1367, "domed turret-like structure atop a building to disperse smoke and admit light," from O.Fr.
lovier, of uncertain origin. One theory connects it to M.L.
*lodarium, which might be from a Gmc. source (cf. O.H.G.
louba "upper room, roof;" see
lobby). Another suggests it is from Fr.
l'ouvert, lit. "the open place," from
le, definite article, + pp. of
ouvrir "to open." Meaning "overlapping strips in a window (to let in air but keep out rain)" first recorded 1555. The form has been influenced by unrelated Fr.
Louvre, the name of the palace in Paris, which is said to be so named because its builder, Philip Augustus, intended it as a wolf kennel.
[loo-ver] 
vər