epistle. 
 
  The  style  of  letters  ought  to  be  free  easy,  and 
  natural.  --Walsh. 
 
  3.  A  writing;  an  inscription.  [Obs.] 
 
  None  could  expound  what  this  letter  meant 
  --Chaucer. 
 
  4.  Verbal  expression;  literal  statement  or  meaning;  exact 
  signification  or  requirement. 
 
  We  must  observe  the  letter  of  the  law,  without  doing 
  violence  to  the  reason  of  the  law  and  the  intention 
  of  the  lawgiver.  --Jer.  Taylor. 
 
  I  broke  the  letter  of  it  to  keep  the  sense 
  --Tennyson. 
 
  5.  (Print.)  A  single  type  type  collectively;  a  style  of 
  type 
 
  Under  these  buildings  .  .  .  was  the  king's  printing 
  house,  and  that  famous  letter  so  much  esteemed. 
  --Evelyn. 
 
  6.  pl  Learning;  erudition;  as  a  man  of  letters. 
 
  7.  pl  A  letter;  an  epistle.  [Obs.]  --Chaucer. 
 
  {Dead  letter},  {Drop  letter},  etc  See  under  {Dead},  {Drop}, 
  etc 
 
  {Letter  book},  a  book  in  which  copies  of  letters  are  kept. 
 
  {Letter  box},  a  box  for  the  reception  of  letters  to  be  mailed 
  or  delivered. 
 
  {Letter  carrier},  a  person  who  carries  letters;  a  postman; 
  specif.,  an  officer  of  the  post  office  who  carries  letters 
  to  the  persons  to  whom  they  are  addressed,  and  collects 
  letters  to  be  mailed. 
 
  {Letter  cutter},  one  who  engraves  letters  or  letter  punches. 
 
 
  {Letter  lock},  a  lock  that  can  not  be  opened  when  fastened, 
  unless  certain  movable  lettered  rings  or  disks  forming  a 
  part  of  it  are  in  such  a  position  (indicated  by  a 
  particular  combination  of  the  letters)  as  to  permit  the 
  bolt  to  be  withdrawn. 
 
  A  strange  lock  that  opens  with  AMEN.  --Beau.  &  Fl 
 
  {Letter  paper},  paper  for  writing  letters  on  especially,  a 
  size  of  paper  intermediate  between  note  paper  and 
  foolscap.  See  {Paper}. 
 
  {Letter  punch},  a  steel  punch  with  a  letter  engraved  on  the 
  end  used  in  making  the  matrices  for  type 
 
  {Letters  of  administration}  (Law),  the  instrument  by  which  an 
  administrator  or  administratrix  is  authorized  to 
  administer  the  goods  and  estate  of  a  deceased  person. 
 
  {Letter  of  attorney},  {Letter  of  credit},  etc  See  under 
  {Attorney},  {Credit},  etc 
 
  {Letter  of  license},  a  paper  by  which  creditors  extend  a 
  debtor's  time  for  paying  his  debts. 
 
  {Letters  close  or  clause}  (Eng.  Law.),  letters  or  writs 
  directed  to  particular  persons  for  particular  purposes, 
  and  hence  closed  or  sealed  on  the  outside;  -- 
  distinguished  from  letters  patent.  --Burrill. 
 
  {Letters  of  orders}  (Eccl.),  a  document  duly  signed  and 
  sealed,  by  which  a  bishop  makes  it  known  that  he  has 
  regularly  ordained  a  certain  person  as  priest,  deacon, 
  etc 
 
  {Letters  patent},  {overt},  or  {open}  (Eng.  Law),  a  writing 
  executed  and  sealed,  by  which  power  and  authority  are 
  granted  to  a  person  to  do  some  act  or  enjoy  some  right 
  as  letters  patent  under  the  seal  of  England. 
 
  {Letter-sheet  envelope},  a  stamped  sheet  of  letter  paper 
  issued  by  the  government,  prepared  to  be  folded  and  sealed 
  for  transmission  by  mail  without  an  envelope. 
 
  {Letters  testamentary}  (Law),  an  instrument  granted  by  the 
  proper  officer  to  an  executor  after  probate  of  a  will 
  authorizing  him  to  act  as  executor. 
 
  {Letter  writer}. 
  a  One  who  writes  letters. 
  b  A  machine  for  copying  letters. 
  c  A  book  giving  directions  and  forms  for  the  writing  of 
  letters. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Overt  \O"vert\,  a.  [OF.  overt,  F.  ouvert,  p.  p.  of  OF  ovrir  F. 
  ouvrir  to  open  of  uncertain  origin;  cf  It  aprire  OIt. 
  also  oprire  L.  aperire  to  open  operire  to  cover,  deoperire 
  to  uncover.  Perch.  from  L.  aperire  influenced  by  F.  couvrir 
  to  cover.  Cf  {Aperient},  {Cover}.] 
  1.  Open  to  view;  public;  apparent;  manifest. 
 
  Overt  and  apparent  virtues  bring  forth  praise. 
  --Bacon. 
 
  2.  (Law)  Not  covert;  open  public;  manifest;  as  an  overt  act 
  of  treason.  --Macaulay. 
 
  No  person  shall  be  convicted  of  treason  unless  on 
  the  testimony  of  two  witnesses  to  the  same  overt 
  act  or  on  confession  in  open  court.  --Constitution 
  of  the  U.  S. 
 
  Note:  In  criminal  law,  an  overt  act  is  an  open  done  in 
  pursuance  and  manifestation  of  a  criminal  design;  the 
  mere  design  or  intent  not  being  punishable  without  such 
  act  In  English  law,  market  overt  is  an  open  market;  a 
  pound  overt  is  an  open  uncovered  pound. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  overt 
  adj  :  open  and  observable;  not  secret  or  hidden;  "an  overt  lie"; 
  "overt  hostility";  "overt  intelligence  gathering"  [syn: 
  {open}]  [ant:  {covert}] 

browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
or search   thesauri dictionary search words