letter

Definition

A symbol in an alphabet.

Etymology

From Middle English letter, lettre, from Old French letre, from Latin littera (“letter of the alphabet"; in plural, "epistle”). Displaced Old English bōcstæf (literally “book staff”) in sense 1 and ǣrendġewrit (literally “message writing”) in sense 2.

Example Sentences

• "There are twenty-six letters in the English alphabet."
• "And a superscription also was written ouer him in letters of Greeke, and Latin, & Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE IEWES."
• "I wrote a letter to my sister about my life."

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