luke
adjectivecommon in dialogue
- //l(j)uːk//
- //lɪu̯k//
lukewarm
adjective
- 1
lukewarm
Let me have nine penn'orth o' brandy and water luke, and the inkstand, will you, miss?
Then one of them turned coward on account of the exceeding chill, cast away his faith, and desired to bathe himself in the luke water, and turned from his companions; but he died as soon as he touched the water, and the warmness was turned into death to him […]
Next thing, I have a confrince with Barry and I tells him, 'Frankly, kid, it don't look any too hot over there at Regal. In fack, very luke.'
Secondly, fresh, preferably luke to warm water must be provided in waterers every day to avoid dehydration, weakening and ‘going light’. […] Warm to luke water is given in waterers as an alternative because all fowl drink more water if it is not excessively cold, […]
Etymology
From Middle English leuȝke, leuk, leuke, lewk, lewke, louk, luk, luke, lheuc, probably from Old English *hlēoc beside hlēow- (whence lew); compare rēoc and rēow, slēac and unslēaw, etc. Alternatively, perhaps from a verb, Old English *hlēowcian, *hlīewcian (“to make tepid or lukewarm”), whence possibly Middle English leuken (“to make lukewarm”). Compare also Dutch leuk (“lukewarm”), West Frisian lûk (“sly, clever”), Low German luuk (“lively, cheerful", also "lukewarm, dull, indifferent”).