From Middle English lord and lorde (attested from the 15th century), from earlier (14th century) lourde and other variants which dropped the intervocalic consonant of earlier lowerd, louerd, loverd, laford, and lhoaverd; from Old English hlāford < hlāfweard, a compound of hlāf (“bread”) + weard (“guardian”); see loaf and ward. The term was already being applied broadly prior to the literary development of Old English and was influenced by its common use to translate Latin dominus. Compare Scots laird (“lord”), preserving a separate vowel development (from northern/Scottish Middle English lard, laverd), the Old English compound hlāf-ǣta (“servant”, literally “bread-eater”), and modern English lady, from Old English hlǣfdīġe (“bread-kneader”). The Middle English word laford was borrowed by Icelandic, where it survives as lávarður. Doublet of hlaford and laird.
Obsolete The master of the servants of a household; (historical) the master of a feudal manor
Bleſſed is that ſeruant, whome his Lord when he commeth, ſhal finde ſo doing.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 24:46:
Por. ...But now, I was the Lord of this faire manſion, maiſter of my ſeruants, Queene oer my ſelfe[…]c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], line 167:
1 more example
Lords of manors are distinguished from other land-owners with regard to the game.1766, William Blackstone, chapter 418, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book II (Of the Rights of Things), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC:
2
Archaic, Obsolete The male head of a household, a father or husband.
[…]thou worthie Lord, Of that vnworthie wife that greeteth thee1594, William Shakespeare, Lucrece (First Quarto), London: […] Richard Field, for Iohn Harrison, […], →OCLC:
Pet. Katherine, I charge thee, tell theſe head-ſtrong women, What dutie they doe owe their Lords and huſbands!c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], line 131:
2 more examples
Therefore Sarah laughed within her ſelfe, ſaying, After I am waxed old, ſhall I haue pleaſure, my lord being old alſo?1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 18:12:
Yes, here I am, my good friend; and here I have been so long, that anywhere else I should think it necessary to apologise; but, the truth is, that I am waiting for my lord and master.1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter XVI, in Emma: […], volume III, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC, page 300:
3
Archaic, Obsolete The owner of a house, piece of land, or other possession
A mightie Lord of Swine!ante 1637, Ben Jonson, Sad Shepherd, ii. i. 36
Turnus[…] Wrench'd from his feeble hold the shining Sword; And plung'd it in the Bosom of its Lord.1697, Virgil, “The Twelfth Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
1 more example
Lord, the owner of the land in which a mine is situated is called the ‘lord’.1874, J. H. Collins, “Principles of Metal Mining”, in Gloss, published 1875, 139/2:
4
One possessing similar mastery over others; (historical) any feudal superior generally; any nobleman or aristocrat; any chief, prince, or sovereign ruler; in Scotland, a male member of the lowest rank of nobility (the equivalent rank in England is baron)
It is a pytuouse case... whan subjectes rebell agaynst their naturall lorde.1530, John Palsgrave, Lesclarcissement, 680/1:
Man over men He made not Lord.1667, John Milton, “Book XII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
5
Historical A feudal tenant holding his manor directly of the king
6
A peer of the realm, particularly a temporal one
Men myghten lordis knoweante 1420, T. Hoccleve, De Regimine Principum, 442
If such persone bee of the estate of a Lord, as Duc, Marques, Erle, Viscount or Baron.1453, Rolls of Parliament, V. 266/2
3 more examples
Princes, and noble Lords: What anſwer ſhall I make to this baſe man?1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene 1], line 18:
In origination of our Engliſh name Lord, vvhereby vve and the Scots ſtile all ſuch as are of the Greater Nobilitie i. Barons, as alſo Biſhops, its not eaſie to ſatisfie you.1614, John Selden, chapter III, in Titles of Honor, London: […] William Stansby for Iohn Helme, […], →OCLC, 1st part, page 59:
The Englishman of to-day still dearly loves a lord.1900 July 21, Daily Express:
7
Obsolete, Uncommon A baron or lesser nobleman, as opposed to greater ones
1526, W. Bonde, Pylgrimage of Perfection, i. sig. Bviiiv Farre excellyng the state of lordes, erles, dukes or kynges.
The Marquess played off the two Lords and the Baronet against his former friend.1826, Benjamin Disraeli, Vivian Grey, II. iii. iii. 26:
8
One possessing similar mastery in figurative senses (esp. as lord of ~)
O wityng bath god and ill Ȝee suld be lauerds at ȝour will.ante 1300, Cursor Mundi, 782
The sonne is the lorde of planetes.1398, Bartholomew de Glanville, translated by John Trevisa, De Proprietatibus Rerum, published 1495, viii. xvi. 322:
3 more examples
Love is Lord of all.1697, Virgil, “The Third Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
The masterful wind was up and out, shouting and chasing, the lord of the morning.1895, Kenneth Graham, The Golden Age, London, page 8:
But are you still master of your domain? I am king of the county. You? Lord of the manor.1992 November 18, Larry David, Seinfeld, 4.11: "The Contest"
9
A magnate of a trade or profession.
The Tobacco Lords were a group of Scottish merchants and slave traders who in the 18th century made enormous fortunes by trading in tobacco.
Oh, Oh! The cotton Lords are tearing!1823, W. Cobbett, Rural Rides, published 1885, I. 399:
10
Astrology, Human sciences, Mysticism, Philosophy, Sciences The heavenly body considered to possess a dominant influence over an event, time, etc.
The assendent, & eke the lord of the assendent, may be shapen for to be fortunat or infortunat, as thus, a fortunat assendent clepen they whan þat no wykkid planete, as Saturne or Mars, or elles the tail of the dragoun, is in þe hows of the assendent.c. 1391, Geoffrey Chaucer, Treatise on the Astrolabe, ii. §4:
Twenty years ago you might hear a sixpence described as a ‘Lord’ meaning ‘Lord of the Manor’; that is, a tanner.1933 November 16, Times Literary Supplement, 782/1:
From Middle English lord and lorde (attested from the 15th century), from earlier (14th century) lourde and other variants which dropped the intervocalic consonant of earlier lowerd, louerd, loverd, laford, and lhoaverd; from Old English hlāford < hlāfweard, a compound of hlāf (“bread”) + weard (“guardian”); see loaf and ward. The term was already being applied broadly prior to the literary development of Old English and was influenced by its common use to translate Latin dominus. Compare Scots laird (“lord”), preserving a separate vowel development (from northern/Scottish Middle English lard, laverd), the Old English compound hlāf-ǣta (“servant”, literally “bread-eater”), and modern English lady, from Old English hlǣfdīġe (“bread-kneader”). The Middle English word laford was borrowed by Icelandic, where it survives as lávarður. Doublet of hlaford and laird.
1
Ambitransitive To domineer or act like a lord.
The grisly toadstool grown there might I see, / And loathed paddocks lording on the same.1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “December. Ægloga Duodecima.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], →OCLC:
2
To invest with the dignity, power, and privileges of a lord; to grant the title of lord.
He being thus lorded / Not only with what my revenue yielded, / But what my power might else exact, […] / he did believe / He was indeed the Dukec. 1610–1611, William Shakespeare, The Tempest, act 1, scene 2:
See lord. In reference to the God of the Jewish Tanakh and Christian Bible, originally a translation (attested from the late Old English form hlāford) of the Vulgate Latin Dominus (“master of a house; lord”), translating the New Testament and the Septuagint's Ancient Greek ὁ κύριος or Κύριος (ó kýrios, "the supreme one; Lord, Kyrios"), both in reference to Hebrew אֲדֹנָי (ʾdny, "my lord; my Lord, Adonai") from אדון (ʾdwn, "lord, patron; Lord") + י- (-y, "my"), cognate with Phoenician 𐤀𐤃𐤍 (ʾdn, "lord; Lord, Adon"). Adonai appears in the Tanakh both directly and as a euphemism read aloud during occurrences of the Tetragrammaton יהוה (YHWH, "I Am that I Am; Jehovah"). See the usage notes below. Displaced the earlier term Drighten.
1
An interjection variously expressing astonishment, surprise, resignation.
O Lord I must laugh.c. 1595, William Shakespeare, The Comedie of Errors, published 1623, iii. i. 50:
Lord, lord, Carrados, the tragic monotony of your elderly professional nonentity!1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC:
Derived terms
Lor', lud, Lord have mercy, Lord-a-mercy, lordy, O Lord, oh Lord, dear Lord, my Lord, good Lord, Lawk, lauk, lawks, Lord bless me, Lord lumme, Lor' lumme
Lord
noun
Etymology
See lord. In reference to the God of the Jewish Tanakh and Christian Bible, originally a translation (attested from the late Old English form hlāford) of the Vulgate Latin Dominus (“master of a house; lord”), translating the New Testament and the Septuagint's Ancient Greek ὁ κύριος or Κύριος (ó kýrios, "the supreme one; Lord, Kyrios"), both in reference to Hebrew אֲדֹנָי (ʾdny, "my lord; my Lord, Adonai") from אדון (ʾdwn, "lord, patron; Lord") + י- (-y, "my"), cognate with Phoenician 𐤀𐤃𐤍 (ʾdn, "lord; Lord, Adon"). Adonai appears in the Tanakh both directly and as a euphemism read aloud during occurrences of the Tetragrammaton יהוה (YHWH, "I Am that I Am; Jehovah"). See the usage notes below. Displaced the earlier term Drighten.
1
A formal title of the lesser British nobility, used for a lord of the manor or Lord Proprietor.
2
A generic title used in reference to any peer of the British nobility or any peer below the dignity of duke and (as a courtesy title) for the younger sons of dukes and marquesses (see usage note).
How do you do, Lord Darlington?1892, Oscar Wilde, “Act I”, in Lady Windermere's Fan […] :
3
Similar formal and generic titles in other countries.
4
An additional title added to denote the dignity of certain high officials, such as the "Lord Mayors" of major cities in the British Commonwealth
51 termsderived terms at lord, Harvest Lord, Lord of Christmas, Lord of Misrule, Lord Muck, Summer Lord, Civil Lord, Lords' Act, Lord Admiral, Lords of the Admiralty, Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, Lord High Admiral, Lord Advocate, Lords of the Articles, Lord Bishop, Lord Chamberlain, Lord Great Chamberlain of England, Lord Chancellor, Lord Clerk Register, Lords of the Congregation, Lords of the Daily Council, Lord Derby, Lord General, Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal, Lord High Constable, Lord of Ireland, Lords of the Judiciary, Lord Marcher, Lord Mayor, Lord of the Manor, Lords, Lords of Parliament, Lords of Police, Lord Probationer, Lord Proprietor, Lord-rector, Lord-rectorship, Lords of Regality, Lord Register, Lords of Session, Lords Spiritual, Lords Temporal, Lords of the Treasury, Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, Naval Lords, his Lord, my Lord, my Lord of, my Lord Duke, my Lord Marquis, my Lord Mayor