Automotive. of, pertaining to, or operating at the gear transmission ratio at which the drive shaft moves at the lowest speed with relation to the speed of the engine crankshaft, used especially for temporarily overcoming the weight or inertia of the vehicle; first:
low gear.
32.
Baseball. (of a pitched ball) passing the plate at a level below that of the batter's knees:
a low curve.
33.
Cards. having less value than other cards:
a low card.
34.
Metallurgy. having a relatively small amount of a specified constituent (usually used in combination):
low-carbon steel.
35.
Chiefly British. holding to Low Church principles and practices.
adverb, lower, lowest.
36.
in or to a low position, point, degree, etc.:
The raiders crouched low in the bushes.
37.
near the ground, floor, or base; not aloft:
The plane flew low.
38.
in or to a humble or abject state:
Some live low while others live high. She swore she would bring him low.
39.
in or to a condition of depletion, prostration, or death:
1125-75;Middle Englishlowe, lohe (adj. and noun), earlier lāh < Old Norselāgr (adj.); cognate with Old Frisianlēge, lēch,Dutchlaag,Old High Germanlaege; akin to lie2
to utter the deep, low sound characteristic of cattle; moo.
verb (used with object)
2.
to utter by or as by lowing.
noun
3.
the act or the sound of lowing:
the low of a distant herd.
Origin
before 1000;Middle Englishlowen,Old Englishhlōwan; cognate with Dutchloeien,Old High Germanhluoen,Old Saxonhlōian; akin to Old NorseHlōi proper name (literally, bellower, shouter), Latinclāmāre to call out
low3
[loh] /loʊ/
verb (used without object), British Dialect
1.
to burn; blaze.
2.
(of a person) to feel strong emotions; glow with excitement.
The developing world refers to countries with a low standard of living.
The dimly lit room has low ceilings and poor ventilation.
The battery drives the car at low speeds for short distances and boosts acceleration, lowering demand on the engine.
Today, the mossy rain-fed ground cover glows chartreuse in the low light.
Lose the box spring and get a frame that is simple and low to the ground.
Manatees can't hear the low sounds of boat engines, which is why the animals are frequently injured, a researcher says.
More than an hour after sunset a veil of glowing clouds appears low in the northern sky.
All three main ingredients are low in fat and high in fiber.
If low scores predict failure that is prediction of success.
High unemployment has contributed to low sales-tax receipts, which make up almost two-thirds of tax revenue.
British Dictionary definitions for low
low1
/ləʊ/
adjective
1.
having a relatively small distance from base to top; not tall or high: a low hill, a low building
2.
situated at a relatively short distance above the ground, sea level, the horizon, or other reference position: low cloud
(in combination): low-lying
3.
involving or containing a relatively small amount of something: a low supply
(in combination): low-pressure
4.
having little value or quality
(in combination): low-grade
5.
of less than the usual or expected height, depth, or degree: low temperature
6.
(of numbers) small
(of measurements) expressed in small numbers
7.
unfavourable: a low opinion
8.
not advanced in evolution: a low form of plant life
9.
deep: a low obeisance
10.
coarse or vulgar: a low conversation
11.
inferior in culture or status
(in combination): low-class
12.
in a physically or mentally depressed or weakened state
13.
designed so as to reveal the wearer's neck and part of the bosom: a low neckline
14.
with a hushed tone; quiet or soft: a low whisper
15.
of relatively small price or monetary value: low cost
16.
(music) relating to or characterized by a relatively low pitch
17.
(of latitudes) situated not far north or south of the equator
18.
having little or no money
19.
abject or servile
20.
(phonetics) of, relating to, or denoting a vowel whose articulation is produced by moving the back of the tongue away from the soft palate or the blade away from the hard palate, such as for the a in English fatherCompare high (sense 22)
21.
(of a gear) providing a relatively low forward speed for a given engine speed
22.
(usually capital) of or relating to the Low Church
adverb
23.
in a low position, level, degree, intensity, etc: to bring someone low
24.
at a low pitch; deep: to sing low
25.
at a low price; cheaply: to buy low
26.
lay low
to cause to fall by a blow
to overcome, defeat or destroy
27.
lie low
to keep or be concealed or quiet
to wait for a favourable opportunity
noun
28.
a low position, level, or degree: an all-time low
29.
an area of relatively low atmospheric pressure, esp a depression
30.
(electronics) the voltage level in a logic circuit corresponding to logical zero Compare high (sense 40)
Derived Forms
lowness, noun
Word Origin
C12 lāh, from Old Norse lāgr; related to Old Frisian lēch low, Dutch laag
low2
/ləʊ/
noun
1.
the sound uttered by cattle; moo
verb
2.
to make or express by a low or moo
Word Origin
Old English hlōwan; related to Dutch loeien, Old Saxon hlōian
Low
/ləʊ/
noun
1.
Sir David. 1891–1963, British political cartoonist, born in New Zealand: created Colonel Blimp See blimp2
"not high," late 13c., from lah (late 12c.), "not rising much, being near the base or ground" (of objects or persons); "lying on the ground or in a deep place" (late 13c.), from Old Norse lagr "low," or a similar Scandinavian source (cf. Swedish låg, Danish lav), from Proto-Germanic *lega- "lying flat, low" (cf. Old Frisian lech, Middle Dutch lage, Dutch laag "low," dialectal German läge "flat"), from PIE *legh- "to lie" (see lie (v.2)).
Meaning "humble in rank" is from c.1200; "undignified" is from 1550s; sense of "dejected, dispirited" is attested from 1737; meaning "coarse, vulgar" is from 1759. In reference to sounds, "not loud," also "having a deep pitch," it is attested from c.1300. Of prices, from c.1400. In geographical usage, low refers to the part of a country near the sea-shore (c.1300; e.g. Low Countries "Holland, Belgium, Luxemburg," 1540s). As an adverb c.1200, from the adjective.
v.
Old English hlowan "make a noise like a cow," from Proto-Germanic *khlo- (cf. Middle Dutch loeyen, Dutch loeien, Old Low Franconian luon, Old High German hluojen), from imitative PIE root *kele- (2) "to shout" (see claim (v.)).
"hill," obsolete except in place names, Old English hlaw "hill, mound," especially "barrow," related to hleonian "to lean" (see lean (v.)). Cf. Latin clivus "hill" from the same PIE root.
adv.
early 13c., from low (adj.). Of voices or sounds, from c.1300.
The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D. Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers. Cite This Source