letter

1
[ let-er ]
/ ˈlɛt ər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR letter ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

verb (used with object)

to mark or write with letters; inscribe.

verb (used without object)

to earn a letter in an interscholastic or intercollegiate activity, especially a sport: He lettered in track at Harvard.

Idioms for letter

    to the letter, to the last particular; precisely: His orders were carried out to the letter.

Origin of letter

1
1175–1225; Middle English, variant of lettre < Old French < Latin littera alphabetic character, in plural, epistle, literature

OTHER WORDS FROM letter

let·ter·er, noun let·ter·less, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH letter

letter lighter liter litter

Words nearby letter

letronne, lets, lett, lett., letted, letter, letter bomb, letter box, letter card, letter carrier, letter drop

Words related to to the letter

accurate, actual, unvarnished, authentic, true, precisely, plainly, actually, completely, simply, directly, truly, really, natural, faithful, simple, plain, close, gospel, ordinary

British Dictionary definitions for to the letter

letter
/ (ˈlɛtə) /

noun

verb

to write or mark letters on (a sign, etc), esp by hand
(tr) to set down or print using letters
See also letters

Derived forms of letter

letterer, noun

Word Origin for letter

C13: from Old French lettre, from Latin littera letter of the alphabet

Idioms and Phrases with to the letter (1 of 2)

to the letter

Precisely, as in If you follow the directions to the letter, you can't go wrong. Letter here refers to the exact terms of some statement. [c. 1800]

Idioms and Phrases with to the letter (2 of 2)

letter