Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • conjunction For fear that.
  • conjunction So that someone or something not; in case someone or something might.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • For fear that; that … not; so that … not: as, he fled lest (or for fear that) he should be killed; take heed lest you fall (that you fall not).
  • etc. A Middle English form of last, least, list, lust.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb obsolete To listen.
  • noun obsolete Lust; desire; pleasure.
  • conjunction For fear that; that … not; in order that … not.
  • conjunction That (without the negative particle); -- after certain expressions denoting fear or apprehension.
  • adjective obsolete Last; least.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • conjunction For fear that; that . . . not; in order that . . . not; in case.
  • conjunction That (without the negative particle); -- after certain expressions denoting fear or apprehension.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old English (thȳ) lǣs the, (whereby) less that, so that not : lǣs, less; see less + the, relative conjunction; see to- in Indo-European roots.]

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Examples

  • An-Nahar (the right-wing, sectarian Christian, anti-Syrian (people), anti-Palestinian) newspaper has translated this article from Haaretz but it did not translate the title lest its readers get upset.

    Thursday, November 30, 2006 As'ad 2006

  • An-Nahar (the right-wing, sectarian Christian, anti-Syrian (people), anti-Palestinian) newspaper has translated this article from Haaretz but it did not translate the title lest its readers get upset.

    Friday, November 24, 2006 As'ad 2006

  • Suddenly I fear becoming even casually acquainted with a new title lest I somehow curse it to dismal failure.

    Atomic 2008

  • Suddenly I fear becoming even casually acquainted with a new title lest I somehow curse it to dismal failure.

    Atomic 2008

  • Suddenly I fear becoming even casually acquainted with a new title lest I somehow curse it to dismal failure.

    Atomic 2008

  • Suddenly I fear becoming even casually acquainted with a new title lest I somehow curse it to dismal failure.

    Atomic 2008

  • Suddenly I fear becoming even casually acquainted with a new title lest I somehow curse it to dismal failure.

    Atomic 2008

  • Suddenly I fear becoming even casually acquainted with a new title lest I somehow curse it to dismal failure.

    Atomic 2008

  • Suddenly I fear becoming even casually acquainted with a new title lest I somehow curse it to dismal failure.

    Atomic 2008

  • Suddenly I fear becoming even casually acquainted with a new title lest I somehow curse it to dismal failure.

    Atomic 2008

Comments

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  • lest a monster I become.

    September 16, 2007

  • For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

    1 Corinthians 1:17-25. Lest = in order to prevent, for fear that.

    July 4, 2011