lore

1 of 2

noun (1)

1
: a particular body of knowledge or tradition
the lore of baseball heroes
2
: something that is learned:
a
: traditional knowledge or belief
tribal lore
b
: knowledge gained through study or experience
the lore of religious architecture
3
archaic : something that is taught : lesson

lore

2 of 2

noun (2)

: the space between the eye and bill in a bird or the corresponding region in a reptile or fish
usually used in plural
dark lores
loreal adjective

Examples of lore in a Sentence

Noun (1) the home gardener had acquired her herbal lore from many years of trial and error set out to study the rich lore of the Cajun people of Louisiana before it all vanished
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Its fans quote it endlessly and enjoy dissecting the show’s deep lore. Alison Weinflash, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2025 And there’s a lot of lore that folks can sink their teeth into, not only from the shows or whatever Easter eggs folks might drop in throughout the series or throughout the movies. Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 11 July 2025 The second season of the show found its footing thanks to a balance of dense lore and plotting and blockbuster-size sci-fi thrills. Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 11 July 2025 Speed across planets, dive into lore, and get hooked. Parker Hall, Wired News, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for lore

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English lār; akin to Old High German lēra doctrine, Old English leornian to learn

Noun (2)

New Latin lorum, from Latin, thong, rein; akin to Greek eulēra reins

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Noun (2)

1828, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lore was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lore. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

lore

noun
ˈlō(ə)r,
ˈlȯ(ə)r
: knowledge sense 1
especially : a particular body of knowledge or tradition
forest lore

More from Merriam-Webster on lore

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