Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Lōw (lō), a. p. 791Occupying an inferior position or place; not high or elevated; depressed below any given surface or place; as, low ground; a low fence; a low flight. 2. Not rising to the usual height; as, a man of…Lower case p. 791the case which contains the small letters.Lōw, adv. p. 791In a low position or manner; not aloft; not on high. 2. Under the usual price; at a moderate price; cheaply; as, he sold his wheat low. 3. Near the ground; as, the bird flies very low. 4. In a mean…Lōw, v. t. p. 791To sink; to depress; to lower. [Obs.]Lōw, v. i. p. 791To bellow as an ox or cow. The lowing herds wind slowly o’er the lea. Gray.Lōw, n. p. 791The noise made by a bull, ox, cow, &c. “Talking voices and the low of herds.” Wordsworth.Lōw, n. p. 791Flame; fire. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Smart.Lōw'bĕll, n. p. 791A bell used in fowling at night, to make the birds lie still until by a more violent noise and a sudden light they are alarmed and fly into the net. The fowler's lowbell robs the lark of sleep. King.…Lōw'bĕll, v. t. p. 791To frighten, as with a lowbell.Lōw'-chûrch, a. p. 791Not placing a high estimate on ecclesiastical organizations or forms, applied especially to Episcopalians, and opposed to high-church.Lōw'er, v. t. p. 791To cause to descend; to let down; to take or bring down; as, to lower a weight, a flag, a sail, and the like. 2. To bring down; to humble; as to lower the pride of man. 3. To reduce in value, amount…Lōw'er, v. i. p. 791To fall; to sink; to grow less; to diminish; to decrease.Low'er, v. i. p. 791To descend, as the clouds, and appear dark or gloomy; to be clouded; to threaten a storm. “All the clouds that lowered upon our house.” Shak. 2. To frown; to look sullen. But sullen discontent sat…Low'er, n. p. 791Cloudiness; gloominess. 2. A frowning; sullenness.Lōw'er-cāse, a. p. 791(Print.) Pertaining to, or kept in, the lower-case;—used to denote the small letters, in distinction from capitals.Low'er-ing-ly, adv. p. 791In a lowering manner; with cloudiness or threatening gloom.Lōw'er-mōst, a. p. 791Lowest.Low'er-y, a. p. 791Cloudy; gloomy.Lōw'ing, n. p. 791The bellowing or cry of cattle.Lōw'land, n. p. 791Land which is low with respect to the neighboring country; a low or level country. The Lowlands, Belgium and Holland; the Netherlands; also, the southern part of Scotland.Lōw'land-er, n. p. 791A native or inhabitant of the Lowlands; especially of the Lowlands of Scotland as distinguished from Highlander.Lōw'li-hōod or Lōw'li-hēad, n. p. 791A lowly state. [Rare.] The stately flower of female fortitude, Of perfect wifehood, and pure lovelihead. Tennyson.Lōw'li-ly, adv. p. 791Humbly; without pride; meanly; without dignity.Lōw'li-ness, n. p. 791The state of being lowly; humility; humbleness of mind. Walk . . . with all lowliness and meekness. Eph. iv. 12. 2. Want of dignity; abject state; meanness. [R.]Lōw'ly, a. p. 791Not high; not elevated in place. Dryden. 2. Mean; low; wanting dignity or rank. One common right the great and lowly claim. Pope. 3. Not lofty or sublime; humble. “These rural poems, and their lowly…Lōw'ly, adv. p. 791In a low manner; humbly; meekly; modestly. “Be lowly wise.” Milton. 2. In a low condition; without grandeur or dignity; meanly. I will show myself highly fed, and lowly taught. Shak.Lown, n. p. 791A low fellow; a scoundrel. [Obs.] We should have both lord and lown. Shak.Lōw'ness, n. p. 791The state of being low or depressed; the state of being less elevated than something else; as, the lowness of the ground, or of the water after the ebb-tide. 2. Meanness of condition; low birth…Lōw'-prĕss'ūre, a. p. 791Having, employing, or exerting a low degree of pressure; especially, in a restricted sense, employing or exerting a pressure of less than fifty pounds to the square inch;—said of steam and…Lŏw'-spĭr/it-ed, a. p. 791Not having animation and courage; dejected; depressed; not lively or sprightly.Lōw'-spĭr'it-ed-ness, n. p. 791Dejection of mind or courage; a state of low spirits.Lŏw'-stŭd/ded, a. p. 791Furnished or built with short studs; as, a low-studded house or room.Lowt, n. p. 791Same as LOUT, q. v. Latimer.Lŏx'o-drŏm'ĭc, a. p. 791Pertaining to oblique sailing, or sailing by the rhumb; as, loxodromic tables. Loxodromic curve or line (Geom.), a line on the surface of a sphere, which always makes an equal angle with every…Lŏx'o-drōm'ĭcs, n. sing. p. 791The art or method of oblique sailing by the loxodromic or rhumb line. [See Note under MATHEMATICS.]Lox-ŏd'ro-mĭsm, n. p. 791The act or process of tracing a loxodromic curve; the act of moving as if in a loxodromic curve.Lox-ŏd'ro-my, n. p. 791The science of loxodromics.Loy, n. p. 791(Agr.) A long, narrow spade for stony lands.Loy'al, a. p. 791Devoted to the maintenance of law; disposed to uphold the constituted authority; faithful to the lawful government, whether parental, civil, or divine. 2. Faithful to the sovereign, either as the…Loy'al-ĭst, n. p. 791A person who adheres to his sovereign, or to the constituted authority; especially, one who maintains his allegiance to his prince or government, and defends his cause in times of revolt or…Loy'al-ly, adv. p. 791In a loyal manner; faithfully.Loy'al-ty, n. p. 791The state or quality of being loyal; fidelity to a superior, or to duty, love, &c. He had such loyalty to the king as the law requires. Clarendon. “Loyalty . . . being derived from [Fr.] loi…Lŏz'enge, n. p. 791A figure with four equal sides, having two acute and two obtuse angles; a rhomb. 2. (Confectionery.) A small cake of sugar, &c., often medicated, originally in the form of a lozenge or rhomb, but now…Lōz'enged or Lōz'enge-shāped, a. p. 792Having the form of a lozenge or rhomb. See LOZENGE, No. 1.Lōz'en-ǵy, a. p. 792(Her.) Covered with lozenges, or divided into lozenge-shaped compartments.Lū, n. & v. t. p. 792See Loo.Lūb'bard, n. p. 792A lubber. [Rare.] See LUBBER. W. Scott.Lūb'ber, n. p. 792A heavy, clumsy fellow; a sturdy drone; a clown. See LAND-LUBBER. Lingering lubbers lose many a penny. Tusser.Lubber's hole p. 792a hole in the top of a vessel, next the mast, through which sailors may mount without going over the rim by the futtock-shrouds. It is considered by seamen as only fit to be used by lubbers. Totten.Lŭb'ber-ly, a. p. 792Like a lubber; clumsy; as, a lubberly fellow or boy.Lūb'ber-ly, adv. p. 792Clumsily; awkwardly.Lū'bric or Lū'bric-al, a. p. 792Having a smooth surface; slippery; as, a lubric throat. Cressiano. 2. Wavering; unsteady; as, the lubric waves of state. Wotton. 3. Lascivious; wanton; lewd. “This lubric and adulterate age.” Dryden.Lū'bri-cant, n. p. 792That which lubricates.Lū'bri-cāte, v. t. p. 792To make smooth or slippery; as, mucilaginous and saponaceous medicines lubricate the parts to which they are applied. That profuse and irrepressible wordiness ... lubricates and weakens the whole…Lū'bri-cā'tion, n. p. 792The act of lubricating; the act of making slippery.Lū'bri-cā'tor, n. p. 792One who, or that which, lubricates.Lu-brĭç'i-tāte, v. t. p. 792Same as LUBRICATE. [Obs.]Lu-brĭc'i-ty, n. p. 792The state of being lubric; smoothness of surface; slipperiness. 2. Smoothness; aptness to glide over any thing, or to facilitate the motion of bodies in contact by diminishing friction. 3.…Lū'bri-coŭs, a. p. 792Smooth; slippery. 2. Wavering; unstable. Glanville.Lū'bri-fi-cā'tion or Lū'bri-fāc'tion, n. p. 792The act of lubricating, or making smooth. Bacon.