lore meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

lore

noun

UK /lɔː/ · US /loɹ/

Etymology From Middle English lore, from Old English lār, from Proto-West Germanic *laiʀu, from Proto-Germanic *laizō, from *laizijaną (“to teach”). Cognate with Dutch leer, German Lehre, Swedish lära and Danish lære. See also learn.

All the facts and traditions about a particular subject that have been accumulated over time through education or experience.

the recondite lore of the Ancient Egyptians
He to them calles and speakes, yet nought avayles; / They heare him not, they have forgot his lore / But go which way they list; their guide they have forelore.1590, Edmund Spenser, “(please specify the book)”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

1 more example

The succession story would get repeated so often that it would turn into Silicon Valley lore.2025, Karen Hao, Empire of AI, New York City: Penguin Press, →ISBN:

Lifestyle Slang The backstory, especially for a character or setting, created around a fictional universe.

Lore documents reveal that she was backstabbed by her subordinate, who wanted to become king, and she feels vengeful about it.
You might have stumbled upon discussions of Bloodborne's lore - there are plenty of discussions about Bloodborne's lore - which can be more than a little dense and, to the outsider, off-putting.2018 March 6, Martin Robinson, “Dispelling the myths of Bloodborne”, in Eurogamer:

Lifestyle Internet, Broadly, Slang Trivia shared by a person about themselves.

It's Ashot lore that I used to have a priv where I posted pictures of weird animals I found on the street.
Most new followers don't know about my marching band lore.

Obsolete Workmanship.

In her right hand a rod of peace shee bore, / About the which two serpents weren wound; / Entrayled mutually in lovely lore, / And by the tailes together firmely bound […]1590, Edmund Spenser, “(please specify the book)”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

Derived terms: 71 terms
angel-lore, beer-lore, birdlore, booklore, catlore, childlore, Cokelore, computerlore, copylore, deathlore, demonlore, devil-lore, doglore, dragonlore, druglore, earthlore, elflore, fairylore, fanlore, faxlore, fieldlore, filmlore, fishlore, flaglore, folklore, fowl-lore, ghostlore, giantlore, godlore, hairlore, herblore, horselore, kenlore, laborlore, lakelore, lifelore, loreal, lorefather, loreless, loremaster, loremistress, lore-wise, loric, loring, lovelore, mislore, movielore, netlore, ocean-lore, photocopylore, plantlore, playlore, runelore, scarelore, sealore, sexlore, skylore, soundlore, spacelore, speechlore, starlore, stonelore, storylore, timelore, weatherlore, whalelore, winelore, woodlore, wordlore, wortlore, xeroxlore

lore

noun

Etymology From Latin lorum (“thong, strap”).

Anatomy, Medicine, Sciences The region between the eyes and nostrils of birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

He’s sticky and encrusted on one side below his beak and amongst the lores around his eyes by the pips and juices he has dined upon, the pith and pulp of feeding.2022, Jim Crace, eden, Picador, page 40:

Anatomy, Medicine, Sciences The anterior portion of the cheeks of insects.

Derived terms: loral, loreal, lored