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Gest vs Lest - What's the difference?

gest | lest |

As a noun gest

is (obsolete) a gesture or action or gest can be (obsolete) a stage in travelling; a stop for rest or lodging in a journey; a rest.

As a conjunction lest is

for fear that; that not; in order that not; in case.

gest

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) geste.

Noun

(en noun)
  • (obsolete) A gesture or action.
  • * , II.ix:
    • They did obeysaunce, as beseemed right, / And then againe returned to their restes: / The Porter eke to her did lout with humble gestes .
  • * , II.36:
    • more Kings and Princes have written his gestes' and actions, than any other historians, of what quality soever, have registred the ' gests , or collected the actions of any other King or Prince that ever was.
  • (archaic) A story or adventure; a verse or prose romance.
    • (Chaucer)
    (Spenser)
  • (archaic) An action represented in sports, plays, or on the stage; show; ceremony.
    • (Mede)
  • (archaic) bearing; deportment
  • * Spenser
    • through his heroic grace and honorable gest

    Etymology 2

    Compare gist a resting place.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A stage in travelling; a stop for rest or lodging in a journey; a rest.
    • (Kersey)
  • (obsolete) A roll reciting the several stages arranged for a royal progress.
    • (Hanmer)

    Anagrams

    * ----

    lest

    English

    Conjunction

    (English Conjunctions)
  • For fear that; that . . . not; in order that . . . not; in case.
  • * '>citation
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-27, volume=408, issue=8846, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= Lunacy? , passage=Lest any astrologer reading this result get cocky, Dr Cajochen does not believe that what he has found is directly influenced by the Moon through, say, some tidal effect. What he thinks he has discovered is an additional hand on the body’s clock-face.}}
  • That (without the negative particle); – after certain expressions denoting fear or apprehension.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=Mr. Cooke at once began a tirade against the residents of Asquith for permitting a sandy and generally disgraceful condition of the roads. So roundly did he vituperate the inn management in particular, and with such a loud flow of words, that I trembled lest he should be heard on the veranda.}}

    Usage notes

    The word lest is always followed by the , usually in either the present or future tense. For example: Lest they be captured, the soldiers fled from the battlefield. The future subjunctive would simply employ the auxiliary word should .

    Synonyms

    * (for fear that) (informal)

    See also

    * judge not lest ye be judged * in case * lest we forget

    Anagrams

    * * *

    References

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