[lose] vb lost ; los.ing [ME, fr. OE losian to perish, lose, fr. los destruction; akin to OE leosan to lose; akin to ON losa to loosen, L luere to atone for, Gk lyein to loosen, dissolve, destroy] vt (bef. 12c) 1 a: to bring to destruction--used chiefly in passive construction "the ship was lost on the reef" b: damn "if he shall gain the whole world and ~ his own soul --Mt 16:26 (AV)"
2: to miss from one's possession or from a customary or supposed place
3: to suffer deprivation of: part with esp. in an unforeseen or accidental manner
4. a: to suffer loss through the death or removal of or final separation from (a person) b: to fail to keep control of or allegiance of "~ votes" "lost his temper"
5. a: to fail to use: let slip by: waste "~ the tide" b (1): to fail to win, gain, or obtain "~ a prize" "~ a contest" (2): to undergo defeat in "lost every battle" c: to fail to catch with the senses or the mind "lost part of what she said"
6: to cause the loss of "one careless statement lost him the election" 7: to fail to keep, sustain, or maintain "lost my balance"
8. a: to cause to miss one's way or bearings "lost himself in the maze of streets" b: to make (oneself) withdrawn from immediate reality "lost herself in daydreaming"
9. a: to wander or go astray from "lost his way" b: to draw away from: outstrip "lost his pursuers" 10: to fail to keep in sight or in mind 11: to free oneself from: get rid of "dieting to ~ some weight" ~ vi 1: to undergo deprivation of something of value
2: to undergo defeat "~ with good grace" 3 of a timepiece: to run slow -- los.able adj -- los.able.ness n -- lose ground : to suffer loss or disadvantage: fail to advance or improve -- lose one's heart : to fall in love