What's the difference between less and lest?

Less


Definition:

  • (conj.) Unless.
  • (a.) Smaller; not so large or great; not so much; shorter; inferior; as, a less quantity or number; a horse of less size or value; in less time than before.
  • (adv.) Not so much; in a smaller or lower degree; as, less bright or loud; less beautiful.
  • (n.) A smaller portion or quantity.
  • (n.) The inferior, younger, or smaller.
  • (v. t.) To make less; to lessen.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) However, patients with GGBHS were significantly older (P less than .05).
  • (2) The percentage of people with less than 10 TU titers is under 5% after the age of 5 years up to 15 years; from 15 to 60 years there are no subjects with undetectable ASO titer and after this age the percentage is still under 5%.
  • (3) Neuromedin B (C50 6 x 10(-12) M) was 3 times less potent than bombesin-14.
  • (4) The patterns observed were: clusters of granules related to the cell membrane; positive staining localized to portions of the cell membrane, and, less commonly, the whole cell circumference.
  • (5) This suggested that the chemical effects produced by shock waves were either absent or attenuated in the cells, or were inherently less toxic than those of ionizing irradiation.
  • (6) Patients with papillary carcinoma with a good cell-mediated immune response occurred with much lower infiltration of the tumor boundary with lymphocyte whereas the follicular carcinoma less cell-mediated immunity was associated with dense lymphocytic infiltration, suggesting the biological relevance of lymphocytic infiltration may be different for the two histologic variants.
  • (7) In contrast, resting cells of strain CHA750 produced five times less IAA in a buffer (pH 6.0) containing 1 mM-L-tryptophan than did resting cells of the wild-type, illustrating the major contribution of TSO to IAA synthesis under these conditions.
  • (8) This bone could not be degraded by human monocytes in vitro as well as control bone (only 54% of control; P less than 0.003).
  • (9) Arachidic acid was without effect, while linoleic acid and linolenic acid were (on a concentration basis) at least 5-times less active than arachidonic acid.
  • (10) Urinary ANF immunoreactivity was significantly enhanced by candoxatril in both groups (P less than 0.05 and P less than 0.01 in groups 1 and 2, respectively), with a more pronounced effect evident at the higher dose (P less than 0.01).
  • (11) However, dexamethasone was more effective than either prednisone or cortisol (P less than 0.001).
  • (12) With UVB treatment clinical improvement was achieved, and a less pronounced decrease in epidermal LC was noticed.
  • (13) In the bars of Antwerp and the cafes of Bruges, the talk is less of Christmas markets and hot chocolate than of the rising cost of financing a national debt which stands at 100% of annual national income.
  • (14) When perfusion of the affected lung was less than one-third of the total the tumour was found to be unresectable.
  • (15) This clinical improvement was also associated with a decrease of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p less than 0.001), decrease of C-reactive protein (p less than 0.0001) and with improvement of anaemia (p less than 0.05).
  • (16) However, the groups often paused less and responded faster than individual rats working under identical conditions.
  • (17) By 24 hr, rough endoplasmic reticulum in thecal cells increased from 4.2 to 7% of cell volume, while the amount in granulosa cells increased from less than 3.5% to more than 10%; the quantity remained relatively constant in the theca but declined to prestimulation values in the granulosa layer.
  • (18) Acceptance of less than ideal donors is ill-advised even though rejection of such donors conflicts with the current shortage of organs.
  • (19) Ten out of 12 (83%) tumours which had c-erbB-2 and c-erbA co-amplification had metastasised to axillary lymph nodes (P less than 0.006).
  • (20) Despite of the increasing diagnostic importance of the direct determination of the parathormone which is at first available only in special institutions in these cases methodical problems play a less important part than the still not infrequent appearing misunderstanding of the adequate basic disease.

Lest


Definition:

  • (v. i.) To listen.
  • (n.) Lust; desire; pleasure.
  • (a.) Last; least.
  • (a.) For fear that; that . . . not; in order that . . . not.
  • (a.) That (without the negative particle); -- after certain expressions denoting fear or apprehension.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The sexual rehabilitation of such patients is vital and must be done sensitively lest one's own concepts of "adequate sexuality" be imposed.
  • (2) But lest the duchess feel overlooked, the end section of the show featured long, pale-blue bias-cut crepe dresses with more of a charity gala feel; and knee-length silk crepe dresses with black grosgrain belts seemed princess friendly.
  • (3) Worse, the CFL contains mercury, which according to the EU's own regulations cannot be discarded in ordinary waste, lest the mercury leach into the water supply.
  • (4) And lest there be any remaining doubt, a forensic expert on maggots – such people do exist – testified that the theory of "semen-destroying maggots" was balderdash.
  • (5) Special care in the management of so-called 'chronic Lyme disease' is crucial lest the clinician prescribes prolonged or unending courses of antibiotics for such noninfectious problems.
  • (6) "The story is an extrapolation of what Mary Shelley did" explains writer Kevin Grevioux, lest there be any doubt.
  • (7) Loop sigmoid colostomy employing a stapling device and catheter irrigation of the distal segment is less time-consuming and has lest potential for contamination than the standard double-barrel colostomy.
  • (8) "Lest any holier-than-thou activists and politicians from other parties should forget, this is not just a Lib Dem issue, it is one that confronts women in all parties and in all professions.
  • (9) Whistleblowers with dual citizenship who speak out on Australia’s national security – including those involved in allegations that Timor-Leste’s cabinet room was bugged – could face having their citizenship revoked under proposed laws.
  • (10) You might have read a couple of articles in fashion magazines of late attempting to big up the DD look, no doubt with references to denim's "timelessness", "1950s teenage sense of freedom" and, lest we forget, "Americana".
  • (11) His film, The Angels' Share, a larky whisky heist, was screened with English as well as French subtitles at the festival, lest the Glaswegian accents prove a barrier for non-Scots.
  • (12) Article 6 of the EU treaty could not be clearer: “The union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law, principles which are common to the member states.” Lest this be regarded as mere rhetoric, Lord Bingham, the former senior law lord and widely regarded as the most outstanding British judge in the late 20th century, wrote in his book The Rule of Law (p67): “The European Commission has consistently treated democratisation, the rule of law, respect for human rights and good governance as inseparably linked.” This is why, today, we can work anywhere in the EU, have health cover throughout, bring back as much booze in the back of the van as we like, travel on cheap EU-based airlines (with the right to claim compensation for any delay), buy the villa in Marbella, and say what we like – and we can do all of these things with our rights fully protected by the law, just as if we were in the UK.
  • (13) Dahl’s heroine, Sophie, is a lonely young girl plucked from her bed in an orphanage by the titular behemoth, and carried off to Giant Land, his home, lest she alert the normal world to the presence of giants.
  • (14) A spokeswoman for the AFP did not confirm the particular section of the referral, but said in a statement: “On 13 December 2013, the Australian federal police received a referral from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation relating to an allegation a former Australian intelligence officer disclosed information relating to operational activity in Timor-Leste.
  • (15) However, the author points out that these demonstration projects should be evaluated lest they continue to operate on the basis of rhetoric rather than fact.
  • (16) Since the clinical identification of these autoantigens often relies exclusively on size determination by Western blotting, we have characterized the commonly occurring fragments of histidyl-tRNA synthetase lest they confuse such identification.
  • (17) Lest we forget, Maradona only really got going in the quarter-finals.
  • (18) So, lest we are to be ruled solely by sociopaths and Blair's robot children, we should give them all a Bunbury option: a "Michael Green", under whose name to exercise all the human complexity for which modern politics cannot currently find room.
  • (19) Australia has made fresh promises limiting how it might use documents at the heart of a dispute with Timor-Leste , attempting to weaken the case for the international court of justice to order the sensitive material be surrendered.
  • (20) Lest there have been any remaining doubt, Donald Trump has confirmed a bully now resides in the White House.

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