(a) An alphabetic character, a letter; initial, capital letter; also, in sg. and pl.: writing, script; style of handwriting, hand; ?also, in pl.: words; blak ~, letters written in black, black writing; capital ~ [see capital adj. (c)]; chef ~ [see chef adj. 4. (b)]; red ~, ~ red, rubricated letter or heading, letter or letters written in red; (b) a letter as representing a speech sound; a speech sound; (c) a symbolic character or letter; a letter for reference on the equatory of planets; initial representing a name; letter designating the Sundays in a particular year, dominical letter; dominical ~ [see also dominical]; letter used for identification in cataloguing books, part of a pressmark; (d) in phrases: bi ~, according to the letter; letter by letter; finden (the) lettres, devise an alphabet, invent a writing system; gesten bi ~ [see gesten]; into this ~, ?precisely, in detail; ~ bi ~, word by word; ~ of ~, word for word; no ~, nought a (o) ~, not a letter, not a jot; not a word.

(a) A personal or private letter; lettres of love, love letters; (b) in sg. and pl.: an official communication, formal letter or request; dispatches, report; written instructions or orders; writ; summons; letter of appointment, authority, introduction, or recommendation; also fig.: Christ; law of God; ~ berer, courier, messenger; leches lettres, medical report; lettres sending, ?issuing or dispatch of letters; paire of lettres, ?papers, letters; (c) a legal document (deed, assignment, agreement, contract, affidavit, etc.); a decree ratified in parliament; document certifying something (grant of indulgence, letter of fraternity, letter of exchange, etc.); official receipt or record; list, inventory; also, in sg. and pl.: patent of arms; in pl.: testimonial letter; lettres blake, document written in black ink, list; lombardes lettres, ?letters of exchange; marchaunt ~, ?letter of exchange; ?permit to trade; (d) lettres of aquitaunces, a document in evidence of a payment or transaction; receipt [see also aquitaunce 2.]; ~ (of) attourne, document conferring the power of attorney [see also attourne 3. (c)]; lettres of bretherhedes (fraternite), document granted by a religious order to a benefactor, entitling him to special privileges and benefits [see also fraternite 1. (c)]; ~ of chaunge, bill of exchange, letter of credit [see also chaunge 5. (a)]; lettres of commaundement, writ issued by the king requiring service or payment; lettres of commissioun, document delegating authority or power for a specific purpose, warrant [cp. commissioun 2. (a)]; lettres of (sauf) conduit, lettres of leve, document granting safe conduct, permit to travel [see also conduit 4a. (b) & 4b.]; lettres of confirmacioun, document confirming or approving the duties of a cleric [cp. confirmacioun 1. (b)]; lettre(s of credence, document certifying the reliability of information or the status of a messenger [see also credence 2. (b)]; lettres of marque and reprisail, warrant issued by the king authorizing a subject to seize the property of an enemy's subjects by way of reprisal or indemnity; ~ of ministracioun, document granting authority to administer the personal estate of an intestate; letters of administration; lettres obligatories (of obligacioun), bond for the payment of money, performance of a covenant, etc.; (e) lettre(s patent(es, patent lettre(s, document issued for various purposes to someone by the king or someone in authority; letters patent; lettres of pes, ?letter suing for peace; lettres of prive sel, legal document or warrant to which the Privy Seal is affixed; lettres of proteccioun, document issued by the king guaranteeing protection or immunity; lettre(s of record, affidavit; ?document attesting the good standing or status of someone; lettre of sale, agreement for the conveyance of title to personal property, bill of sale; ~ of sentence, ?writ of excommunication; ~ testimonial, lettres testimonial(es, document attesting the good standing of the bearer; degree certificate or diploma; affidavit; [see also certificacioun 2., certificatorie, credencial, eschaunge 2. (b), foryevenesse 1. (b), graunt 2. (a), etc.].

(a) A written account, description, or narrative; a literary epistle; source, authority; in english ~, written in English; lettre(s blak, written source; ~ of writing, ?literary output; writen..bi ~, to set (sth.) down in writing, describe (sth.) in writing; writen with lettre(s, with lettres writen, set down in writing, described in a written account; (b) in sg. & pl.: Scripture, the Scriptures; holi lettre(s, Holy Writ, Holy Scriptures; a book or part of the Scriptures; ?also, in sg.: text of the breviary; ~ redinge, ?recitation of divine office, reading the breviary; (c) a notice; published statement, open letter; (d) an inscription; the legend on a coin; half ~, ?abbreviated inscription; ?inscription in small characters.

(a) Wording, mode of expression, arrangement of words; textual reading; sounen the ~, the wording suggests; sounen in the ~, to be signified or suggested by the wording; (b) a quotation or extract from the Scriptures; Scriptural text; (c) theol. the literal sense of a religious text; surface meaning or application; also, a restricted or literal understanding of scripture, adherence to the letter of the law, formal compliance with the Old Law; after the ~, literally, in the literal sense; oldnesse of ~, ?Old Law, ?compliance with the Old Law.

In sg. & pl.: knowledge of reading and writing; learning, scholarship; also, in sg.: branch of learning, area of study; holi lettres, divinity, religious learning; conninge of lettres, learning; connen (knowen) lettre(s, connen on ~, to be able to read and write, be learned, be educated; lernen lettre(s, learn to read and write; study, be educated; setten to ~, educate (sb.).