lease

¹

[ lees ]

noun

1. a contract renting land, buildings, etc., to another; a contract or instrument conveying property to another for a specified period or for a period determinable at the will of either lessor or lessee in consideration of rent or other compensation.
2. the property leased.
3. the period of time for which a lease is made:

   a five-year lease.

verb (used with object)

, leased, leas·ing.

1. to grant the temporary possession or use of (lands, tenements, etc.) to another, usually for compensation at a fixed rate; let:

   She plans to lease her apartment to a friend.

2. to take or hold by lease:

   He leased the farm from the sheriff.

   Synonyms: hire, charter, rent

verb (used without object)

, leased, leas·ing.

1. to grant a lease; let or rent:

   to lease at a lower rental.

lease

²

[ lees ]

noun

, Textiles.

1. a system for keeping the warp in position and under control by alternately crossing the warp yarn over and under the lease rods.
2. the order of drawing in the warp ends.

lease

¹

/ liːs /

noun

1. a contract by which property is conveyed to a person for a specified period, usually for rent
2. the instrument by which such property is conveyed
3. the period of time for which it is conveyed
4. a prospect of renewed health, happiness, etc

   a new lease of life

verb

1. to grant possession of (land, buildings, etc) by lease
2. to take a lease of (property); hold under a lease

lease

²

/ liːz /

noun

1. dialect.
   open pasture or common

lease

1. A contract that grants possession of property for a specified period of time in return for some kind of compensation.

Derived Forms

• ˈleasable, adjective
• ˈleaser, noun

Other Words From

• leasa·ble adjective
• leaseless adjective
• leaser noun
• un·leasa·ble adjective
• un·leased adjective
• well-leased adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lease¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English les, from Anglo-French les, Old French lais, leis, noun derivative of lesser “to lease,” literally, “let go,” ultimately from Latin laxāre to release; lax

Origin of lease²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English lese “length or coil of thread,” variant of lesh leash

Word History and Origins

Origin of lease¹

C15: via Anglo-French from Old French lais (n), from laissier to let go, from Latin laxāre to loosen

Origin of lease²

Old English lǣs; perhaps related to Old Norse lāth property

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. a new lease on life, a chance to improve one's situation or to live longer or more happily:

   Plastic surgery gave him a new lease on life.

More idioms and phrases containing lease

see new lease on life .

Example Sentences

He gets a new lease on life when he’s tapped by a private investigator to go undercover at a San Francisco retirement home to dig into the theft of a missing heirloom.

From Los Angeles Times

If we had the opportunity to break our lease tomorrow and move into a place offering more space, we couldn’t.

From Salon

Brokers say getting rid of broker fees will actually lead to higher rents because landlords will refuse to pay brokers and instead include them in the rent — say, upping the rent by $400 a month, to spread out a $5,000 fee over a 12-month lease.

From Salon

“They’re the same issues, in part, that Republicans campaigned on and Trump campaigned on,” Schiff said in his first interview since voters on Tuesday gave him a six-year lease on the seat once held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

From Los Angeles Times

"You are going to see offshore lease sales, you are going to see pipelines move much quicker, you are going to see fracking on federal lands and a mindset that is focused on lowering energy costs for consumers."

From BBC

Related Words

• charter
• hire
• rent out
• sublet