levant

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See also: Levant

English

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Etymology 1

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Transferral use of Levant, from French levant. Compare French faire voile en Levant (to sail eastward), literally: set the sail with the Levant, an easterly wind that blows in the Mediterranean Sea.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /lɪˈvænt/
  • Audio (Canada):(file)

Noun

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levant (plural levants)

  1. A disappearing or absconding after losing a bet.

Verb

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levant (third-person singular simple present levants, present participle levanting, simple past and past participle levanted)

  1. To abscond or run away, especially to avoid paying money or debts.
    • 1885, Sir Richard Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Night 16:
      In a mighty little time their husbands played them false and, taking whatever they could lay hands upon, levanted and left them in the lurch.
    • 1922 February, James Joyce, Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, [], →OCLC:
      He died of a Tuesday. Got the run. Levanted with the cash of a few ads.
Translations
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Etymology 2

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From French levant.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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levant (not comparable)

  1. (heraldry) Rising, of an animal.
    • 1932, Notes & Queries for Somerset and Dorset:
      Crest, a stag regardant levant argent.
    • 1977, Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and Natural History, Proceedings:
      [...] crest a raven levant sable issant out of a []
    • 1980, Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History, Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History:
      [...] neck grene acornes proper wounded on his left sholder and at her feet there is a fawcon issant levant argent out of a crowne or.
  2. (law) Rising or having risen from rest; said of cattle.
  3. (poetic) Eastern.
    Synonyms: oriental, eastern
    Antonyms: occidental, western, ponent
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. [], London: [] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker []; [a]nd by Robert Boulter []; [a]nd Matthias Walker, [], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: [], London: Basil Montagu Pickering [], 1873, →OCLC:
      Forth rush the levant and the ponent winds.
Derived terms
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Anagrams

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French

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Etymology

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Participle adjective of lever (to raise). Corresponds to Latin levantem (raising), in reference to the rising of the sun; compare Italian levante.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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levant (feminine levante, masculine plural levants, feminine plural levantes)

  1. (of the moon, the sun, etc.) rising
    Antonym: couchant

Noun

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levant m (uncountable)

  1. the east, the orient
    Synonym: orient
    Antonyms: ponant, occident

Participle

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levant

  1. present participle of lever

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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Latin

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Verb

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levant

  1. third-person plural present active indicative of levō