[f. LOUR, LOWER v. + -ING2.]
1. Of persons († occas. of animals), their looks, etc.: Frowning, scowling; angry-looking, gloomy, sullen.
13[?]. K. Alis., 525. Louryng semblaunt on hire he made.
1340. Ayenb., 256. The lourinde chiere [to-þrauþ] þe wordes of the missiggere.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. VI. 163. He lokeþ al louryng and ‘lordein’ hym calleþ.
1423. James I., Kingis Q., clxi. And quhilum In hir chiere thus a lyte Louring sche was.
1546. Langley, Pol. Verg. De Invent., VI. vii. 123 b. A lowring loke & a laughyng herte.
c. 1550. Cheke, Matt. vi. (1843), 37. When ye fast be not lowring lijk hypocrijts.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 48. They call him [a bull] … fierce, valiant, and louring.
1641. Milton, Animadv., Wks. 1851, III. 186. To be angry, and … to cast a lowring smile.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 87. The Mother Cow must wear a low’ring Look.
1712. Budgell, Spect., No. 425, ¶ 5. In his Look a louring Roughness.
1741. Betterton, Eng. Stage, v. 66. A louring and dark Visage is the Index of Misery.
1819. L. Hunt, Indicator, No. 4 (1822), I. 25. With eyes a little shut and lowering.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., iii. I. 400. The young candidate … was strictly interrogated by a synod of louring Supralapsarians.
1862. J. Grant, Capt. Guard, xiv. ‘Foul!’ reiterated the Chancellor, with a louring brow and flashing eyes.
1888. F. Hume, Madame Midas, I. Prol. The other did not take the slightest notice of his friend’s lowering looks.
2. transf. Of the clouds, sky, weather, etc.: Gloomy, dark, threatening. Sometimes fig. of attendant circumstances. Occas. influenced by association with LOWERING ppl. a.
a. 1450. Fysshynge w. Angle (1883), 20. Ye schall angle as y seyde be for in darke lowryng wedur.
1530. Palsgr., 317/2. Lowring as the wether is, whan it is disposed to rayne, sombreux.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron. Hen. VI., 168. Iames Butler … seyng fortunes loweryng chaunce … with a great numbre fled away.
1579. Twyne (title), Physicke against Fortune … as well in tyme of the bryght shynyng sunne of prosperitie, as also of the foule lowryng stormes of aduersitie.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., I. iii. 187. Nor euer write, regreete or reconcile This lowring tempest of your home-bred hate.
1611. Bible, Matt. xvi. 3. The skie is red and lowring.
1669. Pepys, Diary, 1 May. And mighty earnest to go, though the day was very lowering.
c. 1720. Sheffield (Dk. Buckhm.), Wks. (1753), II. 51. Our Climate is … perpetually cloudy, low’ring, and uncertain.
1746–7. Hervey, Medit., II. 36. Virtue gains Loveliness from a louring Providence.
1772–84. Cook, Voy. (1790), V. 1697. A storm came on, preceeded by a lowering darkness.
1804. J. Grahame, Sabbath, 814. So light displays its loveliest effect In lowering skies.
1821–2. Praed, Eve of Battle, Poems (1864), II. 3. A lowering sound of doubt and fear Breaks sudden on the startled ear.
1873. Black, Pr. Thule, i. 3. The black peaks were holding converse with the louring clouds.
1878. Lecky, Eng. in 18th C., I. iii. 474. The calm or louring aspect of foreign affairs.
† b. Of liquor: Turbid. Obs.
1703. Art & Myst. of Vintners, 35. Sack that is lumpish or lowring.
† 3. Lurking, skulking. Obs.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 1446. We lurkede undyr lee as lowrande wreches!
1575. Gascoigne, Pr. Pleas. Kenilw. (1821), 8. I … Have led a low’ring life in restless pain.
1583. Leg. Bp. St. Androis, 716. Nor it had bene ane hieland quow Lurcane and lowring, I wat not how.
Hence Lowringly, Loweringly adv., gloomily, sullenly, threateningly; Loweringness.
1530. Palsgr., 241/1. Lowringnesse of the wether, sombrevseté.
1576. Gascoigne, Philomene (Arb.), 106. And now on hir, and then on him, Full lowringly did leare.
1680. Aubrey, Lives, Sir H. Blount (1898), I. 110. They … looked louringly on him.
1834. M. Scott, Cruise Midge, xxiii. (1842), 477. The day broke very loweringly.
1872. Daily News, 12 Aug. The clouds come loweringly down to meet the mist.
