Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - last

~1 determiner 1 most recent; the nearest one to the present time  (I haven't seen you since the last meeting. | last night/week/year etc)  (Did you watch the game on TV last night? | Fashion has changed in the last twenty years. | (the) last time (=the most recentoccasion))  (The last time I spoke to Bob he seemed happy enough.)  (- compare next1 (2)) 2 happening or existing at the end, with no others after  (I didn't read the last chapter of the book. | Anna was the last person to see him alive.) 3 remaining after all others have gone, been used etc  (Is this your last cigarette? | These are the last four birds of their kind still in existence.) 4 the last person/thing a) one that you did not expect at all  (She's the last person I'd expect to meet in a disco.) b) one that you do not want at all, that is most unsuitable etc  (The last thing we wanted was for the newspapers to find out what was going on.) 5 last thing (at night) at the very end of the day  (Take a couple of these pills last thing at night to help you get to sleep.) 6 on your last legs informal a) very tired  (Sarah looks as if she's on her last legs.) b) very ill and likely to die soon 7 on its last legs informal old or in bad condition, and likely to stop working soon  (We'll have to get a new lawn mower this year - the old one is really on its last legs.) 8 have the last word a) to make the last statement in an argument, which gives you an advantage b) to be the person who makes the final decision on something  (The finance committee always has the last word on expenditure.) 9 be the last word in to be the best, most modern, or most comfortable example of something  (It's the last word in luxury holidays.) ~2 adv 1 most recently before now  (When I last saw her, she was working in New York.) 2 after everything or everyone else  (They told me I'd be interviewed last. | Mix together flour, butter, and sugar, and add the eggs last. | last of all (=used when giving a final point or piece of information))  (Last of all, I'd like to thank the catering staff for a splendid meal.) 3 last but not least used when mentioning the last person or thing in a list, to emphasize that they are still important  (Last but not least, let me introduce Jane, our new secretary.) ~3 n, pronoun 1 the last the person or thing that comes after all the others  (He was the first to arrive and the last to leave. | I think this box is the last.) 2 at (long) last if something happens at last, it happens after you have waited a long time  (I'm so pleased that Jane's managed to get a job at last.)  (- see lastly) 3 the day/week/year etc before last the day, week etc before the one that has just finished  (I sent the letter off the week before last.) 4 the last of the remaining parts of something  (Joan took the last of the meat from the dish and passed it to her mother.) 5 haven't heard the last of if you have not heard the last of a problem, it has not yet finished and it may cause problems for you in the future  (I have a nasty feeling we haven't heard the last of this.) 6 the last I heard spoken used to tell someone the most recent news that you know about a person or situation  (The last I heard, she was going back to college to study law.) 7 to the last formal until the end of an event or the end of someone's life  (He died in 1987, insisting to the last he was innocent.) ~4 v 1 I always + adv/prep, linking verb) to continue for a particular length of time + for/until/through etc  (The hot weather lasted for the whole month of June.) last an hour/ten minutes etc  (Each lesson lasts an hour. | The ceasefire didn't last long.) 2 to continue to exist or remain in good condition for a long time  (This good weather won't last. | We wondered whether all this concern about the environment would really last.) 3 I + adv/prep to manage to remain in the same situation, even when this is difficult  (They won't be able to last much longer without fresh supplies. | The new manager is very inexperienced - I doubt if he'll last long.) 4 linking verb to be enough for someone to use  (last (sb) two days/three weeks etc)  (The water supply should last another 48 hours. | We only had $50 to last us the rest of the month.) ~5 n a piece of wood or metal shaped like a human foot, used by a shoemaker