transitive verb lost, losing los′·ing

1. 1. to bring to ruin or destruction a ship lost in the storm
   2. Theol. to incur the damnation of to lose one's soul
2. to become unable to find; mislay to lose one's keys
3. 1. to have taken from one by negligence, accident, death, removal, separation, etc.; suffer the loss of; be deprived of
   2. to suffer the miscarriage or stillbirth of (a baby)
4. to get rid of (something undesirable) to lose unwanted weight
5. to fail to keep or maintain to lose one's temper, to lose speed
6. 1. to fail to see, hear, or understand she did not lose a word of his speech
   2. to fail to keep in sight, mind, or existence
7. to fail to have, get, take advantage of, etc.; miss to lose one's chance
8. to fail to win or gain to lose a game
9. to cause the loss of it lost him his job
10. to cause to go astray, become bewildered, etc.
11. to wander from and not be able to find (one's way, the right track, etc.)
12. to fail or be unable to make proper use of; waste to lose time
13. to leave behind; outdistance
14. to engross or preoccupy: usually in the passive to be lost in reverie
15. to go slower by a watch that loses two minutes a day

Etymology: ME losen, lesen, merging OE losian, to lose, be lost (< los, loss) + leosan, to lose, akin to OHG (vir)liosan, Goth (fra)liusan < IE base *leu-, to cut off, separate > Gr lyein, to dissolve; L luere, to loose, release (from debt)

intransitive verb

1. to undergo or suffer loss
2. to be defeated in a contest, etc.
3. to be slow: said of a clock, etc.