different between left vs ref

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English left, luft, leoft, lift, lyft, from Old English left, lyft (“weak, clumsy, foolish”), attested in Old English lyft?dl (“palsy, paralysis”), from Proto-Germanic *luft-, from *lubjan? (“to castrate, lop off”) (compare dialectal English lib, West Frisian lobje, Dutch lubben), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leup, *(s)lup (“hanging limply”). Compare Scots left (“left”), North Frisian lefts, leeft, leefts (“left”), West Frisian lofts (“left”), dialectal Dutch loof (“weak, worthless”), Low German lucht (“left”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /l?ft/
• Rhymes: -?ft

Adjective

left (comparative more left or lefter, superlative most left or leftmost)

1. Designating the side of the body toward the west when one is facing north; the opposite of right;.

   Synonyms: sinister, sinistral

   Antonyms: right, dexter, dextral

2. (politics) Pertaining to the political left.

   Antonym: right

Derived terms

Related terms

• left wing
• two left feet

Translations

Adverb

left (not comparable)

1. On the left side.

   Antonym: right

2. Towards the left side.

   Antonym: right

3. Towards the political left.

   Antonym: right

Derived terms

• left turn (interjection, verb)

Translations

Noun

left (plural lefts)

1. The left side or direction.

   Synonyms: 9 o'clock, port

2. (politics) The ensemble of left-wing political parties. Those holding left-wing views as a group.

3. The left hand or fist.
4. (boxing) A punch delivered with the left fist.
5. (surfing) A wave breaking from left to right (viewed from the shore).

   Antonym: right

Derived terms

• lefty

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English left, variant of laft (“remaining, left”), from Old English l?fd, ?el?fd, past participle of l?fan (“to leave”). More at leave.

Verb

left

1. simple past tense and past participle of leave (“depart, separate from; (cause or allow to) remain”).

Translations

Etymology 3

From Middle English levit, ilevet, y-levyd, from Old English ?el?fd, ?el?fed, past participle of Old English ?el?fan, l?fan (“to allow, permit”), equivalent to leave (“to give leave to, allow, grant, permit”) +? -ed.

Verb

left

1. simple past tense and past participle of leave (“permit”).

2. simple past tense and past participle of leave (“have a remnant”).

References

• The Concise Dictionary of English Etymology, Walter W. Skeat.

Anagrams

• FELT, Felt, TEFL, felt, flet

English

Etymology

Clipping of referee

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /??f/
• Rhymes: -?f

Noun

ref (plural refs)

1. (informal) A referee.
2. (Philippines, informal) A refrigerator.
3. Abbreviation of reference.
4. Abbreviation of refectory.

Verb

ref (third-person singular simple present refs, present participle reffing, simple past and past participle reffed)

1. (informal, transitive, intransitive) To referee; to act as a referee in a sport or game.
   • 1982, Stephen King, Survivor Type

     On the block when we were growing up we called him Ronnie the Enforcer because he umped all the stickball games and reffed the hockey.

Anagrams

• FER, RFE, erf, f***er, fer

Icelandic

Noun

ref

1. indefinite accusative singular of refur
2. indefinite dative singular of refur

Middle English

Noun

ref

1. Alternative form of reif

Swedish

Noun

ref

1. Obsolete spelling of räv

See also

• referee

Anagrams

• fre