1. (

• Lessing ,
• Gotthold_Ephraim_Lessing

) German playwright and leader of the Enlightenment (1729-1781) ;

2. (

• Lessing ,
• Doris_Lessing ,
• Doris_May_Lessing

) English author of novels and short stories who grew up in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) (born in 1919) ;

1. (

• less

) (comparative of `little' usually used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning not as great in amount or degree; "of less importance"; "less time to spend with the family"; "a shower uses less water"; "less than three years old" ;

2. (

• less

) (usually preceded by `no') lower in quality; "no less than perfect" ;

3. (

• less

) (nonstandard in some uses but often idiomatic with measure phrases) fewer; "less than three weeks"; "no less than 50 people attended"; "in 25 words or less" ;