\Last\, 3d pers. sing. pres.
of {Last}, to endure, contracted from lasteth. [Obs.]
--Chaucer.

\Last\, a. [OE. last, latst, contr. of latest, superl. of
late; akin to OS. lezt, lazt, last, D. laatst, G. letzt. See
{Late}, and cf. {Latest}.]
1. Being after all the others, similarly classed or
   considered, in time, place, or order of succession;
   following all the rest; final; hindmost; farthest; as, the
   last year of a century; the last man in a line of
   soldiers; the last page in a book; his last chance.
         Also day by day, from the first day unto the last
         day, he read in the book of the law of God. --Neh.
                                               viii. 18.
         Fairest of stars, last in the train of night.
                                               --Milton.
2. Next before the present; as, I saw him last week.
3. Supreme; highest in degree; utmost.
         Contending for principles of the last importance.
                                               --R. Hall.
4. Lowest in rank or degree; as, the last prize. --Pope.
5. Farthest of all from a given quality, character, or
   condition; most unlikely; having least fitness; as, he is
   the last person to be accused of theft.
{At last}, at the end of a certain period; after delay. ``The
   duke of Savoy felt that the time had at last arrived.''
   --Motley.
{At the last}. [Prob. fr. AS. on l[=a]ste behind, following
   behind, fr. l[=a]st race, track, footstep. See {Last} mold
   of the foot.] At the end; in the conclusion. [Obs.] ``Gad,
   a troop shall overcome him; but he shall overcome at the
   last.'' --Gen. xlix. 19.
{Last heir}, the person to whom lands escheat for want of an
   heir. [Eng.] --Abbott.
{On one's last legs}, at, or near, the end of one's
   resources; hence, on the verge of failure or ruin,
   especially in a financial sense. [Colloq.]
{To breathe one's last}, to die.
{To the last}, to the end; till the conclusion.
         And blunder on in business to the last. --Pope.
Syn: {At Last}, {At Length}.
Usage: These phrases both denote that some delayed end or
       result has been reached. At length implies that a long
       period was spent in so doing; as, after a voyage of
       more than three months, we at Length arrived safe. At
       last commonly implies that something has occurred (as
       interruptions, disappointments, etc.) which leads us
       to emphasize the idea of having reached the end; as,
       in spite of every obstacle, we have at last arrived.

\Last\, adv. [See {Last}, a.]
1. At a time or on an occasion which is the latest of all
   those spoken of or which have occurred; the last time; as,
   I saw him last in New York.
2. In conclusion; finally.
   Pleased with his idol, he commends, admires, Adores; and,
   last, the thing adored desires.             --Dryden.
3. At a time next preceding the present time.
         How long is't now since last yourself and I Were in
         a mask ?                              --Shak.

\Last\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Lasted}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Lasting}.] [OE. lasten, As. l[ae]stan to perform, execute,
follow, last, continue, fr. l[=a]st, l?st, trace, footstep,
course; akin to G. leisten to perform, Goth. laistjan to
follow. See {Last} mold of the foot.]
1. To continue in time; to endure; to remain in existence.
         [I] proffered me to be slave in all that she me
         would ordain while my life lasted.    --Testament of
                                               Love.
2. To endure use, or continue in existence, without
   impairment or exhaustion; as, this cloth lasts better than
   that; the fuel will last through the winter.

\Last\, n. [AS. l[=a]sttrace, track, footstep; akin to D.
leest a last, G. leisten, Sw. l["a]st, Dan. l[ae]st, Icel.
leistr the foot below the ankle, Goth. laists track, way;
from a root signifying, to go. Cf. {Last}, v. i., {Learn},
{Delirium}.]
A wooden block shaped like the human foot, on which boots and
shoes are formed.
      The cobbler is not to go beyond his last. --L'Estrange.
{Darning last}, a smooth, hard body, often egg-shaped, put
   into a stocking to preserve its shape in darning.

\Last\, v. t.
To shape with a last; to fasten or fit to a last; to place
smoothly on a last; as, to last a boot.

\Last\, n. [As. hl[ae]st, fr. hladan to lade; akin to OHG.
hlast, G., D., Dan., & Sw. last: cf. F. laste, last, a last,
of German or Dutch origin. See {Lade}.]
1. A load; a heavy burden; hence, a certain weight or
   measure, generally estimated at 4,000 lbs., but varying
   for different articles and in different countries. In
   England, a last of codfish, white herrings, meal, or
   ashes, is twelve barrels; a last of corn, ten quarters, or
   eighty bushels, in some parts of England, twenty-one
   quarters; of gunpowder, twenty-four barrels, each
   containing 100 lbs; of red herrings, twenty cades, or
   20,000; of hides, twelve dozen; of leather, twenty
   dickers; of pitch and tar, fourteen barrels; of wool,
   twelve sacks; of flax or feathers, 1,700 lbs.
2. The burden of a ship; a cargo.