lose

verb (lost; losing) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English losian to perish, lose, from los destruction; akin to Old English lēosan to lose; akin to Old Norse losa to loosen, Latin luere to atone for, Greek lyein to loosen, dissolve, destroy Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. a. to bring to destruction — used chiefly in passive construction <

the ship was lost on the reef

> b. damn <

if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul — Matthew 16:26 (Authorized Version)

> 2. to miss from one's possession or from a customary or supposed place 3. to suffer deprivation of ; part with especially in an unforeseen or accidental manner 4. a. to suffer loss through the death or removal of or final separation from (a person) b. to fail to keep control of or allegiance of <

lose votes

> <

lost his temper

> 5. a. to fail to use ; let slip by ; waste <

no time to lose

> b. (1) to fail to win, gain, or obtain <

lose a prize

> <

lose a contest

> (2) to undergo defeat in <

lost every battle

> c. to fail to catch with the senses or the mind <

lost what she said

> 6. to cause the loss of <

careless statements lost him the election

> 7. to fail to keep, sustain, or maintain <

lost my balance

> 8. a. to cause to miss one's way or bearings <

lost himself in the maze of streets

> b. to make (oneself) withdrawn from immediate reality <

lost herself in daydreaming

> 9. a. to wander or go astray from <

lost his way

> b. to draw away from ; outstrip <

lost his pursuers

> 10. to fail to keep in sight or in mind 11. to free oneself from ; get rid of <

dieting to lose weight

> <

thinks he should lose the toupee

> 12. slang regurgitate, vomit — often used in such phrases as lose one's lunch intransitive verb 1. to undergo deprivation of something of value 2. to undergo defeat <

lose with good grace

> 3. of a timepiece to run slow • losable adjective • losableness noun