 |
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Lieve \Lieve\ (l[=e]v), adjective Same as {Lief}.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Lief \Lief\ (l[=e]f), adjective [Written also {lieve}.] [OE. leef, lef, leof, AS. le['o]f; akin to OS. liof, OFries. liaf, D. lief, G. lieb, OHG. liob, Icel. lj?fr, Sw. ljuf, Goth. liubs, and E. love. [root]124. See {Love}, and cf. {Believe}, {Leave}, n., {Furlough}, {Libidinous}.]
1. Dear; beloved. [Obs., except in poetry.] ''My liefe mother.'' --Chaucer. ''My liefest liege.'' --Shak.
As thou art lief and dear. --Tennyson.
2.
Note: (Used with a form of the verb to be, and the dative of the personal pronoun.) Pleasing; agreeable; acceptable; preferable. [Obs.] See {Lief}, adverb, and Had as lief, under {Had}.
Full lief me were this counsel for to hide. --Chaucer.
Death me liefer were than such despite. --Spenser.
3. Willing; disposed. [Obs.]
I am not lief to gab. --Chaucer.
He up arose, however lief or loth. --Spenser.
 |
Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |