1. A region or district whose level is lower than that of the surrounding country.
1530. Palsgr., 241/1. Lowe countree, plat pais.
attrib. 1837. J. R. McCulloch, Statist. Acc. Brit. Empire, II. 54. The webs manufactured in North Wales are … strong, or high country, cloth, and small, or low country, ditto.
1886. Stevenson, Kidnapped, 172. You Low-country bodies have no clear idea of what’s right and wrong.
1899. West. Gaz., 14 April, 3/2. On a low-country shooting, which has no house attached to it, a bag of mixed game generally costs at least five shillings a head.
2. pl. Low Countries, the district now forming the kingdoms of Holland and Belgium, and the grand-duchy of Luxembourg. = NETHERLANDS.
[a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VII., 32 b. To all the cytyes of the Gaule Belgique or lowe countrey.] Ibid. (a. 1548), Hen. VIII., 136. The lowe countreis, of Brabant, Flaunders, and Zealande.
1592. Nashe, P. Penilesse, 21 b. It would not conuert clubs and clowted shoone from the flesh pots of Egipt, to the Prouant of the Lowe countreyes.
1656–9. B. Harris, Parival’s Iron Age, 43. The war was … hot in the Low-Countries.
1858. Longf., M. Standish, etc. Pref. The career of poor but daring spirits in the age of Elizabeth was often sought in the Low Countries.
1887. M. Morris, Claverhouse, v. (1888), 80. He had served his apprenticeship to the trade of war in the Low Countries.
b. attrib., quasi-adj. Belonging to the Low Countries. In 17th c. often of soldiers: Having served in the Low Countries.
1625. Bacon, Ess., Seditions (Arb.), 407. The Low-Countrey-Men, who haue the best Mines, aboue ground, in the World.
1678. Butler, Hud., III. i. 1440. But I have sent him for a Token To your Low-Countrey Hogen Mogen.
1889. Corbett, Monk, ii. 15. The plain Low Country officer.
1889. Doyle, Micah Clarke, 34. Baggy low-country knee-breeches.
