lethe (2)

[Lat. letum.] Death. "Here didst thou fall; and here thy hunters stand, Signed in thy spoil, and crimsoned in thy lethe." Shakesp.: Julius Cæsar, iii. 1. Lê-the-ạn, Le-the-an, a . [Lat. Lethœus , from Lethe (1).] Pertaining to the river Lethe; causing forgetfulne or oblivion. "In the oblivious Lethæan gulf." Cowper: To His Father . (Transl.) *leth-eed, a. [Eng. lethe (1); -ed.] Forgetful, oblivious, unconscious. le-thě-on, s. (LETHE (1).] A name given to sulphuric ether, when used as an anesthetic. *le-the-on-ize, v . t . [Eng. lethe on; -ize.] To place under the influence of lethe on; to render unconscious. le-thif-er-oŭs, [Lat. lethum , letum =death; fero to bear, to bring, and Eng. adj. suff. -ous .] Causing death; fatal, deadly, mortal. leth-rus, s. [Etym. doubtful; cf. Gr. lathraios =hidden, concealed, and lythron or lythros filth, defilement.] Entom.: A genus of lamellicorn beetles, subfamily Geotrupinse. The species feed upon the eyes of the vine, and, if abundant, do great injury to vineyards. (1).] Causing forgetfulne or oblivion; lethean. *lēth-, a. [Lat. lethœus, from lethe.] [LETHE *le-tif-1-cate, v . i . [Lat. lætificatus , pa. par. of lætisico to gladden, to cheer; lætus =joyful, and facio to make.] To rejoice. *le-tif-i-ca-tion, s . [LET IF I CATE.] Rejoicing. "The shepherds of Christ by thee made let if i cation." Candle mas Day , Introd. (1512). Lê-tô, s. [Gr. Lētō , Lat. Latona , the mother of Apollo and Artemis.] Astron.: [ASTEROID, 68.] Lětt, s . [Sclavonic (?).] A native or inhabitant of the province of Livonia. *lette, v . t . [LET (2), v.] same epithet, as the epistles of St. Paul, St. Peter, St. John, St. Jude; and by an analogous rule, whatever poetry is written in the epistolary form is denominated an epistle rather than a letter , whether of ancient or modern date, as the epistles of Horace, or the epistles of Boileau. Letters and literature signify knowledge derived through the medium of written letters or books, that is, information; learn ing is confined to that which is communicated, that is, scholastic knowledge. Such an expre ion as men of letters , or the republic of letters , compre hends all who devote themselves to the cultivation of their minds; literary societies have for their object the diffusion of general information; learned societies propose to themselves the higher object of extending the bounds of science, and increasing the sum of human knowledge. 1. Letter of Attorney: [ATTORNEY.] *2. Letter of Credence: A letter intended to commend the bearer to the confidence of a third person; a commendatory letter. 3. Letter of Credit : [CREDIT. s.] 4. Letter of Marque : [MARQUE.] 5. Dead - letter : [DEAD.] 6. Signet - letter : [SIGNET.] 7. Letters Patent : A document i ued under the patent laws of this country securing to inventors exclusive rights in the creations of their genius.