love lettern.
/ˈlʌv ˌlɛtə/, U.S. /ˈləv ˌlɛdər/ A letter expressing love or admiration; esp. one written by a lover to the object of his or her affection. Also in extended use.
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the mind > emotion > love > amorous love > [noun] > letter sent between lovers
love lettera1525
capon1598
love-libel1602
love line1609
billet-doux1673
mash note1880
yum-yum1943
a1250 Wohunge ure Lauerd in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 283 (MED) A swete ihesu, þu oppnes me þin herte for to cnawe witerliche and in to reden trewe luue lettres.
a1450 (a1400) Medit. Life & Passion of Christ (BL Add.) (1921) 695 Herte, write wiþ louelettre; Ther may be fonden non þi bettre.]
a1525 Bk. Sevyne Sagis l. 2334 in W. A. Craigie Asloan MS (1925) II. 74 Scho couth him syne ffor to cum neire ye castall wall And a luf letter scho leit fall.
1557 T. Paynell tr. Felicius Conspiracie of Catiline Contents sig. A.iv The contention of C. Caeser, and Cato in the Senate, and of the loue letters sente to Caeser.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) ii. i. 1 What, haue scap'd Loue-letters in the holly-day-time of my beauty, and am I now a subiect for them? View more context for this quotation
1622 J. Mabbe tr. M. Alemán Rogue ii. 260 A loue-letter brought her by her maid.
1718 Lady M. W. Montagu Let. 16 Mar. (1965) I. 388 I have got for you, as you desire, a Turkish Love-letter.
1770 S. Foote Lame Lover iii. 72 He wanted me to bring a love letter to Charlot.
1824 M. R. Mitford Our Village I. 21 Our village beauty had fairly reached her twentieth year..without the slightest suspicion of her having ever written a love-letter.
1871 A. Trollope Sir Harry Hotspur xviii. 233 Write to Miss Hotspur whatever you like to say in the way of a love-letter, and put it under cover to Sir Harry.
1901 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Oct. 496/1 The young people interchange love-letters.
1959 Listener 30 July 184/3 Mann's study of Chekov is one of the noblest love-letters in literature.
1997 Village Voice (N.Y.) 8 July 59/1 Their stories are told through love letters, photographs, apologies, drawings..and fortune cookie poetry.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.a1525