adminˈistrātor noun

1. A person who manages or directs
2. The person to whom is committed, under a commission entitled letters of administration, the administration or distribution of the personal estate of a deceased person, in default of an executor
3. Someone empowered to act for a person legally incapable of acting for themselves (Scots law)

adminˈistrātorship noun

adminˈistrātrix noun

A female administrator

administrative order noun

A court order allowing an administrator to freeze the debts of a company in financial difficulties

letter¹ /letˈər/

noun

1. A conventional mark primarily used to express a sound of speech
2. Often loosely applied to the sound itself
3. A written or printed message signed and sent, usu by post, to an addressee
4. Literal meaning
5. Printing type
6. (in pl) learning, literary culture
7. An emblem, usu a monogram, awarded to a student for achievement in an extracurricular activity, esp in sport (US)

transitive verb

1. To stamp letters upon
2. To mark with a letter or letters

intransitive verb (US)

To earn a letter for achievement

lettˈered adjective

1. Marked with letters
2. Educated
3. Knowledgeable in literature
4. Literary

lettˈerer noun

lettˈering noun

1. The act of impressing or marking with letters
2. The letters impressed or marked
3. Their style or mode of formation

lettˈerless adjective

1. Without letters
2. Illiterate

lettˈer-board noun

A board on which material in type is placed for keeping or convenience in handling

letter bomb noun

A device inside an envelope which explodes when the envelope is opened

lettˈerbox noun

1. A box or slot for receiving mail
2. A box for posting mail

adjective (cinematography)

Of a film shown on television or video, etc, preserving the original widescreen cinematic format, not cut for a television screen

transitive verb

To format (a film) in this way

lettˈerboxed adjective

lettˈerboxing noun

lettˈer-card noun

A card folded and gummed like a letter, with a perforated margin for opening

lettˈer-carrier noun

1. A postman
2. Mail-carrier

lettˈer-clip noun

A device for gripping letters or papers to keep them together

lettˈer-founder noun

Someone who casts type

lettˈerhead noun

1. A printed heading on notepaper, etc
2. A piece of notepaper with such a heading (also lettˈer-heading)

letter of comfort noun (law)

A letter sent by a person in authority to provide assurances about intended actions

letter of credit noun

A letter authorizing credit or cash to a certain sum to be given to the bearer

letter of indication noun

A banker's letter requesting foreign bankers to accept the bearer's circular notes

letter-of-marque see under marque²

letter-perˈfect adjective

(of an actor, etc) having the words of the part committed accurately to memory, word-perfect

lettˈerpress noun

1. A method of printing in which ink on raised surfaces is pressed onto paper
2. Matter printed in this way
3. Printed text as opposed to illustrations
4. A copying-press

letter quality noun

Output from a printer where the printing is acceptable for distribution outside an organization

lettˈer-quality adjective

lettˈerset noun

A method of printing in which ink is transferred from a letterpress plate to paper by means of a rubber-covered cylinder

letters of administration see under administer

letters of credence or letters credential plural noun

A diplomat's formal document accrediting him or her to a foreign government

letters patent plural noun

A document conferring a patent or privilege, so called because written on open sheets of parchment

letters requisitory or letters rogatory plural noun

A legal instrument by which a court of one country asks that of another to take a certain evidence on its behalf

lettˈer-stamp noun

1. An instrument for cancelling postage-stamps
2. A stamp for imprinting dates, etc

lettˈer-weight noun

A paperweight

lettˈer-wood noun

Leopard-wood, a S American tree of the breadnut genus, with dark-brown mottled heartwood

lettˈer-writer noun

1. Someone who writes letters, esp for payment
2. A book of forms for imitation in writing letters

the letter of the law

The literal interpretation of the law

to the letter

Exactly, in every detail