lew
nounadjectivenounverbadjectiveinterjectionverbattested in dialogue
- //ljuː//
- //luː//
Lukewarm, tepid.
noun
- 1
obsoleteA French gold coin circulated in 15th-century Scotland.
...þe Ingliss noble, henry, ande Eduarde wᵗ þe ross, þe franche crowne, þe salute þe lewe and þe Ridar sall haif courss in þis realme...
Etymology
From corruption of French louis, from Louis, presumably Louis IX or Louis XI, who issued gold écus.
adjective
- 1
obsoleteSunny; warm.
- 2
Lukewarm, tepid.
- 3
Alee: protected from the wind.
Lee or Lew, Calm, under the wind. Suss.
His house... was ‘loo’ from the cold north winds.
Etymology
From Middle English lew, lewe, from Old English *hlēowe, *hlīewe (attested adverbially in hlēowe (“warmly”) and as ġehlēowe, ġehlīewe (“warm, sunny, sheltered”), unhlēowe (“not warm, chill”)), from Proto-West Germanic *hliwi, from Proto-Germanic *hliwjaz, *hlēwaz (“warm, lukewarm”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱal(w)e-, *ḱlēw- (“warm, hot”). Cognate with Old Norse hlýr (“warm, mild”), ( > Danish ly (“lukewarm”)), hlær, German lau, which are themselves akin to Old Norse hlé (“lee”), Danish læ (“shelter”). Compare lee.
noun
- 1
Warmth, heat.
To th' end a fruitfull lew May euerie Climate in his time renew.
- 2
A shelter from the wind, particularly temporary structures raised by shepherds to protect their flocks.
Lew, shelter; defence from storms or wind.
Lew, a thatched hurdle, supported by sticks, and set up in a field to screen lambs, etc. from the wind.
verb
- 1
To make warm or lukewarm.
- 2
obsoleteTo become warm.
- 3
To shelter from the wind.
Lew... Those trees will lew the house when they're up-grown.
adjective
- 1
Weak.
- 2
Sickly-looking, pale, wan.
Mi bodi wexit lewe.
Etymology
Uncertain, but compare Old English ġelewed (“weakness, infirmity”) and limlǣweo (“limb-weak, lame”). Possibly related to Proto-Germanic *laiwą (“damage”); compare Old Norse læ (“venom, bane”).
interjection
- 1
Variant of lo or lookobsoleteAlternative form of lo or look: a cry to look at something.
hence bot a litill / she commys, lew, lew! / shy bryngys in her bill / som novels new; / Behald! / It is of an olif tre / A branch, thynkys me.
Etymology
Variant of lo (q.v.).
verb
- 1
Variant of lueAlternative form of lue: to sift, particularly while mining tin or silver.
Cornwall... The fine [sc. tin] is lewed in a fine sierce.
Etymology
Variant of lue (q.v.).
Forms
- plural
- lews, lewis, leois
- comparative
- lewer, more lew
- superlative
- lewest, most lew
- past tense
- lewed
- past participle
- lewed
- present participle
- lewing
- third person singular
- lews