luke

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun (New Testament) the Apostle closely associated with St. Paul and traditionally assumed to be the author of the third Gospel
  2. noun one of the four Gospels in the New Testament; contains details of Jesus's birth and early life

Etymology

From Middle English leuȝke, leuk, leuke, lewk, lewke, louk, luk, luke, lheuc, probably from Old English *hlēoc beside hlēow- (whence lew); compare rēoc and rēow, slēac and unslēaw, etc. Alternatively, perhaps from a verb, Old English *hlēowcian, *hlīewcian (“to make tepid or lukewarm”), whence possibly Middle English leuken (“to make lukewarm”). Compare also Dutch leuk (“lukewarm”), West Frisian lûk (“sly, clever”), Low German luuk (“lively, cheerful", also "lukewarm, dull, indifferent”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

Saint Luke, St. Luke

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