by-your-leave

noun

ˌbī-yər-ˈlēv How to pronounce by-your-leave (audio)
: a request for permission
imposed … without so much as a by-your-leave—J. L. Granatstein

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of by-your-leave was in 1894

Dictionary Entries Near by-your-leave

bywork

by-your-leave

byzant

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Cite this Entry

“By-your-leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by-your-leave. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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