lough

noun
\ ˈläk How to pronounce lough (audio) , ˈläḵ How to pronounce lough (audio) \

Definition of lough

1 chiefly Irish : lake
2 chiefly Irish : a bay or inlet of the sea

First Known Use of lough

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for lough

Middle English, of Celtic origin; akin to Old Irish loch lake; akin to Latin lacus lake — more at lake

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More About lough

Time Traveler for lough

Time Traveler

The first known use of lough was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Statistics for lough

Cite this Entry

“Lough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lough. Accessed 16 Jul. 2021.

Style: MLA
MLACheck Mark Icon ChicagoCheck Mark Icon APACheck Mark Icon Merriam-WebsterCheck Mark Icon

More from Merriam-Webster on lough

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lough

WORD OF THE DAY

Test Your Vocabulary

Farm Idioms Quiz

  • cow coming home
  • What does 'poke' refer to in the expression 'pig in a poke'?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
 AlphaBear 2

Spell words. Make bears.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!