Forms: 3–6 loure, 3–4 lure, 5–8 lowr(e, (6 loour, 7 lowere), 6– lour, lower. [ME. loure-n, perh. repr. an OE. *lúrian; other Teut. langs. have forms app. corresponding, but they have not been traced to any early date.
Cf. early mod.Du. loeren (Kilian) to frown, knit the brows; to look askance; to wink; to watch stealthily, to lie in wait (now only, to spy, lie in wait); late MHG. and MLG. lûren to lie in wait (mod.G. lauern), Sw. lura, Da. lure to lie in wait, also to doze, nap (Sw., Da. lur a nap), mod.Icel. lúra to doze, nap, lúr a nap.
The spelling lower (cf. flower) renders the word identical in its written form with LOWER, to bring or come down, and the two vbs. have often been confused: when said of clouds, lower to look threatening, has some affinity in sense with lower to descend, and it is not always possible to discover which vb. was in the mind of a writer.]
1. intr. Of persons, their eyes, countenances, etc.: To frown, scowl; to look angry or sullen. † Also, to be depressed or mournful. Const. at, on, upon; rarely in indirect passive.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 294/16. He … lourede with sori semblaunt: and þeos wordes out he caste.
a. 1300. K. Horn, 286. Heo sende hire sonde Aþelbrus to honde, þat he come hire to, And also scholde horn do al in to bure, ffor heo gan to lure.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 2119. Þe liȝtere he let þer-of, ac lourand he seide [etc.].
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, I. 409. For had he lawghed, had he loured, He moste haue be devoured Yf Adriane ne had y-be.
c. 1412. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 703. Now I am mys-lokyd on & loured.
c. 1440. Jacob’s Well, 92. Þou … lowryst, & chaungyst chere, & fleest companye.
1472. J. Paston, in P. Lett., III. 75. They that lowryd, nowe laughe upon me.
1568. Tilney, Disc. Mariage, B viij. Can there be any greater disorder, than for the husbande to be merie abrode, and lowre at home?
1580. Babington, Exp. Lord’s Prayer (1596), 75. Wee either loure or laugh to be tolde, we should come in.
1642. Rogers, Naaman, 560. Love him … lowre not upon him.
1671. Milton, Samson, 1057. Nor from that right to part an hour, Smile she or lowre.
a. 1701. Sedley, Poems, Wks. 1722, I. 16. The Man’s unkind, the cheated Woman low’rs.
1750. Student, I. 323. A young man, who lower’d very much in his countenance, and stood in a melancholy posture.
1816. ‘Quiz,’ Grand Master, I. 20. His tone of insolence and pow’r, Made all the passengers to low’r.
1862. J. Grant, Capt. Guard, xx. His brows knit and his eyes loured.
1879. Butcher & Lang, Odyss., 360. Then Odysseus of many counsels loured on them.
1883. A. Forbes, in 19th Cent., Oct., 722. The convict faces lowering over the bulwark of the barracoon.
b. quasi-trans. To express by frowning.
1746. Wesley, Wks. (1872), II. 21. The other part [of the crowd] remained a little way off, and loured defiance.
2. transf. and fig. Chiefly of the clouds, sky, a tempest, etc.: To look dark and threatening. Const. on, over, upon.
[a. 1450, etc.: see LOWRING.]
1590. Marlowe, Edw. II., IV. vi. 63. O my starres! Why do you lowre vnkindly on a King?
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., I. i. 3. The clouds that low’rd vpon our house.
1614. Earl Stirling, Dooms-day, XII. vi. (1637), 261. No threat’ning cloud, all charg’d with hailstones lowres.
1667. Milton, P. L., IX. 1002. Skie lowr’d and … som sad drops Wept.
1713. Addison, Cato, I. i. The dawn is over-cast, the morning lours.
1768. Beattie, Minstr., II. xxxii. When the dark shades of melancholy lower.
1835. I. Taylor, Spir. Despot., ii. 70. Let commercial perplexity lour over a people as it may.
1842. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Ser. II. Bloudie Jacke. So sour Its ugly grey walls seem to lour.
1846. Keble, Lyra Innoc. (1873), 74. Their day, in gloom or tempest born, Lowers on till noon and night.
1866. M. Arnold, Thyrsis, v. A shadow lour’d on the fields.
1887. Bowen, Virg. Æneid, II. 397. Where night in her darkness lowers.
† 3. Chiefly Sc. To crouch, lurk, skulk. Obs.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 4528. Of paynyms lorells þat her by loures.
c. 1470. Henryson, Mor. Fab., IX. iii. in Anglia, IX. 463. And lowrand law, thow can gar hennis de.
1501. Douglas, Pal. Hon., I. lviii. On kneis I crap, and law for feir did lowre. Ibid. (1513), Æneis, VII. vii. 5. Alecto … prively begouth awach and loure About his spouse queyne Amatays boure.
1571. Satir. Poems Reform., xxix. 22. Quhen Dauid vnder þe sek did loure.
1622. Malynes, Anc. Law-Merch., 255. Philosophers … haue determined that the sperme, or seed of all things,… doth in a secret manner lowre within the two Elements of Water and Earth.
1647. H. More, Song of Soul, I. I. liii. Make their brisk sprights to lout and lowly lowr?
1824. W. Taylor, in Monthly Mag., LVII. 509. The murderers of his nephew, whom he lour’d for.
