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1

lew

adjective \ ˈlü \
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Definition of lew

1 now dialectal British : moderately warm : lukewarm
2 now dialectal British : 2lee 1

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Origin and Etymology of lew

Middle English lew, lewe “warm, tepid,” going back to Old English *hlēow in hlēowe “warmly” (also unhlēow “cold”), going back to Germanic *hlewja- (whence Old Norse hlýr “mild, warm,” Middle Dutch luw), going back to Indo-European *ḱleui̯̯o-, derivative of *ḱel- “be warm”; also with a laryngeal extension *ḱelh1-, giving the derivative *ḱleh1u̯o- (from which Germanic *hlǣwa-, whence Old High German lāo “tepid, warm,” Old Norse hlær); and zero-grade *ḱlh1-, whence Lithuanian šìlti “to grow warm,” Latin calēre “to be warm or hot” (with the derivatives calidus “hot, warm,” calor “heat”)

2

lew

noun \ " \

Definition of lew

plural -s
now dialectal British
: a place of shelter : the side sheltered (as from the wind)

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