lore

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈlȯr 

1

: a particular body of knowledge or tradition

the lore of baseball heroes

2

: something that is learned:

a

: traditional knowledge or belief

tribal lore

b

: knowledge gained through study or experience

the lore of religious architecture

3

archaic : something that is taught : lesson

lore

2 of 2

noun (2)

: the space between the eye and bill in a bird or the corresponding region in a reptile or fish

—usually used in plural

dark lores

loreal

ˈlȯr-ē-əl 

adjective

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• knowledge
• science
• wisdom

Examples of lore in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the home gardener had acquired her herbal lore from many years of trial and error

set out to study the rich lore of the Cajun people of Louisiana before it all vanished

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Fanboys are an unpredictable lot, but despite requisite nods to Marvel lore and appearances by Spider-Man antagonists Rhino, the Foreigner and the Chameleon, without the webslinger these foes are not all that interesting. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Dec. 2024

Conversely, Path of Exile adhered more closely to that aesthetic, while introducing its own world and lore. —Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 6 Dec. 2024

There’s still plenty of time left in Skeleton Crew’s eight-episode season to undercut these tensions and turn Wim’s obsession with Jedi lore and paraphernalia into a virtue. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2024

And as such, in Nosferatu, Eggers plunges us into his vision, to another dimension — an elegant yet terrifying world in which a monster stalks the dark of the unconscious, as both the evil within and the outward manifestation of some ancient lore. —Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English lār; akin to Old High German lēra doctrine, Old English leornian to learn

Noun (2)

New Latin lorum, from Latin, thong, rein; akin to Greek eulēra reins

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Noun (2)

1828, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

lore

noun

ˈlō(ə)r,

ˈlȯ(ə)r

: knowledge sense 1

especially : a particular body of knowledge or tradition

forest lore