Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 3 Orm. laȝhenn, 3–6 lowen, 4 loȝen, -ȝy, 4–6 Sc. and north. law(e(n, (5 lou, louȝe, lowyn), 5– low. pa. pple. 3 i-lahet, 4 y-loȝed, lawene. [f. LOW a.]
1. trans. To make or bring low (chiefly in immaterial sense); to abase, humble, lower.
c. 1200. Ormin, 13065. Whi wollde Godess Sune Crist … himm sellfenn laȝhenn. Ibid., 18257. Forrþi þeȝȝ wolldenn niþþrenn Crist & laȝhenn himm þe mare.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 28. Ha neren nawt ihurt, þah ha weren ilahet.
c. 1315. Shoreham, Poems, iv. 154. Þench þou nart bote esche, And so þou loȝe þe.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XIII. 658. Quhen the Kyng Eduardis mycht Wes lawit, Kyng Robert lap on hicht.
1382. Wyclif, Phil. ii. 7. He lowyde him silf, takynge the foorme of a seruant.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 3293. Þat he þat lawene has a lede may lyft, if him thinke.
1422. trans. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv., 245. The sonne louyth hym fro oure regioun.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., III. iv. 302. He schulde louȝe him silf in inward feeling of herte.
c. 1470. Henryson, Mor. Fab., V. (Parl. Beasts), xxi. The grit cameill … I can him law als litill als ane mous.
1496. Dives & Paup. (W. de W.), I. xv. 47/2. The prayer of hym that loweth hym in his prayer thyrleth the clowdes.
1523. Fitzherb., Surv., xi. (1539), 26. High no man for no hate, and lowe no man for noo loue.
1533. Gau, Richt Vay (1888), 91. He lawit hime selff and twik apone hime ye schaip of man.
a. 1555. Lyndesay, Tragedy, 140. Who dois exault hymself God sall hym law.
1567. Gude & Godlie Ball. (S.T.S.), 190. The Ignorant peple sa lawit bene and febill, That thay wat nocht quhome to wyte.
1661. Glanvill, Van. Dogm., 101. [God] in his Word, is pleas’d to low himself to our capacities.
1790. A. Shirrefs, Poems, 219. The merry fowks that were the ben, By this time ’gan to low their strain.
b. intr. for refl.
13[?]. K. Alis., 5746. The sonne loweth and west helt.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 295. Now it [Fortune] hiheth, now it loweth.
c. 1430. Hymns Virg., 120. Euery hylle Shalle lowe, valeys For to Fylle.
1501. Douglas, Pal. Hon., I. 55. Now thow promittis,… now lowis, now defyis.
2. a. trans. To diminish, lessen; to lessen the value of (a coin); to depreciate. b. refl. To depreciate (oneself); to run down. c. intr. for refl. Of a fault: To be extenuated.
1340. Ayenb., 28. Þet guode los to abatye and hyre guodes to loȝy. Ibid., 49. Þis zenne an-heȝeþ and loȝeþ be þe stat of þe persones þet hit doþ.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, I. (Katerine) 167. Catone forbad his sowne … To law hyme-self or lof gretely.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 493. He areryd & lowyd ye coynes & moneys of his lande.
1793. T. Scott, Three Auld Men, Poems, 338. To lawe their price they will be sorry, Ae single doit.
3. trans. To lower, to hold or put in a lower position; to lower the level of (ground).
c. 1450. Merlin, 397. Than he lowed his spere.
1463. Bury Wills (Camden), 39. To lowe ye grownd that the dore may be of a resonnable heyghte.
1654. A. Gray, Serm. on Death (1755), 151. The other graces must low the sail to faith.
