▪ I. luke, n.1 slang.
(l(j)uːk)
Nothing.
| 1821 in Life Haggart 172 Gloss. 1864 in Slang Dict. |
▪ II. luke, a. Obs. exc. dial.
(l(j)uːk)
Forms: 4 lheuc, 4–5 lewk(e, 5 leuk(e, (luk, 6 Sc. luik), 3–6, 9 luke.
[The ME. forms lheuc, leuk, and the modern pronunciation, appear to point to a derivation from OE. hléow lew a., perh. through the medium of a vb. *hl{iacu}ewcian: see luke v.
Notwithstanding the resemblance in form and meaning, it seems impossible to connect the word etymologically with mod.Du. leuk (pronounced l{obar}k) lukewarm, LG. lūk, luke, lök, tepid, weak, slack. See lukewarm.]
1. = lukewarm 1.
| c 1205 Lay. 27557 And opened wes his breoste. Þa blod com forð luke. 13.. Hampole Pr. Consc. 7481 (MS. Harl.) Als a lewke bath nouther hate ne calde. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VII. 149 In reward of which flamme oure fire is but lewk. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. iv. 61 Yf luk water hem biwepe They wole be grete. 1491 Caxton Vitas Patr. ii. (W. de W. 1495) 228 b/2 He dranke luke water. 1837 Dickens Pickw. xxxiii, Let me have nine penn'orth o' brandy and water luke. |
2. = lukewarm 2.
| 1340 Ayenb. 31 He is fyeble and lheuc to alle guodes to done. 1388 Wyclif Rev. iii. 16 Thou art lew [v.r. lewk] and nether cold, nether hoot. c 1449 Pecock Repr. ii. viii. 184 Thouȝ in ech chapel..may be ymagis of God and of Marie and of Seintis forto make bi hem sengil and leuke remembrauncis. c 1450 tr. De Imitatione i. xxv. 37 The negligent religiose & þe leuke haþ tribulacion. |
3. Comb., as luke-hearted adj.; luke-hot a. = lukewarm.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvii. iii. (1495) 605 Oyle of almondes clensyth and purgyth matere of eeres yf it be luke hote [Bodl. E. Mus. MS. wlache hote] droppyd therin. c 1450 ME. Med. Bk. (Heinrich) 217 Mak alle þus lewk hot to geder. 1508 Dunbar Tua mariit wemen 498, I am so loik [MS. M. luik] hertit. |
Hence † ˈlukely adv., † ˈlukeness.
| 1340 Ayenb. 31 Huanne þe man loueþ lite and lheucliche oure lhord, þet he ssolde louye bernindeliche. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 302/1 Lewkenesse, tepor. 1597 J. King On Jonas (1618) 406 His lukenesse and neutrality of dealing in his seruice did so much offend him. |
▪ III. † luke, v. Obs. rare.
In 5 lewk(e.
[? repr. OE. *hl{iacu}ewcian, f. *hléow lew a.; for the formation cf. ieldcian to delay, f. eald old, and ᵹearcian to prepare, f. ᵹearo ready.
The existence of such a vb. in OE. must app. be assumed in order to account for the formation of luke a.; but the recorded vb. may be a new formation on the adj.]
trans. To make lukewarm.
| a 1400 Stockh. Med. MS. in Anglia XVIII. 314 Modir wort..Ȝif it be lewkyd with oyle of roset [cures fevers]. |
▪ IV. luke
obs. or Sc. form of look; obs. f. luck.