low

English Online Dictionary. What means low‎? What does low mean?

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English lowe, lohe, lāh, from Old Norse lágr (“low”), from Proto-Germanic *lēgaz (“lying, flat, situated near the ground, low”), from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (“to lie”).

Cognate with Scots laich (“low”), Low German leeg (“low, feeble, bad”), Danish lav (“low”), Icelandic lágur (“low”), West Frisian leech (“low”), North Frisian leeg, liig (“low”), Dutch laag (“low”), obsolete German läg (“low”). More at lie.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈləʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈloʊ/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈloʊ/, [ˈloː]
• Homophones: lo, Lowe
• Rhymes: -əʊ

Adjective

low (comparative lower, superlative lowest)

1. Situated close to, or even below, the ground or another normal reference plane; not high or lofty.

   Synonyms: nether, underslung

   Antonym: high

   1. Pertaining to (or, especially of a language: spoken in) in an area which is at a lesser elevation, closer to sea level (especially near the sea), than other regions.

   2. (baseball, of a ball) Below the batter's knees.

2. Of less than normal height or upward extent or growth, or of greater than normal depth or recession; below the average or normal level from which elevation is measured.

   Synonyms: short, small; see also Thesaurus:short

   Antonyms: tall; see also Thesaurus:tall

   • 1607 (edition of 1967), Edward Topsell, The history of four-footed beasts:

     It is a little low hearb  […]

   • 1911(?), Anthony Trollope, Framley Parsonage, page 13:

     "Now you mention her, I do remember the young lady," said Mrs. Grantly; "a dark girl, very low, and without much figure. She seemed to me to keep very much in the background."
   1. Low-cut.
3. Not high in status, esteem, or rank, dignity, or quality. (Compare vulgar.)
4. Humble, meek, not haughty.

   Synonyms: modest, self-effacing; see also Thesaurus:humble
5. Disparaging; assigning little value or excellence.

   Synonyms: contemptuous, sneerful; see also Thesaurus:disdainful
6. Being a nadir, a bottom.
7. Depressed in mood, dejected, sad.

   Synonyms: sorrowful, unhappy; see also Thesaurus:sad
8. Lacking health or vitality, strength or vivacity; feeble; weak.

   Synonyms: anemic, frail; see also Thesaurus:weak

   1. (video games, roleplaying games) Having few hit points remaining; damaged.
9. Dead. (Compare lay low.)

   Synonyms: departed, six feet under; see also Thesaurus:dead
10. Small, not high (in amount or quantity, value, force, energy, etc).

    Synonyms: reduced, devalued, low-level; see also Thesaurus:small, Thesaurus:worthless

    1. Having a small or comparatively smaller concentration of (a substance, which is often but not always linked by "in" when predicative).

    2. Depleted, or nearing deletion; lacking in supply.

       Synonyms: expended, used up; see also Thesaurus:depleted
11. (especially in biology) Simple in complexity or development.
12. (chiefly in several set phrases) Favoring simplicity (see e.g. low church, Low Tory).
13. (in several set phrases) Being near the equator.

14. (acoustics) Grave in pitch, due to being produced by relatively slow vibrations (wave oscillations); flat.

    Synonyms: low-pitched, deep, flat

15. Quiet; soft; not loud.

    Synonyms: low-toned, soft; see also Thesaurus:quiet
16. (phonetics) Made with a relatively large opening between the tongue and the palate; made with (part of) the tongue positioned low in the mouth, relative to the palate.
17. (card games) Lesser in value than other cards, denominations, suits, etc.

18. (now rare) Not rich or seasoned; offering the minimum of nutritional requirements; plain, simple. [from 17th c.]
19. (of an automobile, gear, etc) Designed for a slow (or the slowest) speed.

Synonyms

• (despicable thing to do): Synonyms: immoral, abject, scummy, scurvy

Derived terms

Related terms

• below

Translations

Noun

low (plural lows)

1. A low point or position, literally (as, a depth) or or figuratively (as, a nadir, a time when things are at their worst, least, minimum, etc).

   Unemployment has reached a ten-year low.

   1. The minimum atmospheric temperature recorded at a particular location, especially during one 24-hour period.

      Today's low was 32 °F.

2. A period of depression; a depressed mood or situation.

   He is in a low right now.   the highs and lows of bipolar disorder

3. (meteorology, informal) An area of low pressure; a depression.

4. The lowest-speed gearing of a power-transmission system, especially of an automotive vehicle.

5. (card games) The lowest trump, usually the deuce; the lowest trump dealt or drawn.
6. (slang, usually accompanied by "the") A cheap, cost-efficient, or advantageous price.

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

low (comparative lower, superlative lowest)

1. Close to the ground.
2. Of a pitch, at a lower frequency.
3. With a low voice or sound; not loudly; gently.
4. Under the usual price; at a moderate price; cheaply.

5. In a low mean condition; humbly; meanly.
6. In a time approaching our own.
7. (astronomy) In a path near the equator, so that the declination is small, or near the horizon, so that the altitude is small; said of the heavenly bodies with reference to the diurnal revolution.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

low (third-person singular simple present lows, present participle lowing, simple past and past participle lowed)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To lower; to make low.
   • 1654 (edition of 1762), Andrew Gray, The Works of [...] Andrew Gray [Edited by R. Trail and J. Stirling], page 112:

     I shall only say this, that all the other graces must low the sail to faith, and so it is faith must carry us through, being that last triumphing grace, […]

   • 1661 (edition of 1885), Joseph Glanvill, Scepsis Scientifica: [...] Vanity of Dogmatizing, page 85:

     Now to use these as Hypotheseis, as himself in his Word, is pleas'd to low himself to our capacities, is allowable:

Etymology 2

From Middle English lough, from Old English hlōh, first and third person singular preterite of hliehhan (“to laugh”). More at laugh.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈləʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈloʊ/

Verb

low

1. (obsolete) simple past of laugh.

Etymology 3

From Middle English lowen (“to low”), from Old English hlōwan (“to low, bellow, roar”), from Proto-Germanic *hlōaną (“to call, shout”), from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- (“to call”).

Cognate with Dutch loeien (“to low”), Middle High German lüejen (“to roar”), dialectal Swedish lumma (“to roar”), Latin calō (“I call”), Ancient Greek καλέω (kaléō), Latin clāmō (“I shout, claim”). More at claim.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ləʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /loʊ/
• Homophones: lo, Lowe
• Rhymes: -əʊ

Verb

low (third-person singular simple present lows, present participle lowing, simple past and past participle lowed)

1. (intransitive) To moo.

Translations

Etymology 4

From Middle English lowe, loghe, from Old Norse logi (“fire, flame, sword”), from Proto-Germanic *lugô (“flame, blaze”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“light”).

Cognate with Icelandic logi (“flame”), Swedish låga (“flame”), Danish lue (“flame”), German Lohe (“blaze, flames”), North Frisian leag (“fire, flame”), Old English līeġ (“fire, flame, lightning”). More at leye, light.

Alternative forms

• lowe

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ləʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /loʊ/

Noun

low (plural lows)

1. (countable, UK, Scotland, dialect) A flame; fire; blaze.

Translations

Verb

low (third-person singular simple present lows, present participle lowing, simple past and past participle lowed)

1. (UK, Scotland, dialect) To burn; to blaze.
   • 1724 (edition of 1788), Allan Ramsay, The Tea-Table Miscellany, page 23:

     Driest wood will eithest low,

Etymology 5

From Old English hlāw, hlǣw (“burial mound”), from Proto-West Germanic *hlaiw. Obsolete by the 19th century, survives in toponymy as -low.

Alternative forms

• lawe

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ləʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /loʊ/
• Homophones: lo, Lowe
• Rhymes: -əʊ

Noun

low (plural lows)

2. (archaic or obsolete) Barrow, mound, tumulus.
3. (Scottish dialectal, archaic) A hill.

Etymology 6

Aphetic form of allow.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA^(key): /laʊ/
• Rhymes: -aʊ

Verb

low (third-person singular simple present lows, present participle lowing, simple past and past participle lowed)

1. Alternative form of 'low

Anagrams

• OWL, WoL, owl

Chinese

Etymology

From English low.

Pronunciation

Adjective

low

1. (slang) Of low stature; uncivilized; uncouth.

   很low的行為／很low的行为  ―  hěn low de xíngwèi  ―  highly uncivilized behavior

Cornish

Etymology

From Proto-Brythonic *llow, from Proto-Celtic *luwā. Cognate with Breton laou and Welsh llau.

Noun

low f (collective, singulative lowen)

1. lice

Derived terms

Manx

Etymology

Borrowed from English allow.

Verb

low (verbal noun lowal, past participle lowit)

1. to allow, permit
2. to justify

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “allow, permit”): meelow, neulow