low Hear it!

low¹ Definition

low (lō)

adjective

    1. of little height or elevation; not high or tall
    2. not far above the ground low clouds
  2. depressed below the surrounding surface or normal elevation low land
  3. of little depth; shallow the river is low
  4. of little quantity, degree, intensity, value, etc. a low cost, low pressure, a low profile
  5. of less than normal height, elevation, depth, quantity, degree, power, etc.
  6. below others in order, position, rating, etc. low man on the team, low marks
  7. near the horizon the sun was low
  8. near the equator a low latitude
  9. cut so as to expose the neck or part of the shoulders, chest, or back; décolleté a dress with a low neckline
    1. Rare prostrate or dead
    2. in hiding or obscurity to stay low
  11. deep; profound a low bow
  12. lacking energy; enfeebled; weak
  13. depressed in spirits; melancholy
  14. not of high rank; humble; plebeian a man of low origin
  15. vulgar; coarse; debased; undignified
  16. mean; despicable; contemptible a low trick
  17. poor; slight; unfavorable to have a low opinion of someone
  18. containing less than a normal amount of some usual element low in calories, low-salt diet
  19. not advanced in evolution, development, complexity, etc.; inferior a low form of plant life
  20. relatively recent a manuscript of a low date
  21. ☆ designating or of that gear ratio of a motor vehicle transmission which produces the lowest speed and the greatest torque
    1. not well supplied with; short of: with on low on ammunition
    2. Informal not having any or much money; short of ready cash
  23. of little intensity; not loud: said of a sound
  24. designating or producing tones made by relatively slow vibrations; deep in pitch
  25. very informal and permissive in matters of ceremony, doctrine, etc.
  26. Phonet. articulated with the tongue held relatively low in the mouth: said of certain vowels, as (ä) in far

Etymology: ME lah < ON lagr, akin to MDu lage, MLowG læge < IE base *legh-, lie

adverb

  1. in, at, to, or toward a low degree, level, place, position, etc. hit them low
  2. in a low manner
  3. quietly; softly speak low
  4. with a deep pitch

noun

something low; specif.,

  1. ☆ that gear of a motor vehicle, etc., producing the lowest speed and the greatest torque: also, an arrangement similar to this in an automatic transmission
  2. a low degree, level, place, position, etc.
  3. ☆ Meteorol. an area of low barometric pressure

low¹ Related Forms

low′·ness noun

low¹ Idioms

lay low

  1. to cause to fall by hitting
  2. to overcome or kill

lie low

  1. ☆ to keep oneself hidden or inconspicuous
  2. ☆ to wait patiently for an opportunity

low² Definition

low (lō)

intransitive verb

to make the characteristic vocal sound of a cow; moo

Etymology: ME lowen < OE hlowan, akin to ON hloa, to roar < IE base *kel-, to cry > L clamor

transitive verb

to express by lowing

noun

the characteristic sound of a cow

low³ Definition

low (lō)

noun, intransitive verb

Scot., North Eng. flame or blaze

Etymology: ME loghe < ON logi, akin to MHG lohe, flame: for IE base see light

Low Definition

Low (lō)

  1. Low, Sir David 1891-1963; Brit. political cartoonist, born in New Zealand

  2. Low, Juliette (born Juliette Gordon) 1860-1927; U.S. founder of the Girl Scouts

low Synonyms

low

modif.

  1. Close to the earth

    squat, flat, level, low-lying, profound, decumbent, prostrate, crouched, below, ankle-high, not far above the horizon, low-hanging, lowering, knee-high, beneath, under, depressed, sunken, nether, inferior, unelevated, lying under; see also deep 1.

    Antonyms high*, lofty*, elevated. *

  2. Quiet

    muffled, hushed, quiet; see faint 3.

  3. Low in spirits

    dejected, moody, blue; see sad 1.

  4. Base

    base, mean, coarse, despicable; see mean 1, vulgar 1.

  5. Faint

    ill, dizzy, feeble; see sick, weak 1.

  6. Simple

    economical, moderate, inexpensive; see cheap 1. See syn. study at mean.

lay low

bring to ruin, overcome, kill; see destroy 1.

lie low

wait, conceal oneself, take cover; see hide 2.

low Usage Examples

Object

fol-: If the command is fol- lowed by digits, executing universal-argument again ends the numeric argument, but is otherwise ignored.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

keep: Stirling, and later Wainwright managed to keep the axle weight very low.

Modifies a noun

  • level: There is a low level of trust by the general public in the industry.
  • rate: A point is 1 percent of your on line student loan top low rate online amounts.
  • price: We have a vastly growing selection to choose from for the lowest prices online.
  • income: Some people on low incomes will not be charged at all.
  • cost: Prices in Euros, with low cost shipping to the EU.
  • temperature: In cold water, surfers usually wear wetsuits to protect themselves against lower water temperatures.

Used with adjective complement

  • remain: Credit losses remained low at 3 % of outstanding balances.
  • fly: The Falcon is a skilled aerial hunter, flying low over the tree tops to take their prey by surprise.
  • lie: The village lies low, but the surrounding scenery is extremely beautiful.
  • bow: The worried merchant stood up and bowed low before the bailiff.
  • drop: The prices for DVD-ROM drives have dropped low enough to make this strategy feasible.
  • run: U have to have lots of patience, which my stock is running rather low!

Preposition: in

  • fat: Cooked, peeled single prawns from the North Atlantic are naturally low in fat, with good protein content to boost energy levels.
  • carbohydrate: Both the Atkins and ketogenic diets are high in fat and low in carbohydrates.
  • sky: Problems normally occur when helicopters stray from designated routes or fly too low in the sky.
  • comparison: Industrial research spending has been consistently low in comparison to other countries, and it is important that this is improved.
  • sodium: For very young children, as with babies, you should choose waters that are relatively low in sodium.
  • salt: The Maggi ' A Natural Choice ' range is now lower in salt and made using sunflower oil.