Low
|low|
🇺🇸
/loʊ/
🇬🇧
/ləʊ/
(low)
short height
Etymology
'Low' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'hlēow' / 'hlāw' (used in different senses), where early Germanic roots conveyed the sense of 'not high' or 'a mound' depending on usage.
'Low' was used in Old English in forms like 'hlēow' (adjective: not high) and 'hlāw' (noun: mound, hill). The adjective sense was reinforced by related Old Norse words (for example 'lágr') and cognates in other Germanic languages (Dutch 'laag', Germanic roots), developing into Middle English and then modern English 'low'.
Initially, related forms could mean either 'a mound/hill' (noun) or 'not high' (adjective); over time the distinct senses separated, giving modern English the adjective/adverb meaning 'not high, below' and the noun sense preserved in certain compounds and place names.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a low point; a period of reduced strength, success, or spirits.
After the loss the team experienced a Low.
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Verb 1
to make the deep sound typical of cattle; to moo or bellow (chiefly of cows).
At dawn the cows began to Low in the field.
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Adjective 1
of small height or small distance from base to top; not high in altitude or elevation.
Low buildings line the street.
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Adjective 2
below the usual, expected, or normal level (price, amount, temperature, volume, etc.).
Low battery warning appeared on the phone.
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Adjective 3
of a voice or sound: quiet, soft, or of a deep pitch.
Her voice was Low and steady.
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Adjective 4
morally contemptible, base, or humble in social status.
He came from a Low social background.
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Last updated: 2025/11/12 03:06