–adjective

1.	situated, placed, or occurring not far above the ground, floor, or base: a low shelf.

2.	of small extent upward; not high or tall: A low wall surrounds the property.

3.	not far above the horizon, as a planet: The moon was low in the sky.

4.	lying or being below the general level: low ground.

5.	designating or pertaining to regions near sea level, esp. near the sea: low countries.

6.	bending or passing far downward; deep: a low bow.

7.	(of a garment) low-necked; décolleté: The dress she wore was fashionably low.

8.	rising but slightly from a surface: a low relief on a frieze.

9.	of less than average or normal height or depth, as a liquid or stream: The river is low this time of year.

10.	near the first of a series: a low number.

11.	ranked near the beginning or bottom on some scale of measurement: a low income bracket.

12.	indicating the bottom or 11f2 the point farthest down: the low point in his creative life.

13.	lacking in strength, energy, or vigor; feeble; weak: to feel low and listless.

14.	providing little nourishment or strength, as a diet.

15.	of small number, amount, degree, force, intensity, etc.: low visibility; a generator with a low output.

16.	indicated or represented by a low number: A low latitude is one relatively near the equator.

17.	soft: subdued; not loud: a low murmur.

18.	Music. produced by relatively slow vibrations, as sounds; grave in pitch.

19.	assigning or attributing little worth, value, excellence, or the like: a low estimate of a new book.

20.	containing a relatively small amount: a diet low in starches.

21.	nearing depletion; not adequately supplied: low on funds; Our stock of towels is low.

22.	depressed or dejected: low spirits.

23.	far down in the scale of rank or estimation; humble: of low birth.

24.	of inferior quality or character: a low grade of fabric; a low type of intellect.

25.	lacking in dignity or elevation, as of thought or expression.

26.	mean, base, or disreputable: low tricks; low companions.

27.	coarse or vulgar: entertainment of a low sort.

28.	Boxing. struck or delivered below a contestant's belt.

29.	Biology. having a relatively simple structure; not complex in organization.

30.	Phonetics. (of a vowel) articulated with a relatively large opening above the tongue, as the vowels of hat, hut, hot, ought, etc. Compare high (def. 23).

31.	Automotive. of, pertaining to, or operating at the gear transmission ratio at which the drive shaft moves at the lowest speed with relation to the speed of the engine crankshaft, used esp. for temporarily overcoming the weight or inertia of the vehicle; first: low gear.

32.	Baseball. (of a pitched ball) passing the plate at a level below that of the batter's knees: a low curve.

33.	Cards. having less value than other cards: a low card.

34.	Metallurgy. having a relatively small amount of a specified constituent (usually used in combination): low-carbon steel.

35.	Chiefly British. holding to Low Church principles and practices.

–adverb

36.	in or to a low position, point, degree, etc.: The raiders crouched low in the bushes.

37.	near the ground, floor, or base; not aloft: The plane flew low.

38.	in or to a humble or abject state: Some live low while others live high. She 875 swore she would bring him low.

39.	in or to a condition of depletion, prostration, or death: The gas in the tank is running low.

40.	at comparatively small cost; cheaply: to buy something low and sell it high.

41.	at or to a low pitch, volume, intensity, etc.: to turn the radio low; lights turned down low.

42.	in a low tone; softly; quietly; to speak low.

43.	Archaic. far down in time; late.

–noun

44.	something that is low, as ground or prices: numerous marshy lows in the forest; the recent low in the stock market.

45.	Automotive. low gear; first gear.

46.	Meteorology. an atmospheric low-pressure system; cyclone. Compare high (def. 37).

47.	Cards. a. the lowest trump card. b. a card of small value, or of lower 3e8 value than other cards. c. the lowest score in a game. d. a player having such a score.

48.	a point of deepest decline, vulgarity, etc.: a new low in tastelessness.

49.	Slang. a period of intense depression or discomfort, when the effects of a drug have subsided.

—Idioms

50.	lay low, a. to overpower or kill; defeat: to lay one's atta ed2 ckers low. b. to knock down; make prostrate. c. Informal. to lie low.

51.	lie low, a. to conceal oneself: He had to lie low for a while. b. to do nothing until the right opportunity develops; bide one's time: Until the dispute is settled, you would do best to lie low.

–noun

1.	a conveyance of an interest in property as security for the repayment of money borrowed.

2.	the deed by which such a transaction is effected.

3.	the rights conferred by it, or the state of the property conveyed.

–verb (used with object)

4.	Law. to convey or place (real property) under a mortgage.

5.	to place under advance obligation; pledge: to mortgage one's life to the defense of democracy.

–noun

1.	the amount of a charge or payment with reference to some basis of calculation: a high rate of interest on loans.

2.	a certain quantity or amount of one thing considered in relation to a unit of another thing and used as a standard or measure: at the rate of 60 miles an hour.

3.	a fixed charge per unit of quantity: a rate of 10 cents a pound.

4.	price; cost: to cut rates on all home furnishings.

5.	degree of speed, progress, etc.: to work at a rapid rate.

6.	degree or comparative extent of action or procedure: the rate of increase in work output.

7.	relative condition or quality; grade, class, or sort.

8.	assigned position in any of a series of graded classes; rating.

9.	Insurance. the premium charge per unit of insurance.

10.	a charge by a common carrier for transportation, sometimes including certain services involved in rendering such transportation.

11.	a wage paid on a specified time basis: a salary figured on an hourly rate.

12.	a charge or price established in accordance with a scale or standard: hotel rates based on length of stay.

13.	Horology. the relative adherence of a timepiece to perfect timekeeping, measured in terms of the amount of time gained or lost within a certain period.

14.	Usually, rates. British. a. a tax on property for some local purpose. b. any tax assessed and paid to a local government, as any city tax or district tax.

–verb (used with object)

15.	to estimate the value or worth of; appraise: to rate a student's class performance.

16.	to esteem, consider, or account: He was rated one of the best writers around.

< b09 /tr>

17.	to fix at a certain rate, as of charge or payment.

18.	to value for purposes of taxation or the like.

19.	to make subject to the payment of a certain rate or tax.

20.	to place in a certain rank, class, etc., as a ship or a sailor; give a specific rating to.

21.	to be considered or treated as worthy of; merit: an event that doesn't even rate a mention in most histories of the period.

22.	to arrange for the conveyance of (goods) at a certain rate.

–verb (used without object)

23.	to have value, standing, etc.: a performance that didn't rate very high in the competition.

24.	to have position in a certain class.

25.	to rank very high in estimation: The new teacher really rates with our class.

—Idiom

26.	at any rate, a. in any event; in any case. b. at least: It was a mediocre film, but at any rate there was one outstanding individual performance.