lowly
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lowly² adj low in rank, position, or social class; HUMBLE: a lowly bank clerk —liness n [U]
low-lying adj 1 (of land) not much above the level of the sea; not high: low-lying fields 2 below the usual level: low-lying clouds
low-necked adj (of an article of women's clothing) cut so as to leave the neck and shoulders uncovered → compare LOW-CUT
low-pitched adj 1 (of a musical note) deep 2 (of a roof) not steep
low profile n [C usually sing.] the state of not drawing attention to oneself or one's actions: We'd better keep a low profile until the public outcry has died down. → opposite HIGH PROFILE —low-profile adj
'low-rent adj derog not expensive or not good quality
low-rider /'ləʊraɪdə/ n AmE 1 a car whose bottom is very low to the ground, especially one that has been CUSTOMIZED (changed so that it looks different to other similar cars) for example with special wheels, paint etc 2 a person, usually a TEENAGE boy, who drives such a car, often thought of as likely to cause trouble
'low-rise adj [A] (of a building) having only one or two floors (STOREYS) → compare HIGH-RISE
Low-ry, L. S. /'lɔːri/ (1887–1976) a British painter known for his scenes from the industrial North of England showing factories and crowds of small thin people (matchstick men) rushing about. He used a very simple style of painting, and he especially combined the use of white and grey.
'low season n [(the)U] the time of year when business activity and prices are at their lowest level: Winter is (the) low season at seaside hotels. → opposite HIGH SEASON
low-slung adj [A] low and closer to the ground than usual: a low-slung sports car
low-sodium adj (of food) containing only a small amount of SODIUM usually in the form of salt: a low-sodium diet
low-spirited adj unhappy; LOW
Low Sunday The Sunday following Easter
low-tech adj not using advanced machines, processes, or methods, e.g. in business or industry
low tide n [C;U] the moment when the water is at its lowest point on the sea shore because the TIDE has gone out → opposite HIGH TIDE
low water n [U] the moment when the water in a river is at its lowest point because of the TIDE → opposite HIGH WATER
low water mark n 1 a mark showing the lowest point reached by a body of water, such as a river 2 the lowest point of success: Our fortunes had reached their low water mark. → opposite HIGH WATER MARK
lox /lɒks||lɑːks/ n [U] AmE SALMON (a fish) preserved with smoke. Lox is often eaten with BAGELS.
loy-al /'lɔɪəl/ adj [(to)] faithful to one's friends, principles, country etc; always giving support: a loyal supporter of the government —ly adv
loy-al-ist /'lɔɪəlɪst/ n a person who remains loyal to an existing government when opposed by those who want to change it —loyalist adj
Loyalist n 1 a Protestant in Northern Ireland who believes that it should remain part of the UK. The people who want Northern Ireland to become part of the Republic of Ireland are called 'Republicans' or 'Nationalists'. 2 someone who was loyal to the royal family during the English Civil War 3 someone who supported the elected government during the Spanish Civil War 4 someone who fought with the British during the American Revolutionary War 5 someone who supported the Union during the American Civil War —Loyalist adj: the Loyalist flag/anthem
loy-al-ty /'lɔɪəlti/ n 1 [U(to)] the quality of being loyal: No one could ever doubt her loyalty. 2 [C usually pl.] a feeling of being loyal to someone or something: He had divided loyalties; he wanted to be loyal to the company, but he also wanted to do what was best for his family.
'loyalty card n a card given by a shop, SUPERMARKET etc to customers who often buy things there, that gives them advantages such as lower prices, money back on goods etc
Loyola, St Ignatius (of) → see IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, ST
loz-enge /'lɒzɪndʒ||'lɔː-/ n 1 a small flat sweet, especially one that contains medicine and melts slowly in the mouth: a cough lozenge 2 tech a shape that has four straight and equal sides, with two sharp angles opposite each other and two wide angles
LP /,el 'piː/ n [C] abbrev. for long playing record; a record that turns 33 times per minute, and usually plays for between 20 and 25 minutes on each side
LPG /,el piː 'dʒiː/ n [U] abbrev. for liquefied petroleum gas; gas such as PROPANE, obtained from oil, and kept in liquid form under pressure to be used as a FUEL: All our trucks run on LPG.
L-plate /'el pleɪt/ n a flat white square with a red letter L on it, that must be fixed to the back and front of a car being driven by a learner in Britain
LPN /,el piː 'en/ n abbrev. for LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE
LPO, the /,el piː 'əʊ/ abbrev. for LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
LRT /,el ɑː 'ti||-aɪr-/ abbrev. for LONDON REGIONAL TRANSPORT
LRV /,el ɑː 'viː||-aɪr-/ n abbrev. for Light Rail Vehicle; a type of train whose tracks run in or between streets, used especially in cities in the US
LSAT /,el sæt/ n abbrev. for Law School Admission Test; an examination which must be passed by all students who want to attend a law school in the US
Lsd, £sd /,el es 'diː/ n [U] BrE old-fash 1 the abbreviation of pounds, SHILLINGS, and pence, the system of money used in Britain before 1971 2 infml money
LSD /,el es 'diː:/ also acid slang — n [U] an illegal drug that makes you see things as more beautiful, strange, frightening etc than usual or see things that do not exist
CULTURAL NOTE Drugs like LSD are sometimes called PSYCHEDELIC drugs, and are especially connected in people's minds with the HIPPIE period of the 1960s and 1970s.
LSE /,el es 'iː/ abbrev. for the LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS
LSO, the /,el es 'əʊ/ abbrev. for LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Lt. n written abbrev. for LIEUTENANT
Ltd written abbrev. for Limited; used after the name of a company to show that it is a LIMITED COMPANY: Barker and Reeves Ltd, Advertising Agency → compare INC, PLC
lu-au /'luːaʊ/ n AmE a party held outside which usually has Hawaiian food or entertainment
lu-bri-cant /'luːbrɪkənt/ n [C;U] a substance, especially a type of oil, used for making parts in a machine etc move easily and smoothly without rubbing or sticking
lu-bri-cate /'luːbrɪkeɪt/ v [T] to cause to move or work easily and smoothly without rubbing or sticking, especially by means of a lubricant: This oil lubricates the machine. | (fig.) A few whiskies will lubricate his tongue. (=make him speak freely) —cator n: Oil is a good lubricator. —cation /ˌluːbrɪ'keɪʃən/ n [U]
lu-bri-cious /luː'brʃəs/ adj fml showing too great an interest in sex, especially in a way that is unpleasant or socially unacceptable
Lu-can, Lord Richard John Bing-ham /'luːkən, 'bɪŋəm/ (1934–) an English NOBLEMAN, who disappeared in 1974, following events at the house of his wife. He has never been found.
Luc-as, George /'luːkəs/ (1944–) a US film DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, and film writer, who is most famous for making the Star Wars films. He also worked with Steven Spielberg to make Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and two other films about the character Indiana Jones.
Lucas, Henry Lee (1936–2001) an American once considered one of the world's worst SERIAL KILLERS after he said in 1965 that he had murdered more than 100 people. He was SENTENCED TO DEATH (=given the legal punishment of death by a judge), but it was discovered that he had invented most of his CONFESSIONS, and the DEATH SENTENCE was changed to life IMPRISONMENT.
lu-cerne /luː'sɜːn||-ɜːrn/ BrE ALFALFA
lu-cid /'luːsɪd/ adj 1 well expressed and easy to understand; clear: a lucid explanation 2 able to understand clearly, but