letter

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A written symbol or character representing a speech sound and being a component of an alphabet.
2. n. A written symbol or character used in the graphemic representation of a word, such as the h in Thames. See Note at Thames.
3. n. A written or printed communication directed to a person or organization.
4. n. A certified document granting rights to its bearer. Often used in the plural.
5. n. Literal meaning: had to adhere to the letter of the law.
6. n. Literary culture; belles-lettres.
7. n. Learning or knowledge, especially of literature.
8. n. Literature or writing as a profession.
9. n. Printing A piece of type that prints a single character.
10. n. Printing A specific style of type.
11. n. Printing The characters in one style of type.
12. n. An emblem in the shape of the initial of a school awarded for outstanding performance, especially in varsity athletics.
13. v. To write letters on.
14. v. To write in letters.
15. v. To write or form letters.
16. v. To earn a school letter, as for outstanding athletic achievement: She lettered in three collegiate sports.
17. idiom. to the letter To the last detail; exactly: followed instructions to the letter.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. One who lets or permits.
2. n. One who lets for hire.
3. n. One who lets, retards, or hinders.
4. n. A mark or sign used to represent a sound of the human voice; a conventional representation of one of the primary elements of speech; an alphabetical character.
5. n. In printing, a type bearing an alphabetical character: as, an initial letter; broken letters.
6. n. Alphabetical representation in general; characters used in writing or printing collectively; hence, in printing, movable type as constituting complete fonts: as, black-letter (either in manuscript or impression, or as type); plenty or scarcity of letter.
7. n. A missive communication made by the use of letters. Specifically— A written message, notice, or other expression of thought sent by one person to another; an epistle: formerly in the plural with reference to a single communication.
8. n. An official or legal document granting some right, authority, or privilege to the person or persons addressed or named in it: as, letters patent; letters of administration.
9. n. An inscription.
10. n. Literal or exact meaning; unglossed signification; that which is most plainly expressed by the words used: as, to adhere to the letter of the text.
11. n. plural Literature in general; hence, knowledge derivedfrom books; literary culture; erudition: as, the republic of letters; a man of letters.
12. n. In musical notation, same as letter-name.
13. n. In English law: A letter of courtesy written by the lord chancellor to any peer, peeress, or bishop against whom a bill is filed, informing the party of the complaint and requesting an appearance, sent in lieu of summons.
14. n. A letter from the sovereign addressed to a dean and chapter, naming the person whom they are required to elect as bishop. Also called royal letter. See extract under royal letter.
15. n. See the adjectives.
16. To impress or engrave letters on; mark or stamp with a title or an inscription: as, to letter a book; a lettered stone or print.

Wiktionary

1. n. A symbol in an alphabet, bookstave.
2. n. A written message. See also note.
3. n. Literal meaning.
4. n. A size of paper, 8½ in × 11 in (215.9 mm × 279.4 mm, US paper sizes rounded to the nearest 5 mm)
5. n. A size of paper, 215 mm × 280 mm
6. n. short for varsity letter.
7. v. to print, inscribe, or paint letters on something.
8. v. To earn a varsity letter (award).

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. One who lets or permits; one who lets anything for hire.
2. n. One who retards or hinders.
3. n. 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.
4. n. A written or printed communication; a message expressed in intelligible characters on something adapted to conveyance, as paper, parchment, etc.; an epistle.
5. n. A writing; an inscription.
6. n. Verbal expression; literal statement or meaning; exact signification or requirement.
7. n. A single type; type, collectively; a style of type.
8. n. Learning; erudition.
9. n. A letter; an epistle.
10. n. 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.
11. v. To impress with letters; to mark with letters or words.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. an award earned by participation in a school sport
2. v. mark letters on or mark with letters
3. n. a strictly literal interpretation (as distinct from the intention)
4. v. set down or print with letters
5. n. owner who lets another person use something (housing usually) for hire
6. n. a written message addressed to a person or organization
7. v. win an athletic letter
8. n. the conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech