last
n. countablen. the final person or thing in a group or sequence. You use this when talking about who finished a race at the end or the final item left in a box.
n. the final person, item, or instance in a sequence or series. Often used in the singular with the definite article.
I was the last to arrive at the party.
The last of the summer fruit was sold at the market early this morning.
While many competitors dropped out during the final lap, he remained determined not to be the last to cross the finish line.
From Middle English laste, latst, syncopated variant of latest.
From Middle English lasten, from Old English lǣstan, from Proto-West Germanic laistijan, from Proto-Germanic laistijaną. Cognate with German leisten (“yield”).
The noun is derived from Middle English lest, leste (“shoemaker’s model shaped like a foot, last”), from Old English lǣste (“shoemaker‘s last”), from Proto-Germanic laistiz, from laisǭ (“track, trail”), from Proto-Indo-European leys-eh₂-, from leys- (“to trace; to track”). Doublet of learn and lore. The verb is derived from the noun. cognates * Dutch leest * German Leisten Proto-Germanic laistaz (“footprint”) * Swedish läst
From Middle English last, from Old English hlæst (“burden, load, freight”), from Proto-Germanic hlastuz (“burden, load, freight”), from Proto-Indo-European kleh₂- (“to put, lay out”). Cognate with West Frisian lêst, Dutch last, German Last, Swedish last, Icelandic lest.
Usually preceded by the definite article 'the'.
- 01
breathe one's last
To die.
- 02
cobbler, keep to your last
One should not criticise matters outside one's field of expertise; one should mind one's business.
- 03
dead last
Finishing in last place in a competition or ranking, often by a considerable margin to the next to last place finisher or after an exceptionally poor showing or season.