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# lest

«lest» in Mova's early modern english dictionary: **so that … not; in case** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### kind

archaic word

### modern equivalent

so that … not; in case

### part of speech

conjunction

### meaning for a pupil

In case; to avoid the risk that something will happen. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/L/lest/#m1)

### how it differs from today

Today we rarely use "lest"; we say "in case" or "so that … not". The sentences use the same sense, but the word is old.

### examples

- lest when thou hast eaten and art satisfied, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; (Torah DEU.8.12, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/L/lest/#x1)
- Hasten, lest you should be too late!' (The Orange Fairy Book) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/L/lest/#x2)
- But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said: 'Lest peradventure harm befall him.' (Torah GEN.42.4, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/L/lest/#x3)

### tests

manual 9; corpora 262 (Torah 66, tales 194, Sefer Yetzirah 2); EWT 0; ratio 29.7 (Torah alone 154.0); Wiktionary no archaic label

### In the corpora

- [And let the priests also, that come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.'](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/EXO.550/)
- [but they shall not go in to see the holy things as they are being covered, lest they die.'](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/NUM.160/)
- [And henceforth the children of Israel shall not come nigh the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin, and die.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/NUM.694/)
- [And Edom said unto him: 'Thou shalt not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against thee.'](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/NUM.744/)
- [lest when thou hast eaten and art satisfied, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/DEU.258/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «lest» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/L/lest/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.