Forms: 2–6 loke, 3–5 lok, 4, 8–9 Sc. luke, (6 lowke), 6–7 looke, 8–9 Sc. leuk, 5– look. [f. LOOK v.]
1. The action or an act of looking; a glance of the eyes; a particular direction of the eyes or countenance in order to look at something. † Also occas., sight, view (quot. 1390). Phr. † To have (or get) a look of: to be looked at by. To have a look at (colloq.): to look at for the purpose of examining. † At a look: (a) at first sight; (b) in the twinkling of an eye.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 215. Ȝif þe hodede … ledeð hem [women] his life eȝen for to sechen hire loke.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xvii. (Martha), 46. Þe quhilk … As fyr gregois brynt at a luke.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Man of Law’s T., 955. At the firste look he on hire sette.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 179. In alle mennes lok A part up in his hond he tok.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 5256. Him þoȝt hire like at a loke his lady his modire.
1423. James I., Kingis Q., li. My luke vnto the hevin I threwe furthwith.
1508. Dunbar, Gold. Targe, 232. Sudaynly, in the space of a luke, All was hyne went.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., II. iv. 108. Too meane a seruant To haue a looke of such a worthy a Mistresse. Ibid. (1592), Ven. & Ad., 464. For lookes kill loue, and loue by lookes reuiueth.
1753. L. M., Accomplished Woman, II. 125. Their every action is forced; their looks and smiles are all studied.
1798. Charlotte Smith, Yng. Philos., III. 120. Medora watched her every look with distressing solicitude.
1807–8. W. Irving, Salmag. (1824), 346. Lovely virgins … darting imperial looks of conquest.
1813. Scott, Rokeby, I. xix. One dying look he upward cast.
1885. Mabel Collins, Prettiest Woman, ii. In the meantime I shall have a look at Warsaw.
1887. R. Buchanan (title), A look round literature.
1895. E. Bowen Rowlands, in Law Times, XCIX. 464/2. It is at the first look hard to see why [etc.].
b. With epithet denoting the feelings expressed by the look.
It is sometimes difficult to say whether particular instances should be referred to this sense or to 2.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. xvii[i]. 27. Thou shalt … bringe downe the hye lokes of the proude.
1567. Maplet, Gr. Forest, 76 b. She hath alwayes a cheerfull looke towardes him.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 28. Hee casting vppon mee a sower visage, and a sterne looke.
1635. J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Banish’d Virg., 97. It being not likely that shee should ever get a good looke of her Father.
1686. trans. Chardin’s Coronat. Solyman, 111. There was not one living soul that vouchsaf’d him a kind look.
1703. Rowe, Fair Penit., I. i. 109. With looks averse, and Eyes that froze me.
a. 1717. Blackall, Wks. (1723), I. 158. True Religion does not consist … in a singular Behaviour, in a down Look, in Sighing and Sobbing.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., III. xii. Roderick, with impatient look.
1833. Tennyson, Dream Fair W., xxvi. With sick and scornful looks averse.
1883. R. W. Dixon, Mano, IV. iii. 147. And Sir Giroie failed nought of courtesy, And gave to us good looks and welcome great.
c. Upon the look: engaged in looking for.
1819. Byron, Juan, II. clxxiv. At last her father’s prows put out to sea, For certain merchantmen upon the look.
2. Appearance, aspect.
a. With reference to persons, often with mixture of sense 1: Appearance of the countenance (sometimes, of the whole person); visual or facial expression; personal aspect. † Of a good look = of good appearance.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 1605, Hypsip. And of his lok as real as a leoun.
c. 1400. Arth. & Merl., 1582 (Lincoln’s Inn MS.). Þe whyte dragoun lay him by, Steorne of lok and grysly.
1508. Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 267. Be of your luke like innocentis, thoght ȝe haif euill myndis.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Edw. IV., 237 b. This palenes of visage, and dedly loke doth prognosticate ye time of my death.
1611. Bible, Ecclus. xix. 29. A man may bee knowen by his looke.
1632. J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Eromena, 68. Being the first time that a joyfull looke was seene in that Court, sithence the departure of the Princesse.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 87. The Mother Cow must wear a low’ring Look.
1700. T. Brown, Amusem. Ser. & Com., 146. I see another Man of a very good Look come into the Circle, and no body takes the least Notice of him.
1724. Ramsay, Vision, xi. With bauld forbidding luke.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), I. ii. 9. Indeed, gay and lively as he is, he has not the look of an impudent man.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, VII. ii. (Rtldg.), 228. They had all the look of a deputation from a better world.
1860. Reade, Cloister & H., xxxviii. (1896), 109. Denys wore a look of humble apology.
1867. Trollope, Chron. Barset, I. xxii. 190. The look of his face as he spoke was by no means pleasant.
b. pl. With the same meaning as sing. Sometimes = GOOD LOOKS. Also phr. to be in good looks: to be looking well, to present a healthy appearance.
1564. Haward, Eutropius, II. 15. After they were dead keping stil theyr grim lokes.
1589. Greene, Menaphon (Arb.), 45. At last her eyes glaunced on the lookes of Melicertus.
1616. R. C., Times’ Whistle, III. 959. Most of our women are extreamly proud Of their faire lookes.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 371. Lean are their Looks, and shagged is their Hair.
1709. Berkeley, Th. Vision, § 9. We often see shame or fear in the looks of a man.
1724. Lond. Gaz., No. 6283/3. Abraham Shaw,… aged 38 Years,… pale Looks.
1766. Goldsm., Vic. W., xxix. When I survey these emaciated looks, and hear those groans.
1786. Burns, Twa Dogs, 225. They … lee-lang nights, wi’ crabbit leuks, Pore owre the devil’s pictur’d beuks.
1798. Jane Austen, Northang. Abb. (1833), I. ii. 11. Catherine was in very good looks. Ibid. (1815), Emma, I. i. Everybody in their best looks.
1896. A. E. Housman, Shropshire Lad, xxiii. And few that will carry their looks or their truth to the grave.
c. Of inanimate and immaterial things: Appearance, esp. as expressive of their quality or nature.
1567. Maplet, Gr. Forest, 10 b. A certaine vaine of the earth,… having the verie looke and face of Golde.
1710. T. Fuller, Pharm. Extemp., 411. This colourless Syrup … gives no unpleasing colour, nor alters the look of the Medicine in the least.
a. 1716. Blackall, Wks. (1723), I. 84. The beautiful Look of the forbidden Fruit.
1754. Richardson, Grandison, II. iv. 40. If you fall I shall have the worst of it, from the looks of the matter.
1782. Cowper, Convers., 862. Though such continual zigzags in a book, Such drunken reelings, have an awkward look.
1847. L. Hunt, Men, Women, & B., II. xi. 269. What curious little circumstances conspired to give a look even of fabulous and novel-like interest to his adventures.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), V. 27. Life is to wear, as at Athens, a joyous and festive look.
1877. W. H. Russell, Pr. Wales’ Tour, viii. 344. There are no minarets, mosques or Hindoo temples, to detract from the European look of the place.
1882. R. Abercromby, in Nature, XXVI. 572. In common parlance, any particular ‘look’ of the sky is called a prognostic.
d. To have a look of: to resemble vaguely, to remind the spectator of the appearance of (a person or thing).
1860. Emily Eden, Semi-attached Couple, II. 62. This picture which I think has a great look of you.
3. Comb. With advs. forming combs. corresponding to various phrases under the vb., as look-back, -down, -forward, -on, -up; look-on net, one of the nets pulled up as a test of the condition of the others.
1597. Middleton, Wisdom of Solomon, xii. 15. Thou orderest every thing with look-on sight.
1813. L. Hunt, in Examiner, 11 Jan., 19/1. He … takes away confidence from their look-up to him.
1850. Hawthorne, Scarlet L., Custom House (1886), 56. A dreary look-forward, this, for a man who [etc.].
1853. Jerdan, Autobiog., III. 7. The look-back is wearisome.
1862. H. Marryat, Year in Sweden, II. 401. The look-down on the works below … is awful.
1877. Holdsworth, Sea Fisheries, 60. [Drift-net fishing]. Whilst the nets are in the water, the warp is occasionally hauled in till the first net is reached; this is called the ‘look-on’ net.
1887. Hall Caine, Deemster, I. x. 207. Dan … asked the skipper to try the ‘look-on’ net.
