lough

[ lok, lokh ]

nounIrish English.

a lake.
a partially landlocked or protected bay; a narrow arm of the sea.

Origin of lough

1505–15; Anglo-Irish spelling of Irish loch lake; compare Middle English low, lough(e), logh(e), Old English (Northumbrian) lūh<British Celtic *lux- (>Welsh llwch (obsolete) lake, Old Breton luh,Breton louc’h), apparently <early Irish; see loch

Compare loch.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use lough in a sentence

The surrounding country, with its waterways, loughs and woods, is of considerable beauty.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 4 | Various
Loughs Conn and Cullin are open free fishing, and on the preserves the terms are most liberal.
The Sunny Side of Ireland | John O'Mahony and R. Lloyd Praeger
Loughs Mask and Corrib are connected by a salmon ladder, and contain large trout.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 4 | Various
The fine surrounding scenery culminates to the east in the wild mountain Errigal (2466 ft.) at the upper end of the loughs.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 6 | Various
The river Clady, running past the village from the Nacung Loughs, affords salmon and trout fishing.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 6 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for lough

lough

/ (lɒx, lɒk) /

noun

an Irish word for lake 1
a long narrow bay or arm of the sea in Ireland

Origin of lough

C14: from Irish loch lake

Compare loch

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Browse