Word of the Day

: September 16, 2008

lout

noun LOUT

What It Means

: an awkward brutish person

lout in Context

Because the three louts behind him in the movie theater were being loud and obnoxious, Jonah decided to move to another seat.

Did You Know?

"Lout" belongs to the large group of words we use to indicate an undesirable person, a boor, a bumpkin, a dolt, a clod. We've used "lout" in this way since the mid-1500s. As early as the 800s, however, "lout" functioned as a verb with the meaning "to bow in respect." No one is quite sure how the verb sense developed into a noun meaning "a brutish person." Perhaps the awkward posture of one bowing down led over time to the idea that the person was personally low and awkward as well.