2. (Lawn Tennis)
Defn: A stroke in which a ball touches the top of the net in passing over.
LET Let, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Let (Letted, [Obs].); p. pr. & vb. n. Letting.] Etym: [OE. leten, læten (past tense lat, let, p. p. laten, leten, lete), AS. lætan (past tense let, p. p. læten); akin to OFries. leta, OS. latan, D. laten, G. lessen, OHG. lazzan, Icel. lata, Sw. låta, Dan. lade, Goth. letan, and L. lassus weary. The original meaning seems to have been, to let loose, let go, let drop. Cf. Alas, Late, Lassitude, Let to hinder.]
1. To leave; to relinquish; to abandon. [Obs. or Archaic, except when followed by alone or be.] He . . . prayed him his voyage for to let Chaucer. Yet neither spins nor cards, ne cares nor frets, But to her mother Nature all her care she lets. Spenser. Let me alone in choosing of my wife. Chaucer.
2. To consider; to think; to esteem. [Obs.] Chaucer.
3. To cause; to make; — used with the infinitive in the active form but in the passive sense; as, let make, i. e., cause to be made; let bring, i. e., cause to be brought. [Obs.] This irous, cursed wretch Let this knight's son anon before him fetch. Chaucer. He . . . thus let do slay hem all three. Chaucer. Anon he let two coffers make. Gower.
4. To permit; to allow; to suffer; — either affirmatively, by positive act, or negatively, by neglecting to restrain or prevent.
Note: In this sense, when followed by an infinitive, the latter is commonly without the sign to; as to let us walk, i. e., to permit or suffer us to walk. Sometimes there is entire omission of the verb; as, to let [to be or to go] loose. Pharaoh said, I will let you go Ex. viii. 28. If your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is. Shak.
5. To allow to be used or occupied for a compensation; to lease; to rent; to hire out; — often with out; as, to let a farm; to let a house; to let out horses.
6. To give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or contract; — often with out; as, to let the building of a bridge; to let out the lathing and the plastering.