lukewarm

lukewarm
\ \ [14] Lukewarm is a compound adjective based on the now obsolete Middle English luketepid’. It is not altogether clear where this came from, but it is generally assumed to be a derivative of the also now obsolete lew(fairly) warm’, with perhaps a diminutive suffix. Lew goes back to an Old English hlēowwarm’, a variant of which became modern English leeshelter’. It is related to Latin calorheat’ (source of English calorie), calidushot’ (source of English caudle, cauldron, and chowder), and calērebe hot’ (source of English nonchalant).
\ \ Cf.CALORIE, CAULDRON, CHOWDER, LEE, NONCHALANT

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • lukewarm — luke‧warm [ˌluːkˈwɔːm◂ ǁ ˈwɔːrm◂] adjective not showing much interest or excitement: • The market reaction to its flotation was lukewarm. • The proposal is expected to get a lukewarm reception from small businesses. * * * lukewarm UK US… …   Financial and business terms

  • Lukewarm — or The Lukewarm may refer to:*Lukewarm, a fictional character from the BBC series Porridge * 2 + 2 = 5 (The Lukewarm.), a song by Radiohead from their album Hail to the Thief (2003) * The Lukewarm, a song by Omar Rodriguez Lopez from his album Se …   Wikipedia

  • Lukewarm — Luke warm (l[=u]k w[add]rm ), a. [See {Luke}.] 1. Moderately warm; neither cold nor hot; tepid. [1913 Webster] 2. Not ardent; not zealous; cool; indifferent. Lukewarm blood. Spenser. Lukewarm patriots. Addison. [1913 Webster] An obedience so… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • lukewarm — [adj1] slightly heated blood warm, milk warm, tepid, warm, warmish; concept 605 Ant. chilly, cool, cooled lukewarm [adj2] indifferent, unenthusiastic apathetic, chilly, cold, cool, halfhearted, hesitant, indecisive, irresolute, phlegmatic, tepid …   New thesaurus

  • lukewarm — [lo͞ok′wôrm΄] adj. [ME luke warme < luke, tepid (akin to LowG luk, Du leuk, tepid < IE * k̆leu < base * k̆el , warm > OE hleowe, tepid, L calere, to be warm) + warm, WARM] 1. barely or moderately warm: said of liquids 2. not very warm …   English World dictionary

  • lukewarm — index irresolute, languid, nonchalant, noncommittal, perfunctory Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • lukewarm — late 14c., from LUKE (Cf. luke) + WARM (Cf. warm). Figurative sense of lacking in zeal (of persons or their actions) is from 1520s. Related: Lukewarmly; lukewarmness …   Etymology dictionary

  • lukewarm — ► ADJECTIVE 1) only moderately warm. 2) unenthusiastic. ORIGIN from dialect luke, related to LEE(Cf. ↑lee) …   English terms dictionary

  • lukewarm — adj. halfhearted lukewarm about, to (lukewarm about a proposal; lukewarm to an idea) tepid 2) lukewarm to (lukewarm to the touch) * * * [ˌluːk wɔːm] to (lukewarm about a proposal; lukewarm to an idea) [ halfhearted ] lukewarm about [ tepid ]… …   Combinatory dictionary

  • lukewarm — [[t]lu͟ːkwɔ͟ːm[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED Something, especially a liquid, that is lukewarm is only slightly warm. Wash your face with lukewarm water... The coffee was weak and lukewarm. Syn: tepid 2) ADJ GRADED: oft ADJ towards n If you describe a person …   English dictionary

  • lukewarm — luke|warm [ˌlu:kˈwo:m US ˈwo:rm] adj [Date: 1300 1400; Origin: luke lukewarm (13 19 centuries) (perhaps from Old English hleow warm ) + warm] 1.) food, liquid etc that is lukewarm is slightly warm and often not as hot or cold as it should be =… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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