LETTER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does letter mean? 

• LETTER (noun)
  The noun LETTER has 5 senses:

1. a written message addressed to a person or organization

2. the conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech

3. owner who lets another person use something (housing usually) for hire

4. a strictly literal interpretation (as distinct from the intention)

5. an award earned by participation in a school sport

  Familiarity information: LETTER used as a noun is common.

• LETTER (verb)
  The verb LETTER has 3 senses:

1. win an athletic letter

2. set down or print with letters

3. mark letters on or mark with letters

  Familiarity information: LETTER used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LETTER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A written message addressed to a person or organization

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

letter; missive

Context example:

mailed an indignant letter to the editor

Hypernyms ("letter" is a kind of...):

document (anything serving as a representation of a person's thinking by means of symbolic marks)

text; textual matter (the words of something written)

Meronyms (parts of "letter"):

postscript; PS (a note appended to a letter after the signature)

address; destination; name and address (written directions for finding some location; written on letters or packages that are to be delivered to that location)

line (text consisting of a row of words written across a page or computer screen)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "letter"):

business letter (a letter dealing with business)

cover letter; covering letter (a letter sent along with other documents to provide additional information)

crank letter (a hostile (usually anonymous) letter)

encyclical; encyclical letter (a letter from the pope sent to all Roman Catholic bishops throughout the world)

fan letter (a letter that is a piece of fan mail)

personal letter (a letter dealing with personal affairs)

form letter (a letter that is printed in multiple copies and mailed to a list of recipients)

open letter (a letter of protest; addressed to one person but intended for the general public)

chain letter (a letter that is sent successively to several people)

pastoral (a letter from a pastor to the congregation)

round robin (a letter signed by a number of people)

aerogram; aerogramme; air letter; airmail letter (a letter sent by air mail)

epistle (a specially long, formal letter)

dead letter; dead mail (mail that can neither be delivered nor returned)

letter of intent (any letter expressing an intention to take (or forgo) some action)

invitation (a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something)

Holonyms ("letter" is a part of...):

mail (the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service)

correspondence (communication by the exchange of letters)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

alphabetic character; letter; letter of the alphabet

Context example:

his grandmother taught him his letters

Hypernyms ("letter" is a kind of...):

character; graph; grapheme; graphic symbol (a written symbol that is used to represent speech)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "letter"):

ascender (a lowercase letter that has a part extending above other lowercase letters)

descender (a lowercase letter that has a part extending below other lowercase letters)

digram; digraph (two successive letters (especially two letters used to represent a single sound: 'sh' in 'shoe'))

initial (the first letter of a word (especially a person's name))

A (the 1st letter of the Roman alphabet)

B (the 2nd letter of the Roman alphabet)

C (the 3rd letter of the Roman alphabet)

D (the 4th letter of the Roman alphabet)

E (the 5th letter of the Roman alphabet)

F (the 6th letter of the Roman alphabet)

G (the 7th letter of the Roman alphabet)

H (the 8th letter of the Roman alphabet)

I (the 9th letter of the Roman alphabet)

J (the 10th letter of the Roman alphabet)

K (the 11th letter of the Roman alphabet)

L (the 12th letter of the Roman alphabet)

M (the 13th letter of the Roman alphabet)

N (the 14th letter of the Roman alphabet)

O (the 15th letter of the Roman alphabet)

P (the 16th letter of the Roman alphabet)

Q (the 17th letter of the Roman alphabet)

R (the 18th letter of the Roman alphabet)

S (the 19th letter of the Roman alphabet)

T (the 20th letter of the Roman alphabet)

U (the 21st letter of the Roman alphabet)

V (the 22nd letter of the Roman alphabet)

double-u; W (the 23rd letter of the Roman alphabet)

ex; X (the 24th letter of the Roman alphabet)

wye; Y (the 25th letter of the Roman alphabet)

ezed; izzard; Z; zed; zee (the 26th letter of the Roman alphabet)

alpha (the 1st letter of the Greek alphabet)

beta (the 2nd letter of the Greek alphabet)

gamma (the 3rd letter of the Greek alphabet)

delta (the 4th letter of the Greek alphabet)

epsilon (the 5th letter of the Greek alphabet)

zeta (the 6th letter of the Greek alphabet)

eta (the 7th letter of the Greek alphabet)

theta (the 8th letter of the Greek alphabet)

iota (the 9th letter of the Greek alphabet)

kappa (the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet)

lambda (the 11th letter of the Greek alphabet)

mu (the 12th letter of the Greek alphabet)

nu (the 13th letter of the Greek alphabet)

xi (the 14th letter of the Greek alphabet)

omicron (the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet)

pi (the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet)

rho (the 17th letter of the Greek alphabet)

sigma (the 18th letter of the Greek alphabet)

tau (the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet)

upsilon (the 20th letter of the Greek alphabet)

phi (the 21st letter of the Greek alphabet)

chi; khi (the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet)

psi (the 23rd letter of the Greek alphabet)

omega (the last (24th) letter of the Greek alphabet)

aleph (the 1st letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

beth (the 2nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

gimel (the 3rd letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

daleth (the 4th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

he (the 5th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

waw (the 6th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

zayin (the 7th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

heth (the 8th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

teth (the 9th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

yodh (the 10th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

kaph (the 11th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

lamedh (the 12th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

mem (the 13th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

nun (the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

samekh (the 15th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

ayin (the 16th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

pe (the 17th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

sadhe (the 18th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

qoph (the 19th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

resh (the 20th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

sin (the 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

shin (the 22nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

taw (the 23rd letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

polyphone; polyphonic letter (a letter that has two or more pronunciations)

block capital; block letter (a plain hand-drawn letter)

vowel (a letter of the alphabet standing for a spoken vowel)

consonant (a letter of the alphabet standing for a spoken consonant)

Holonyms ("letter" is a part of...):

spelling (forming words with letters according to the principles underlying accepted usage)

Holonyms ("letter" is a member of...):

alphabet (a character set that includes letters and is used to write a language)

Derivation:

letter (mark letters on or mark with letters)

letter (set down or print with letters)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Owner who lets another person use something (housing usually) for hire

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("letter" is a kind of...):

owner; proprietor ((law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business)

Derivation:

let (grant use or occupation of under a term of contract)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A strictly literal interpretation (as distinct from the intention)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Context example:

he obeyed the letter of the law

Hypernyms ("letter" is a kind of...):

literal interpretation (an interpretation based on the exact wording)

Sense 5

Meaning:

An award earned by participation in a school sport

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

letter; varsity letter

Context example:

he won letters in three sports

Hypernyms ("letter" is a kind of...):

accolade; award; honor; honour; laurels (a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction)

Derivation:

letter (win an athletic letter)

• LETTER (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Win an athletic letter

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "letter" is one way to...):

earn; garner; win (acquire or deserve by one's efforts or actions)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

letter (an award earned by participation in a school sport)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Set down or print with letters

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "letter" is one way to...):

impress; print (reproduce by printing)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

letter (the conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech)

letterer (a painter of letters)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Mark letters on or mark with letters

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "letter" is one way to...):

write (mark or trace on a surface)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

letter (the conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech)

letterer (a painter of letters)

 Context examples 

The next morning I delivered my letters of introduction and paid a visit to some of the principal professors.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Go to my dressing-case, open it, and take out a letter you will see there.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Alleyne turned to the letter, and, as his eyes rested upon it, his face turned pale and a cry of surprise and grief burst from his lips.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I should like an accurate description of him and any letters of his which you can spare.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“My uncle has had a letter,” said he.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

One side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains.

(Page, NCI Thesaurus)

The documents (e.g., forms, letters, reports) required for a particular activity.

(Paperwork, NCI Thesaurus)

If I could frame the letter here, and use your address it would give atmosphere.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A two letter coded value specifying the first major-level subdivision of the National Insitute's of Health.

(NIH Institute Code, NCI Thesaurus)

The Houyhnhnms have no letters, and consequently their knowledge is all traditional.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)