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

The night before Stanford took the court, Jaylen spent some time thinking about former Blue Devils guard Austin Rivers, whose iconic game-winning shot against UNC in 2012 still lives in Duke lore. —Grace Raynor, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025

Famously, his digressive speeches require deep immersion in right-wing lore to comprehend. —Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025

These studios were part of the glamorous archetype of L.A. music lore. —August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025

The game draws on various ancient empires for its lore, from Celtic mythology and the Roman empire, to ancient Polynesia, Aztec ziggurats and ruins. —Jason Bennett, arkansasonline.com, 12 Jan. 2025

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