Louver

Forms: 4 luver, 4–7 lover, (5 lewer, lovyre, lowere, luvere, 5–6 lovery, -ie, 6 lofer, lour, lovour), 6–9 loover, (7 loovar, loure, lower), 9. luffer, dial. luvver, 7–9 louvre, 7– louver. [a. OF. lover, lovier, perh. an alteration (with euphonic v as in pouvoir POWER) of *loer:—med.L. *lōdārium cogn. w. the synonymous med.L. lodium (quot. c. 1425). The ultimate etymology is obscure; some have compared the mod. Icel. hlóð pl., hearth, chimney-place. The form louvre arises from confusion with F. Louvre (see next).]

  1.  A domed turret-like erection on the roof of the hall or other apartment in a mediæval building with lateral openings for the passage of smoke or the admission of light. (Cf. LANTERN 4.)

1367–8.  Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 386. In sclatario operanti super aulain … pro luuers de novo factis.

1393.  Langl., P. Pl., C. XXI. 288. Cheke we and cheyne we and eche chyne stoppe, Þat no light leope yn at louer ne at loupe.

c. 1425.  Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 667/32. Hoc lodium, lowere.

c. 1470.  Henryson, Mor. Fab., III. (Cock & Fox), xxvii. The cok ouer the feildis tuke his flicht, And in at the wedowis lewer couth he lycht.

1496.  Dives & Paup. (W. de W.), I. xliv. 85/2. Whan smoke medled with fyre cometh out of an house … by the louerys, men … wyll saye that that house shall go on fyre.

1544–5.  in Willis & Clark, Cambridge (1886), II. 219. To a carpenter for makynge y^e lover in y^e hall vij^s.

1575.  T. Cartwright, 2nd Replie agst. Whitgift, 621. To proue a bishop ouer the ministers off a diocese … is to set the fondacion vpon the louer.

1596.  Spenser, F. Q., VI. x. 42. Ne lightned was with window, nor with louer.

1599.  Hall Sat., V. i. 119. Whose shrill saints-bell hangs on his louerie.

1599.  Marston, Sco. Villanie, II. v. 197. He … Hath drawn false lights from pitch-black loueries.

1601.  Munday, Death Earl Huntington, L 3. For all the issue both of vent and light, Came from a loouer at the towers toppe.

1650.  W. Brough, Sacr. Princ. (1659), 173. Fly to the windows of glory, mount to those louvers on high.

1756.  C. Lucas, Ess. Waters, III. 50. Every bath [has] a louvre or opening at top, to give a current to the air.

1849.  Freeman, Archit., 251, note. A cloister runs round the lowest stage, crowned with a sort of square louvre.

1865.  Kingsley, Herew., iv. The smoke went out through a louver in the roof.

  † 2.  A similar erection serving as a dovecote. Obs.

1583[?].  MS. Bursary Acc. St. John’s Coll. Oxon. Lofer.

1585.  Lupton, Thous. Notable Th. (1675), 150. Hang a great glass in the top of the Lovour.

1605.  Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iii. I. Vocation, 872. Pigeons … Stooping at this and that, that to their Louver … they hardly can recover.

a. 1661.  Fuller, Worthies, Northamptonsh., II. (1662), 279. Pigeons … famished for want of food, as unable to fly … out at the Lover.

  3.  A hole in a roof for the passage of smoke; a chimney. Obs. exc. dial. (see E. D. D.).

1375–6.  Abingdon Abb. Acc. (1892), 30. In factura j louer pro cotagio juxta, vijd.

1519.  Horman, Vulg., 140. Moche of the showre felle into the louer [L. impluvium]: but moche more into the barton.

  transf.  1609.  Heywood, Brit. Troy, VII. xii. 143. There is a steepe decliuy way lookes downe, Which to th’ Infernall Kingdome Orpheus guides, Whose loouer, vapors breathes.

  4.  Chiefly pl. An arrangement of sloping boards, laths or slips of glass overlapping each other, so as to admit air, but exclude rain. Originally, such a contrivance as used to close the apertures of a ‘louver’ (sense 1). Cf. louver-board in 5.

1555.  Eden, Decades W. Ind. (Arb.), 376. The roofe of thynne boordes open in sundry places lyke vnto louers to lette in the ayer.

1854.  Ronalds & Richardson, Chem. Technol. (ed. 2), I. 300. The … louvres or shutters in the top are then opened, when the moist air is discharged, and a fresh supply admitted.

1858.  Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Luffer, a frame of laths to admit air or light; the wooden window in a church steeple.

1869.  E. A. Parkes, Pract. Hygiene (ed. 3), 131. Glass louvres, which can be more or less closed.

1872.  Ellacombe, Bells of Ch., iv. in Ch. Bells Devon, etc., 249. The louvres of the windows should be so constructed as to let out the sound of the bells.

1884.  Walmisley, Iron Roofs, 14. Both roofs are crowned with lanterns fitted with side louvres for ventilation.

  † b.  transf.

1542.  Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 214 b. He putte abrode the louvres of the tente [L. tentorii vela] with a ruttocke that he had in his hande.

  5.  attrib. and Comb., as louver-hole, -light, slate, -tower; louver-roofed adj.; † louvor-bands = louver-strings; louver (luffer) boards (see 4); so louver-boarding; † louver-strings, strings to open or close the louvers (see 4); louver-ways, -wise adv. (see quot.).

1469–70.  in Fabric Rolls York Minster (Surtees, 1859), 73. Diversis cordulis emptis pro les *loverbandes, 12d.

1448–9.  Abingdon Abb. Acc. (1892), 124. In ij *louerboordes emptis pro tenemento Henrici Baret.

1856.  F. E. Paget, Owlet Owlst., 9. Even the luffer-boards protected by netting.

1895.  Edin. Rev., April, 355. Fitted with ‘luffer-boards’ that could be opened and shut like Venetian blinds.

1851.  Ord. & Regul. R. Engineers, xix. 101. The Storekeeper … will determine … the nature of the Guard, whether of Wire or *Louvre Boarding.

1622.  Mabbe, trans. Aleman’s Guzman d’Alf., I. 16. If the Doue-house hold vp,… we shall lacke no Pigeons, as long as there is a *Louer-hole for the poore fooles to get in at.

1659.  Shirley, Honoria & Mammon, III. iv. 48. Bid him … cap the Chimney, least my Lady fly Out at the Lover-hole.

1618.  Field, Amends for Ladies, I. (1639), B 4. If your Lady-ship be talking in the same roome with any Gentleman, I can read on a booke,… looke up at the *loover light, heare and be deafe.

1688.  R. Holme, Armoury, III. 400/1. A cornered tower or chamber, between 2 square turrets, all *loover roofed.

1842.  Ecclesiologist, I. 10. Four-centered belfry windows … filled up to the top with *louvre slates.

1356–7.  Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 558. Et in ij fadom de *louerstringes empt. pro novo Solario.

1833.  Penny Cycl., XIV. 116/2. Handsome *Louvre tower.

c. 1850.  Rudim. Navig. (Weale), 130. *Louver-wise or *louver-ways. To place battens on boards at a certain angle, so as to admit air but not wet.

  Hence Louvered ppl. a. a. Arranged like louvers. b. Provided with a louver or louvers.

1846.  Young, Naut. Dict., Loovered-boards or Loovered-battens, boards or battens framed like Venetian blinds, used for admitting air into a vessel’s ports.

c. 1850.  Rudim. Navig. (Weale), 130. The louvered or battened parts of ships’ wells are fixed in this manner.

1881.  Daily News, 12 Dec. 2/2. Glass roofing … surmounted by … ‘louvred openings,’ which secure ventilation while they serve to keep out the hot glare of a summer’s day.

1891.  T. Hardy, Tess (1900), 80/1. The louvred belfry.