Low Latin

Medieval, or Late and Medieval, Latin

Middle or Medieval Latin

The Latin of the Middle Ages between 600 and 1500

New or Modern Latin

Latin as written between 1500 and the present time, mostly used as a scientific medium

Silver Latin see under silver

thieves' Latin

Thieves' cant

Vulgar Latin

Colloquial Latin, esp that of the period under the emperors

low¹ /lō/

adjective (lower /lōˈər/; lowest /lōˈist/ or lowˈermost)

1. Occupying a position that is far down or not much raised
2. Of no great upward extension
3. Not reaching a high level
4. Depressed
5. Not tall
6. (of type or blocks) below the level of the forme surface (printing)
7. Reaching far down
8. (of clothes) cut so as to expose the neck and chest
9. Quiet and soft, not loud
10. Of deep pitch, as sounds produced by slow vibrations are
11. Produced with part of the tongue low in the mouth (phonetics)
12. Nearly level or not much raised, in shallow relief
13. Expressed in measurement by a small number
14. Of numbers, small
15. Of small value, intensity, quantity or rank
16. Having little vitality, badly nourished
17. Scanty, deficient
18. Attributing lowness
19. For stakes of no great value
20. Dejected
21. Debased
22. Base
23. Mean
24. Vulgar
25. Humble
26. Socially depressed
27. Little advanced or backward in organization or culture
28. (of latitude) near the equator
29. (of dates) comparatively recent (archaic)
30. Attaching little value to priesthood, sacraments, etc

noun

1. That which is low or lowest
2. An area of low barometric pressure
3. A low or minimum level
4. Low gear

adverb

1. In or to a low position, state or manner
2. Humbly
3. With a low voice or sound
4. At low pitch
5. At a low price
6. Late (archaic)
7. In small quantity or to a small degree

lowˈer transitive verb

1. To make lower
2. To let or put down
3. To lessen
4. To dilute (obsolete)

intransitive verb

To become lower or less

noun (Scot)

(an examination at) the lower grade (qv below)

lowˈering noun

The act of bringing low, reducing or letting down

adjective

1. Letting down
2. Sinking
3. Degrading

lowˈermost adjective

Lowest

lowˈish adjective

lowˈlihead noun (archaic)

Humility

lowˈlily /-li-li/ adverb

lowˈliness noun

lowˈly adjective

1. Humble
2. Modest
3. Low in stature or in organization

adverb

In a low manner

lowˈness noun

low-alˈcohol adjective

(of a drink) containing less alcohol by volume than is standard

lowˈballing noun (informal)

The business practice of tendering an unrealistically low price in order to secure a contract

lowˈ-born adjective

Of humble birth

lowˈboy noun

1. A Low-Churchman (obsolete)
2. A short-legged dressing-table with drawers (US)

lowˈ-bred adjective

1. Ill-bred
2. Unmannerly

lowˈbrow noun and adjective

(a person who is) not intellectual or having no pretensions to intellect

lowˈ-calˈ or loˈ-calˈ adjective (informal)

Low in calories

Low Church adjective

Of a party within the Church of England setting little value on sacerdotal claims, ecclesiastical constitutions, ordinances and forms, holding evangelical views of theology, opp to High Church

Low-Churchˈism noun

Low-Churchˈman noun

low comedy noun

Comedy of farcical situation, slapstick or low life

lowˈ-costˈ adjective

Cheap

lowˈ-country adjective

Lowland (the Low Countries Holland and Belgium)

low-cutˈ adjective

(of a garment) with a low neck-line, revealing much of the chest

lowˈ-down adjective (informal)

1. Base
2. Dishonourable

noun (informal)

Information, esp of a confidential or damaging nature

low-downˈer noun (obsolete US)

A poor white person

Low Dutch noun (obsolete)

Low German including Dutch

lowˈer-brackˈet adjective

In a low grouping in a list

lowˈer-case adjective (printing)

Small as distinguished from capital, orig because kept in a lower case

lower chamber see lower house below.

lowˈer-class adjective

Relating to people of low social class

lower criticism see under critic

lower deck noun

1. The deck immediately above the hold
2. Ship's crew (as opposed to officers)

lowˈer-deck adjective

Of or relating to the lower deck

lower grade noun

1. A former educational qualification offered in Scotland
2. An examination or pass at this grade

lower house or lower chamber noun

The larger, more representative, of two legislative chambers

lower regions plural noun

Hades, hell

lowest common denominator, least common denominator, lowest common multiple or least common multiple see under denominate and multiple respectively.

low-fatˈ adjective

Containing only a small proportion of fat

low frequency, low-gear, Low German see under frequent, gear and German respectively.

low-hanging fruit noun (informal)

Something that can be easily acquired or achieved

lowˈ-keyˈ adjective

1. (in painting or photography) in mostly dark tones or colours, with few if any highlights
2. Undramatic, understated, restrained
3. (of a person) not easily excited, showing no visible reaction

lowˈland noun

Land low in relation to higher land (also adjective)

lowˈlander noun

(also with cap) a native of lowlands, esp the Lowlands of Scotland

Low Latin see under Latin

low-level language noun

A computer-programming language using easily remembered words or letters, each instruction translating into one machine code instruction (cf high-level language)

low level waste noun (nuclear eng)

Radioactive waste which, because of its low activity, does not require shielding during normal handling or transport

low life noun

1. Sordid social circumstances
2. People of low social class
3. (also lowˈlife) the criminal fraternity or a member of it
4. (also lowˈlife) anyone considered dishonest or disreputable

lowˈ-life adjective

lowˈ-lifer noun

lowˈlight noun

1. A dull or unenjoyable part of something
2. (usu in pl) a portion of hair artificially darkened to enhance the natural colour of the hair (also transitive verb)

lowˈ-lived /-livd/ adjective

1. Vulgar
2. Shabby

lowˈ-loader noun

A low trailer or wagon without sides, used for very heavy loads

Low Mass noun

Mass celebrated without music and incense

lowˈ-mindˈed adjective

1. Having crude or vulgar motives or interests
2. Vulgar

lowˈ-mindˈedness noun

lowˈ-necked adjective

(of a dress, blouse, etc) cut low in the neck and away from the shoulders, décolleté

low-noise converter noun (TV)

An aerial component that receives, magnifies and transmits by wire a satellite signal

lowˈ-paidˈ adjective

(of a worker) receiving or (of a job) rewarded by low wages

lowˈ-pitched adjective

1. Of sound, low in pitch
2. (of a roof) gentle in slope
3. Having a low ceiling

lowˈ-pressˈure adjective

1. Employing or exerting a low degree of pressure (ie less than 50lb (about 22.7kg) to the sq in), said of steam and steam-engines
2. Having low barometric pressure

low profile noun

A manner or attitude revealing very little of one's feelings, intentions, activities, etc

low-proˈfile adjective

1. (of people) having such a manner or attitude
2. (of a tyre) wide in proportion to its height (motoring)

low relief same as bas-relief

lowˈ-rent adjective

1. Costing relatively little to rent
2. Of inferior status (informal)

lowˈ-rise adjective

(of buildings) having only a few storeys, opp to high-rise

noun

A building of this kind

low side window noun

A narrow window (or lower part of a window) near the ground, sometimes found in old churches, esp in the chancel

lowˈ-slungˈ adjective

1. (of a vehicle, etc) with body close to the ground
2. Generally, hanging low
3. (of a building) not tall

lowˈ-spirˈited adjective

1. Downcast or depressed
2. Not lively
3. Sad

lowˈ-spirˈitedness noun

Low Sunday noun

The first Sunday after Easter, so called in contrast to the great festival whose octave it ends

lowˈ-tarˈ adjective

(of cigarettes) made of tobacco with a low tar content

low technology or low tech noun

Simple, unsophisticated technology used in the production of basic commodities (also (with hyphen or loˈ-tech) adjective)

low-temperature physics singular noun

The study of physical phenomena at temperatures near absolute zero

lowˈ-tenˈsion adjective

Using, generating or operating at a low voltage

lowˈ-thoughtˈed adjective (Milton)

Having the thoughts directed to base or vulgar pursuits

low tide or low water noun

The lowest point of the ebbing tide

low toby see under toby

Lowveld /lōˈfelt or -velt/ noun

(also without cap) the lower altitude areas of the eastern Transvaal in South Africa

lowˈ-watˈer mark noun

1. The lowest line reached by the tide
2. Anything marking the point of greatest degradation, decline, etc (figurative)

low wines plural noun

The weak spirit produced from the first distillation of substances containing alcohol

an all-time low

The lowest recorded level

in low water

Short of money

lay low

To overthrow, fell or kill

lie low see under lie²

the lowest of the low

The most contemptible person or people