loss

LOSS, noun 1. privation, as the loss of property; loss of money by gaming; loss of health or reputation. every loss is not a detriment. we cannot regret the loss of bad company or of evil habits. 2. Destruction; ruin; as the loss of a ship at sea; the loss of an army. 3. Defeat; as the loss of a battle. 4. Waste; useless application; as a loss of time or labor. 5. Waste by leakage or escape; as a loss of liquors in transportation. To bear a loss to make good; also, to sustain a loss without sinking under it. To be at a loss to be puzzled; to be unable to determine; to be in a state of uncertainty.