Less

Unless. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

A terminating syllable of many nouns and some adjectives. It is the A-S. lēás, Goth. láus, O. Sax. & O. H. Ger. lōs, N. H. Ger. los, O. Eng. les, lees, allied to Eng. loose, from A-S. leósan, O. H. Ger. liosan, Goth. liusan, Eng. lose. Hence it is a privative word, denoting destitution; as, a witless man, a man destitute of wit; childless, without children; fatherless; faithless; penniless; lawless.

a. [A-S. lässa, m., lässe, f. and neut., for läsra, läsre; Icel. les, O. Fries. lessa, lessera. Less has the sense of the comparative degree of little. See infra.] Smaller; not so large or great; as, a less quantity or number; a horse of less size or value.

[A-S. läs. Cf. supra and LEAST.] Not so much; in a smaller or lower degree; as, less bright or loud; less beautiful.

1Sense 1. A smaller portion.

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

2Sense 2. The inferior; the younger.

The less is blessed of the better. Heb. vii. 7.

To make less; to lessen. [Obs.] Gower.