loss

 
Pronunciation: /lɒs/

noun

[mass noun]
  • the fact or process of losing something or someone: avoiding loss of time [count noun]: funding cuts will lead to job losses
  • an amount of money lost by a business or organization: insurance can protect you against financial loss [count noun]: we have incurred huge losses [in combination]: loss-making industries
  • the feeling of grief after losing someone or something of value: I feel a terrible sense of loss
  • [in singular] a person who or thing that is badly missed when lost: he will be a great loss to many people

Phrases

at a loss

  • 1puzzled or uncertain what to think, say, or do: [with infinitive]: she became popular, and was at a loss to know why he was at a loss for words
  • 2making less money than is spent buying, operating, or producing something: a railway running at a loss

Origin:

Old English los 'destruction', of Germanic origin; related to Old Norse los 'breaking up of the ranks of an army' and loose; later probably a back-formation from lost, past participle of lose