leastways

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈliːstˌweɪz/

leastways (not comparable)

1. (colloquial or dialectal) at least
   • 1838, Boz [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], “Looks after Oliver, and Proceeds with His Adventures”, in Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy’s Progress. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], OCLC 558204586, page 137:

     “My advice, or, leastways, I should say, my orders, is,” said the fattest man of the party, “that we 'mediately go home again.”

   • 1857–1859, W[illiam] M[akepeace] Thackeray, chapter XXXIV, in The Virginians. A Tale of the Last Century, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1858–1859, OCLC 1061908157:

     […] so that I couldn't help telling her, sir, that in our country, leastways in Virginia (they say the Yankees are very pert), young people don't speak of their elders so.

   • 1967, Sleigh, Barbara, Jessamy, 1993 edition, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, →ISBN, page 32:

     ‘Cook-housekeeper jobs don’t grow on trees,’ went on the woman, ‘leastways not where you can keep a youngster with you.’

   • 2018 February 11, Colin Dexter, Russell Lewis, Endeavour(Cartouche), season 5, episode 2, spoken by Gordon the usher(uncredited), 01:20:14 from the start:

     “I was lucky, just an arm (lost in combat), and the hope of a life, a normal man’s life, leastways”

• lays waste