Letter

n. [Eng. let.] 1. One who lets or permits. 2. One who retards or hinders.

n. [O. Eng. lettre, Fr. lettre, O. Fr. letre, Pr. lettera, letra, Sp. & Pg. letra, It. lettera, Lat. littera, litera, 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.]

1Sense 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.

2Sense 2. A written or printed message; an epistle; a communication made by visible characters from one person to another at a distance.

The style of letters ought to be free, easy, and natural. Walsh.

3Sense 3. Verbal expression; literal statement.

We must observe the letter of the law, without doing violence to the reason of the law and the intentions of the law-giver. Bp. Taylor.

4Sense 4. (Print.) (a.) A character formed of metal or wood, usually of metal, and used in printing books. (b.) Types used for printing;—spoken of in general or collectively; the quantity of type in a given place, as a printing-office.

Under these buildings . . . was the king's printing-house, and that famous letter such much esteemed. Evelyn.

5Sense 5. (pl.) Learning; erudition; as, a man of letters.

Dead letter, and dead letter office. See DEAD.—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, a writing by which one person authorizes another to act in his stead.—Letter of credit, a letter authorizing credit to a certain amount of money to be given to the bearer.—Letter of license, a paper by which creditors allow an unfortunate debtor time to pay his debts.—Letter of marque, or letter of marque and reprisal, a commission given to a private ship by a government to make reprisals on the ships of another state; hence, the ship thus commissioned. See MARQUE.—Letters close, letters or writs closed up and sealed on the outside, as distinguished from letters patent.—Letters patent, overt, or open, 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.—Letters testamentary, an instrument granted by the proper officer to an executor after probate of a will, authorizing him to act as executor.