a written message addressed to a person or organization
<noun.communication> mailed an indignant letter to the editor
the conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech
<noun.communication> his grandmother taught him his letters
owner who lets another person use something (housing usually) for hire
<noun.person>
a strictly literal interpretation (as distinct from the intention)
<noun.communication> he followed instructions to the letter he obeyed the letter of the law
an award earned by participation in a school sport
<noun.communication> he won letters in three sports [ verb ]
win an athletic letter
<verb.possession>
set down or print with letters
<verb.creation>
mark letters on or mark with letters
<verb.creation>
Letter \Let"ter\, n. [From {Let} to hinder.] One who retards or hinders. [Archaic.]
Letter \Let"ter\, n. [OE. lettre, F. lettre, OF. letre, fr. L. littera, litera, a letter; pl., an epistle, a writing, literature, 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. See {Liniment}, and cf. {Literal}.] 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.
And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew. --Luke xxiii. 38.
2. A written or printed communication; a message expressed in intelligible characters on something adapted to conveyance, as paper, parchment, etc.; an epistle.
The style of letters ought to be free, easy, and natural. --Walsh.
3. A writing; an inscription. [Obs.]
None could expound what this letter meant. --Chaucer.
4. Verbal expression; literal statement or meaning; exact signification or requirement.
We must observe the letter of the law, without doing violence to the reason of the law and the intention of the lawgiver. --Jer. Taylor.
I broke the letter of it to keep the sense. --Tennyson.
5. (Print.) A single type; type, collectively; a style of type.
Under these buildings . . . was the king's printing house, and that famous letter so much esteemed. --Evelyn.
6. pl. Learning; erudition; as, a man of letters.
7. pl. A letter; an epistle. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
8. (Teleg.) A telegram longer than an ordinary message sent at rates lower than the standard message rate in consideration of its being sent and delivered subject to priority in service of regular messages. Such telegrams are called by the Western Union Company {day letters}, or {night letters} according to the time of sending, and by The Postal Telegraph Company {day lettergrams}, or {night lettergrams}. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
{Dead letter}, {Drop letter}, etc. See under {Dead}, {Drop}, etc.
{Letter book}, a book in which copies of letters are kept.
{Letter box}, a box for the reception of letters to be mailed or delivered.
{Letter carrier}, a person who carries letters; a postman; specif., an officer of the post office who carries letters to the persons to whom they are addressed, and collects letters to be mailed.
{Letter cutter}, one who engraves letters or letter punches.
{Letter lock}, a lock that can not be opened when fastened, unless certain movable lettered rings or disks forming a part of it are in such a position (indicated by a particular combination of the letters) as to permit the bolt to be withdrawn.
A strange lock that opens with AMEN. --Beau. & Fl.
{Letter paper}, paper for writing letters on; especially, a size of paper intermediate between note paper and foolscap. See {Paper}.
{Letter punch}, a steel punch with a letter engraved on the end, used in making the matrices for type.
{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}, {Letter of credit}, etc. See under {Attorney}, {Credit}, etc.
{Letter of license}, a paper by which creditors extend a debtor's time for paying his debts.
{Letters close} or {Letters clause} (Eng. Law.), letters or writs directed to particular persons for particular purposes, and hence closed or sealed on the outside; -- distinguished from {letters patent}. --Burrill.
{Letters of orders} (Eccl.), a document duly signed and sealed, by which a bishop makes it known that he has regularly ordained a certain person as priest, deacon, etc.
{Letters patent}, {Letters overt}, or {Letters open} (Eng. Law), 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. The common commercial {patent} is a derivative form of such a right.
{Letter-sheet envelope}, a stamped sheet of letter paper issued by the government, prepared to be folded and sealed for transmission by mail without an envelope.
{Letters testamentary} (Law), an instrument granted by the proper officer to an executor after probate of a will, authorizing him to act as executor.
{Letter writer}. (a) One who writes letters. (b) A machine for copying letters. (c) A book giving directions and forms for the writing of letters.
Letter \Let"ter\ (l[e^]t"t[~e]r), n. [From {Let} to permit.] One who lets or permits; one who lets anything for hire.
Letter \Let"ter\ (l[e^]t"t[~e]r), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Lettered} (-t[~e]rd); p. pr. & vb. n. {Lettering}.] To impress with letters; to mark with letters or words; as, a book gilt and lettered.
Attorney \At*tor"ney\, n.; pl. {Attorneys}. [OE. aturneye, OF. atorn['e], p. p. of atorner: cf. LL. atturnatus, attornatus, fr. attornare. See {Attorn}.] 1. A substitute; a proxy; an agent. [Obs.]
And will have no attorney but myself. --Shak.
2. (Law) (a) One who is legally appointed by another to transact any business for him; an attorney in fact. (b) A legal agent qualified to act for suitors and defendants in legal proceedings; an attorney at law.
Note: An attorney is either public or private. A private attorney, or an attorney in fact, is a person appointed by another, by a letter or power of attorney, to transact any business for him out of court; but in a more extended sense, this class includes any agent employed in any business, or to do any act in pais, for another. A public attorney, or attorney at law, is a practitioner in a court of law, legally qualified to prosecute and defend actions in such court, on the retainer of clients. --Bouvier. -- The attorney at law answers to the procurator of the civilians, to the solicitor in chancery, and to the proctor in the ecclesiastical and admiralty courts, and all of these are comprehended under the more general term lawyer. In Great Britain and in some states of the United States, attorneys are distinguished from counselors in that the business of the former is to carry on the practical and formal parts of the suit. In many states of the United States however, no such distinction exists. In England, since 1873, attorneys at law are by statute called solicitors.
{A power}, {letter}, or {warrant}, {of attorney}, a written authority from one person empowering another to transact business for him.
"We want you to communicate our concerns to the British government and we request that you advise us of the steps being undertaken by the U.S. government to adress the profound policy implications raised by this egregious deal," the letter said.
Mahallati's letter said "Iraqi forces ambushed our patrols" near Baneh, in the central sector of the front, 20 miles from the border with Iraq and about 310 miles west of Tehran.
Iraq did not offer such a letter, but the secretary-general said both countries told him they would restrain their armed forces.
Yesterday, MCorp said it had received "an additional proposal" from "a purchaser unrelated to the parties involved in the letter of intent."
The Monterrey-based conglomerate, flexing the renewed strength of Mexico's private sector, conveyed its offer in a public letter to Anchor Chairman Vincent J. Naimoli.
Noriega gave the papal nuncio, or representative, a letter for Pope John Paul II, Navarro said, adding he did not know its contents.
Michel and Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Calif., said in a joint letter to Foley.
The document was more conservative in tone than a draft pastoral letter released last spring by U.S. Roman Catholic bishops.
He died in 1915 when he was halfway through the letter `S.' The new edition also has been computerized, with the vocabulary of English since 1150 A.D. on a single data base to be available by home computer.
In a letter to the company's board of directors, United Airline's pilots, flight attendants and Machinists said they were prepared to negotiate as a group for the acquisition of stock through one or more employee stock ownership plans, or ESOPs.
He has recommended that Amoco's regional office in Denver use her as outside counsel, "solely on the basis of her letter."
"At the time the competing offer for $415 million was received, we had already signed a letter of intent with Hearst for $400 million," J.H. Creekmore, president of the endowment, said in a statement.
The insurance and financial services holding company signed a letter of intent to sell a controlling interest to an investor group for $4 a share.
Frank Janous, another East Holmes school board member, said he sent a letter of resignation last Friday after serving on the governing panel for more than 10 years.
In a letter sent to Philadelphia Electric officials last week, the NRC staff cited concerns about "the past inability of Philadelphia Electric Co. to self-identify problems and implement timely and effective corrective actions."
"It would be a very foolhardy thing for me to do to go flying without knowing what caused the blackout," Root said after receiving a letter informing him of the FAA decision.
"We consider our results to be unsatisfactory," said Chairman Edward Finkelstein, President Mark Handler and Executive Vice President Myron Ullman in a letter addressed to Macy investors.
The inspectors say: 'That company had no assets to meet such a liability.' They also criticise a 'comfort letter' from Blyth Dutton, Norton's solicitors.
The Walsh group's bid, in a letter to the Rochester, N.Y., sportswear concern, hardly comes as a surprise.
The Nebraska State Patrol said it was investigating the letter that Mrs. Orr received last August.
The Nov. 16 letter, parts of which were obtained by The Associated Press, said most of the export applications were referred to expert opinions at the State, Defense and Energy departments.
Send "How I Got Into College" a thin letter.
The letter pushed by Dukakis and Schaefer went beyond a milder mention that Republican Gov. Terry Branstad, outgoing chairman of the governors' organization, and Gardner made in a letter to Bush before the meeting.
The letter pushed by Dukakis and Schaefer went beyond a milder mention that Republican Gov. Terry Branstad, outgoing chairman of the governors' organization, and Gardner made in a letter to Bush before the meeting.
"I thought it was a particularly good letter and really sent home to us how much the experiences we have here in space can have an effect on the youngsters of America," Hauck said.
The auto maker began notifying dealers of the recall by letter yesterday.
"We have created the foundation and the structure of WHO's critical and ongoing role in global AIDS prevention and control," he wrote Nakajima in his letter of resignation.
Last month, more than 200 members of European parliaments wrote a joint letter to members of Congress, opposing aid to the contras fighting what the Europeans called, "the democratically elected government of Nicaragua."
Informed that he could not, he asked if the rejection letter from the American Society of Rejected Writers would count as a rejection.
"We very much want to make the highest bid you will receive to acquire Lucky Stores," American Stores Chairman L.S. Skaggs said in the letter.