_leisure _
Noun.
Plural: leisures.
Pronunciation and accent: lɛʒ(jʊ)ə(r), liːʒ(jʊ)ə(r).
Etymology: from Old French leisir (= permission), which is derived from Latin licere (= to be permitted). The Old French leisir became the Modern French loisir.
1. The possibility or opportunity for someone to do something, as if licenced by the circumstance of not being busied in something else.
Translation: loisir, in French; oportunidad (de hacer algo), in Spanish; opportunità (di fare qualcosa), in Italian.
Antonyms: inopportunity, impossibility.
"Let us retire to the rear room for a few moments of conversation, if you have the leisure," said Baugh.
Andy Adams… Cattle Brands
The marks of hair powder on his coat collar, and the ill-washed and worse tied white neckerchief round his throat, showed that he had not found leisure since he left the court to make any alteration in his dress.
Percy Fitzgerald… Bardell v. Pickwick
-) With the preposition for + a noun or gerund:
Emily, who had put two or three books into the carriage, on leaving La Vallee, had now the leisure for looking into them.
Ann Radcliffe… The Mysteries Of Udolpho
I, indeed, have not much leisure for such a task.
Ann Radcliffe… The Mysteries Of Udolpho
He said if I would go with him to his country house, about twenty miles distant, where his estate lay, there would be more leisure for this kind of conversation.
J. Swift… Gulliver’s Travels
Her early education was not conducted on any regular plan. Her father, […], had little leisure for superintending it.
Mary Brunton… Discipline
-) Followed by infinitive:
[…] the travellers had leisure to linger amid these solitudes.
Ann Radcliffe… The Mysteries Of Udolpho
At all this I was much astonished; but I had no leisure to think.
Edgar Poe
William, that his enemies might have no leisure to recover from their consternation or unite their counsels, immediately put himself in motion after his victory, and resolved to prosecute an enterprize, which nothing but celerity and vigour could render finally successful.
David Hume… The History of England
Our designation was so unexpected, and departure so sudden, that we had scarce leisure to turn a thought on the separation about to take place from our fellow laborers.
Charles Stewart… A residence in the Sandwich Islands
[…] he found himself unexpectedly in Eachin’s close neighbourhood, with scarce leisure to avoid him.
Walter Scott… Waverley novels, vol. 43
I bought my admittances without a moment's delay, and the man who sold me my reserve seats had even leisure to call me back and ask to look at the change he had given me, mostly nickels.
William Howells… Literature and Life
There was no leisure for her to consider longer if she would be home again that night; and returning to the railway she waited on a seat without eating or drinking till a train was ready to take her back.
Thomas Hardy… Two on a tower
2. The state of one person who is unbusied; this is, the state or circumstance in which someone is not busied in something (which may be inferred from the context, or designated by a noun preceded by the preposition from).
Translation: loisir, in French; ocio, in Spanish; ozio, in Italian.
Antonyms: business, activity, activeness.
Synonyms: inactivity, vacancy, unbusiness.
Before detailing an improved method of hoeing turnips discovered by me during theleisure from public duties.
Journal of the royal agricultural society
Having leisure from wars and intrigues, he felt the unsatisfactory nature of all human enjoyments.
David Hume… The History of England
As we have had very little opportunity of improving our monumental knowledge since leaving Barkal, and had much leisure in our boat, I employed myself specially during this time with a comparison and research, […], of the Nubian language, which is spoken in this part of the country.
Richard Lepsius… Letters from Egypt…
[…] afloat there are moments of quiet and peace—the still night for reflection, the watch for meditation; and even the adverse wind or tide leaves moments of leisure which may be employed to advantage.
Frederick Marryat… Jacob Faithful
In the morning he tramped through the woods and climbed the hills with Jeff Durgin, who seemed never to do anything about the farm, and had a leisure unbroken by anything except a rare call from his mother to help her in the house.
William Howells… The Landlord at Lion's Head
It is the women with us who have the most leisure, and they read the most books.
William Howells… Literature and Life
This was the young poet […], who wrote poetry in such leisure as he found from his duties.
William Howells… Literature and Life
[…] I had nearly four years of nearly uninterrupted leisure at Venice, which I meant to employ in reading all Italian literature, and writing a history of the republic.
William Howells… Literature and Life
We people of leisure, or comparative leisure, have really nothing in common with you people who work with your hands for a living.
William Howells… Annie Howells
If we had travelled with more leisure, it had not been fit to have neglected the Popish Islands.
Samuel Johnson… The Western Isles of Scotland
The Jew motioned to the Dodger to place what eatables there were, upon the table; and, seating himself opposite the housebreaker, waited his leisure.
Charles Dickens… Oliver Twist
“Do you required present rest, lady?” he asked, gently. “If so, we will tarry your leisure. Or does it please you to proceed now? We shall reach an auberge a few miles from the city, before the hour of dinner.”
Laura Valentine… The ransom
If it please you to command me any service, I am here ready to attend your leisure.
John Lyly… Prose and dramatic work
-) Idioms: at leisure, at one’s leisure: having the circumstance of leisure; being unbusied and with the possibility to do something without haste or constraint; leisurely
Think better of it, I entreat you! Remember the proverb, "Marry in haste and repent at leisure."'
Thomas Hardy… A changed man and other tales
She was hastily retiring, when Montoni's voice arrested her, and, in a faultering accent, she said,—'I would speak with you, Signor Montoni, if you are at leisure.'
Ann Radcliffe… The Mysteries Of Udolpho
Leaving her and Oliver to compare notesat leisure, Mr. Brownlow led the way into another room.
Charles Dickens… Oliver Twist
[…] stories were told of perilous bargains made in a hurry and repented of at leisure.
Edgar Poe
We were soon at leisure to examine the place with minute inspection, and found many cavities which, as the waterman told us, went backward to a depth which they had never explored.
Samuel Johnson… The Western Isles of Scotland
"She has nothing to say, madam," cried Cecilia, "that the whole world may not hear. Neither is it my purpose to talk, but to listen, if Mr Belfield is at leisure to favour me with his advice."
Frances Burney… Cecilia
Jones expressed great astonishment and no less concern at this account, but without making any comment or observation upon it. And now a message was brought from Mr Blifil, desiring to know if his uncle was at leisure that he might wait upon him.
Henry Fielding… The History of Tom Jones
I pulled a chair to the side of the bed, and contemplated her cunt at my leisure.
Walter… My secret life
"I wish to have a private conference with you two," said he, when he had surveyed me at his leisure.
Charles Dickens… Great expectations
Please to examine, at your leisure, the inner linings of the cuff of his left sleeve, and the several little packages which may be found in the somewhat capacious pockets of his embroidered morning wrapper.
Edgar Poe
I did not quit Mr Knapps until I had run through the alphabet, and then returned to my place, that I might con it over at my leisure, puzzling myself with the strange complexity of forms of which the alphabet was composed.
Frederick Marryat… Jacob Faithful
-) This idiom may be qualified by adjectives as less, more, all, best, etc.:
In our way we found several places remarkable enough in themselves, but already described by those who viewed them at more leisure, or with much more skill.
Samuel Johnson… The Western Isles of Scotland
Other English words derived from, or compounded with one of the radicals of Latin licere: licence (noun, verb), license (noun, verb), illicit, licentiate (noun, verb), licentious, licenceless, licensable, licensed, licensee, licenser, licensing, licensure, licentiateship, licentiating, licentiation, licentious, licentiously, licentiousness, licit, licitly, licitness, illicit, illicitly, illicitness, unlicentious, unlicensed.
Other English words derived from LEISURE: leisurely (adj., adv.), leisure (verb), leisurable, leisurably, leisured, leisureful, leisureless, leisureliness, leisureness.
