Found 1 items, similar to Drop letter.
English → English (gcide) Definition: Drop letter 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. [1913 Webster] And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew. --Luke xxiii. 38. [1913 Webster] 2. A written or printed communication; a message expressed in intelligible characters on something adapted to conveyance, as paper, parchment, etc.; an epistle. [1913 Webster] The style of letters ought to be free, easy, and natural. --Walsh. [1913 Webster] 3. A writing; an inscription. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] None could expound what this letter meant. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster] 4. Verbal expression; literal statement or meaning; exact signification or requirement. [1913 Webster] 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. [1913 Webster] I broke the letter of it to keep the sense. --Tennyson. [1913 Webster] 5. (Print.) A single type; type, collectively; a style of type. [1913 Webster] Under these buildings . . . was the king's printing house, and that famous letter so much esteemed. --Evelyn. [1913 Webster] 6. pl. Learning; erudition; as, a man of letters. [1913 Webster] 7. pl. A letter; an epistle. [Obs.] --Chaucer. [1913 Webster] 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. [1913 Webster] 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. [1913 Webster] Drop \Drop\ (dr[o^]p), n. [OE. drope, AS. dropa; akin to OS. dropo, D. drop, OHG. tropo, G. tropfen, Icel. dropi, Sw. droppe; and Fr. AS. dre['o]pan to drip, drop; akin to OS. driopan, D. druipen, OHG. triofan, G. triefen, Icel. drj[=u]pa. Cf. Drip, Droop.] 1. The quantity of fluid which falls in one small spherical mass; a liquid globule; a minim; hence, also, the smallest easily measured portion of a fluid; a small quantity; as, a drop of water. [1913 Webster] With minute drops from off the eaves. --Milton. [1913 Webster] As dear to me as are the ruddy drops That visit my sad heart. -- Shak. [1913 Webster] That drop of peace divine. --Keble. [1913 Webster] 2. That which resembles, or that which hangs like, a liquid drop; as a hanging diamond ornament, an earring, a glass pendant on a chandelier, a sugarplum (sometimes medicated), or a kind of shot or slug. [1913 Webster] 3. (Arch.) (a) Same as Gutta. (b) Any small pendent ornament. [1913 Webster] 4. Whatever is arranged to drop, hang, or fall from an elevated position; also, a contrivance for lowering something; as: (a) A door or platform opening downward; a trap door; that part of the gallows on which a culprit stands when he is to be hanged; hence, the gallows itself. (b) A machine for lowering heavy weights, as packages, coal wagons, etc., to a ship's deck. (c) A contrivance for temporarily lowering a gas jet. (d) A curtain which drops or falls in front of the stage of a theater, etc. (e) A drop press or drop hammer. (f) (Mach.) The distance of the axis of a shaft below the base of a hanger. [1913 Webster] 5. pl. Any medicine the dose of which is measured by drops; as, lavender drops. [1913 Webster] 6. (Naut.) The depth of a square sail; -- generally applied to the courses only. --Ham. Nav. Encyc. [1913 Webster] 7. Act of dropping; sudden fall or descent. [1913 Webster] Ague drop, Black drop. See under Ague, Black. Drop by drop, in small successive quantities; in repeated portions. “Made to taste drop by drop more than the bitterness of death.” --Burke. Drop curtain. See Drop, n., 4. (d) . Drop forging. (Mech.) (a) A forging made in dies by a drop hammer. (b) The process of making drop forgings. Drop hammer (Mech.), a hammer for forging, striking up metal, etc., the weight being raised by a strap or similar device, and then released to drop on the metal resting on an anvil or die. Drop kick (Football), a kick given to the ball as it rebounds after having been dropped from the hands. Drop lake, a pigment obtained from Brazil wood. --Mollett. Drop letter, a letter to be delivered from the same office where posted. Drop press (Mech.), a drop hammer; sometimes, a dead-stroke hammer; -- also called drop. Drop scene, a drop curtain on which a scene is painted. See Drop, n., 4. (d) . Drop seed. (Bot.) See the List under Glass. Drop serene. (Med.) See Amaurosis. [1913 Webster]