Letter /(lĕt"tẽr)/

1. One who lets or permits; one who lets anything for hire.

1. One who retards or hinders. [Archaic.]

1. 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.

   And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew.

2. A written or printed communication; a message expressed in intelligible characters on something adapted to conveyance, as paper, parchment, etc.; an epistle.

   The style of letters ought to be free, easy, and natural.

3. A writing; an inscription. [Obs.]

   None could expound what this letter meant.

4. Verbal expression; literal statement or meaning; exact signification or requirement.

   We must observe the letter of the law, without doing violence to the reason of the law and the intention of the lawgiver.

   I broke the letter of it to keep the sense.

5. A single type; type, collectively; a style of type. (Print.)

   Under these buildings . . . was the king's printing house, and that famous letter so much esteemed.

6. Learning; erudition; as, a man of letters.
7. A letter; an epistle. [Obs.]
8. 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. (Teleg.)

   A strange lock that opens with AMEN.

imp. & p. p. Lettered; p. pr. & vb. n. Lettering

1. To impress with letters; to mark with letters or words; as, a book gilt and lettered.