# lower

Pronunciation: US say "LOH-ur" /ˈloʊ.ɚ/; UK say "LOH-uh" /ˈləʊ.ə/

## Adjective

1. Comparative of low. — comparative form of low: more low
   - Simple: Comparative of low. Use it to say one thing is less high than another.
   - _The water sat noticeably lower in the reservoir after the dry spell._
   - _She chose the lower of the two apartments because the rent was cheaper._
2. Situated toward the bottom of an object, nearer its base than its middle.
   - Simple: Closer to the bottom than to the top of something.
   - _Pain in the lower back is common among people who sit all day._
   - _The lower deck of the ferry was reserved for vehicles._
14. Lying at a lower elevation, closer to the coast, or farther south than another part of the same region.
   - Simple: Found on lower ground, closer to the sea, or farther south.
   - _Settlements in the lower reaches of the basin flooded first._
   - _Crops ripen earlier in the lower districts near the coast._
17. In geology, older: describing strata that were formed at an earlier time.
   - Simple: Older, said of rock layers that formed earlier.
   - _The lower strata contain the oldest fossils exposed in the cliff._
   - _Geologists dated the lower rock layers to the early Jurassic._

## Verb

3. To reduce the height of something.
   - Simple: To make something less tall or bring its top down.
   - _The crew had to lower the mast before passing under the bridge._
   - _Renovators lowered the ceiling to improve the room's acoustics._
4. To let something suspended descend, easing it downward by its own weight.
   - Simple: To let a hanging or held object move down slowly.
   - _Sailors lower the lifeboat carefully along the side of the ship._
   - _The climbers lowered their packs down the cliff on a long line._
5. To reduce the degree, intensity, or strength of something.
   - Simple: To make something weaker or less intense.
   - _Dimming the lamps will lower the glare on the screen._
   - _The new policy lowered tensions between the two departments._
6. To reduce something in value, amount, or quantity.
   - Simple: To make the value or amount of something smaller.
   - _The central bank voted to lower interest rates this quarter._
   - _The airline lowered its fares to compete on the busy route._
8. To make something less elevated, bringing it down in position.
   - Simple: To bring something down to a less raised position.
   - _The crane will lower the steel beam onto the foundation._
   - _Staff lowered the stage so the dancers could step off easily._
9. To decrease in value, amount, or quantity.
   - Simple: To become smaller in value or amount.
   - _Fuel prices usually lower once demand drops in the fall._
   - _Enrollment numbers lowered for the third year in a row._
10. To fall, sink, or grow smaller over time.
   - Simple: To fall, sink, or slowly grow less.
   - _As the gates opened, the river began to lower toward its banks._
   - _The lake lowered through the long, dry summer._
11. To bring someone down in pride, rank, or dignity.
   - Simple: To make someone feel less proud or important.
   - _Public failure can lower a proud man in the eyes of his peers._
   - _The scandal lowered the senator in the regard of his supporters._
12. To move something downward by pulling on it.
   - Simple: To pull something down to a lower position.
   - _Crews lower the heavy crates with ropes and pulleys._
   - _He lowered the drawbridge to let the cart through._
13. To direct or aim something toward a lower angle.
   - Simple: To turn or aim something so it points downward.
   - _The gunner lowered the barrel to fire on the valley below._
   - _Pilots lower the nose of the aircraft to begin a descent._
15. To humble oneself by doing something one regards as beneath one's dignity.
   - Simple: To do something you feel is below your dignity.
   - _The manager would not lower himself to apologize to a junior clerk._
   - _Why should I lower myself to argue with people who won't listen?_
16. To translate higher-level operations into single machine instructions during compilation.
   - Simple: To turn a program's steps into simple machine instructions.
   - _The compiler lowers array accesses into individual load and store instructions._
   - _Optimizing passes lower abstract operations before the final binary is generated._
19. Alternative spelling of lour. — Alternative spelling of lour. (pronounced: US say "LOW-ur" /ˈlaʊɚ/; UK say "LOW-uh" /ˈlaʊə/)
   - Simple: Alternative spelling of lour. It means to look angry, or for the sky to grow dark and gloomy.
   - _Heavy clouds lower above the moor, promising rain by nightfall._
   - _He tends to lower at strangers who disturb his quiet._

## Adverb

7. Comparative of low. — comparative form of low: more low
   - Simple: Comparative of low. Use it to say something happens in a position that is less high.
   - _The drone hovered lower as the operator searched the rubble._
   - _Sing the next line a little lower so it matches the melody._

## Noun

18. On a bicycle suspension fork, the lower assembly into which the upper tubes slide as the fork compresses.
   - Simple: The bottom tubes of a bike's front suspension that slide up and down.
   - _The mechanic resealed the lower after the oil began to leak._
   - _The stanchions slide into the lowers as the fork soaks up bumps._

## Origin

This is formed from "low" with the comparative suffix "-er," meaning "more low."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/lower (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).