lower

From low +‎ -er (comparative suffix).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈləʊ.ə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈloʊ.ɚ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊə(ɹ)

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.

• (antonym(s) of “more low”): higher
• (antonym(s) of “bottom”): upper
• (antonym(s) of “older”): upper

lower

1. comparative form of low: more low

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.

• (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

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈlaʊə/, /ˈlaʊ.ə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈlaʊɚ/, /ˈlaʊ.ɚ/
• Rhymes: -aʊ.ə(ɹ)

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

1. Alternative spelling of lour
   • c. 1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedy of King Richard the Third. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Sims [and Peter Short] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1597, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

     Now is the winter of our diſcontent, / Made glorious ſummer by this ſonne of Yorke: / And all the cloudes that lowrd vpon our houſe, / In the deepe boſome of the Ocean buried.

   • 1700, [John] Dryden, “Homer’s Ilias”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, book I, page 215:

     [...] Juno took her place: / But ſullen Diſcontent ſat lowring on her Face.

   • 1846, R[obert] S[tephen] Hawker, “The Wreck”, in Echoes from Old Cornwall, London: Joseph Masters, […], →OCLC, stanza X, page 76:

     And still when loudliest howls the storm, / And darkliest lowers his native sky, / The king's fierce soul is in that form, / The warrior's spirit threatens nigh!

• loweringly

• Worle, owler, rowel

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

• IPA^(key): [léʊːɐ], [lɑ́ʊːɐ]

lower m

1. low