What does "lew" mean?
A French gold coin circulated in 15th-century Scotland.
Lew
/luː/ adj, intj, name, noun, verb
adj, intj, name, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A French gold coin circulated in 15th-century Scotland.
- Grammar: lew is listed as adj, intj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: basin, louis, pond, pool.
- Useful contrasts: drought, dryness.
- Usage evidence: When Lew Wasserman reinvented the studio system, leadership skills grew harder to find and the number of modern studio conglomerates boiled down to six, as discussed in chapters 15 to 20.
How to use "lew"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lew" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lew" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lew" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lew" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lew" is acting as adj, intj, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "basin" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lew", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A French gold coin circulated in 15th-century Scotland. Scotland, obsolete
"...þe Ingliss noble, henry, ande Eduarde wᵗ þe ross, þe franche crowne, þe salute þe lewe and þe Ridar sall haif courss in þis realme..."
- 2 Warmth, heat. Scotland
"To th' end a fruitfull lew May euerie Climate in his time renew."
- 3 A shelter from the wind, particularly temporary structures raised by shepherds to protect their flocks. dialectal
"Lew, shelter; defence from storms or wind."
Verb
- 1 To make warm or lukewarm. transitive
- 2 Alternative form of lue: to sift, particularly while mining tin or silver. alt-of, alternative, dialectal, transitive
"Cornwall... The fine [sc. tin] is lewed in a fine sierce."
- 3 To become warm. intransitive, obsolete
- 4 To shelter from the wind. transitive
"Lew... Those trees will lew the house when they're up-grown."
Adjective
- 1 Sunny; warm. obsolete
- 2 Weak.
- 3 Lukewarm, tepid. dialectal
- 4 Sickly-looking, pale, wan.
"Mi bodi wexit lewe."
- 5 Alee: protected from the wind. dialectal
"Lee or Lew, Calm, under the wind. Suss."
Intj
- 1 Alternative form of lo or look: a cry to look at something. alt-of, alternative, obsolete
"hence bot a litill / she commys, lew, lew! / shy bryngys in her bill / som novels new; / Behald! / It is of an olif tre / A branch, thynkys me."
Proper Noun
- 1 A diminutive of the male given name Lewis.
- 2 A diminutive of the male given name Lewis.; A male given name.
"When Lew Wasserman reinvented the studio system, leadership skills grew harder to find and the number of modern studio conglomerates boiled down to six, as discussed in chapters 15 to 20."
- 3 A surname.
Example
"When Lew Wasserman reinvented the studio system, leadership skills grew harder to find and the number of modern studio conglomerates boiled down to six, as discussed in chapters 15 to 20."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lew"?
Common synonyms include: basin, louis, pond, pool, waterhole.
How do you use "lew" in a sentence?
When Lew Wasserman reinvented the studio system, leadership skills grew harder to find and the number of modern studio conglomerates boiled down to six, as discussed in chapters 15 to 20.
How do you pronounce "lew"?
Pronounced /luː/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From corruption of French louis, from Louis, presumably Louis IX or Louis XI, who issued gold écus.
Etymology 2
From Middle English lew, lewe, from Old English hlēow, hlēowe (“warm, sunny, sheltered”), from Proto-Germanic *hlewaz, *hliwjaz, *hlēwaz (“warm, lukewarm”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱal(w)e-, *ḱlēw- (“warm, hot”). Cognate with Old Norse hlýr (“warm, mild”), ( > Danish ly (“lukewarm”)), hlær, German lau, which are themselves akin to Old Norse hlé (“lee”), Danish læ (“shelter”). Compare lee.
Etymology 3
Uncertain, but compare Old English ġelewed (“weakness, infirmity”) and limlǣweo (“limb-weak, lame”). Possibly related to Proto-Germanic *laiwą (“damage”); compare Old Norse læ (“venom, bane”).
Etymology 4
Variant of lo (q.v.).
Etymology 5
Variant of lue (q.v.).