lower

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See also: Lower

English

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Etymology 1

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From low +‎ -er (comparative suffix).

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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lower

  1. comparative form of low: more low
  2. Bottom; more towards the bottom than the middle of an object.
  3. Situated on lower ground, nearer a coast, or more southerly.
    Lower Manhattan
    Lower Burgundy
  4. (geology, of strata or geological time periods) Older.
Antonyms
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  • (antonym(s) of more low): higher
  • (antonym(s) of bottom): upper
  • (antonym(s) of older): upper
Derived terms
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Translations
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Adverb

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lower

  1. comparative form of low: more low

Verb

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lower (third-person singular simple present lowers, present participle lowering, simple past and past participle lowered)

  1. (transitive) To let descend by its own weight, as something suspended; to let down
    lower a bucket into a well
    to lower a sail of a boat
    • 1833 (first publication), Alfred Tennyson, A Dream of Fair Women
      Lower'd softly with a threefold cord of love
      Down to a silent grave.
    • 1960 September, “Talking of Trains: New level-crossing signs”, in Trains Illustrated, page 519:
      At level crossings where there are to be half-barriers, train-operated through track-circuiting, the barriers will be timed to lower fully about five seconds before the fastest train can reach the crossing.
  2. (transitive) to pull down
    to lower a flag
  3. (transitive) To reduce the height of
    lower a fence or wall
    lower a chimney or turret
  4. (transitive) To depress as to direction
    lower the aim of a gun
  5. (transitive) To make less elevated
    to lower one's ambition, aspirations, or hopes
  6. (transitive) To reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of
    lower the temperature
    lower one's vitality
    lower distilled liquors
    Please lower your voices. This is a library.
  7. (transitive) To bring down; to humble
    lower one's pride
  8. (reflexive) To humble oneself; to do something one considers to be beneath one's dignity.
    I could never lower myself enough to buy second-hand clothes.
  9. (transitive) To reduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
    lower the price of goods
    lower the interest rate
  10. (intransitive) To fall; to sink; to grow less; to diminish; to decrease
    The river lowered as rapidly as it rose.
  11. (intransitive) To decrease in value, amount, etc.
  12. (computing, transitive) To reduce operations to single machine instructions, as part of compilation of a program.
Synonyms
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  • (let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail): bring down
  • (reduce the height of, as a fence or chimney): shorten
  • (depress as to direction, as a gun):
  • (make less elevated as to object, as ambitions or hopes): reduce
  • (reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature): reduce, turn down
  • (transitive: to humble):
  • (reflexive: to humble oneself): be humble
  • (reduce (something) in value, amount, etc): cut, reduce
  • (intransitive: grow less): die off, drop, fall, fall off, shrink
  • (intransitive: decrease in value): become/get smaller, become/get lower, lessen, reduce
Derived terms
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Translations
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Etymology 2

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Pronunciation

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Verb

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lower (third-person singular simple present lowers, present participle lowering, simple past and past participle lowered)

  1. Alternative spelling of lour
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Anagrams

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Scanian

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Etymology

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From Old Norse lágr, from Proto-Germanic *lēgaz.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [léʊːɐ], [lɑ́ʊːɐ]

Adjective

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lower m

  1. low