lore
1 Americannoun
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the body of knowledge, especially of a traditional, anecdotal, or popular nature, on a particular subject.
the lore of herbs.
- Synonyms:
- wisdom
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learning, knowledge, or erudition.
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Archaic.
-
the process or act of teaching; instruction.
-
something that is taught; lesson.
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noun
noun
-
collective knowledge or wisdom on a particular subject, esp of a traditional nature
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knowledge or learning
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archaic teaching, or something that is taught
noun
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the surface of the head of a bird between the eyes and the base of the bill
-
the corresponding area in a snake or fish
Synonym Usage
See learning.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lore1
First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English lār; cognate with Dutch leer, German Lehre “teaching”; see origin at learn
Origin of lore2
First recorded in 1615–25; from New Latin lōrum, special use of Latin lōrum “thong, strap”
Explanation
Lore is a body of knowledge or tradition that is passed down among members of a culture, usually orally. It's the lore in "folklore," and responsible for spreading the word on mythical figures like Santa Claus, Paul Bunyan, and even Uncle Sam. Most lore begins as an oral tradition, passed on by word of mouth, and only later takes on a written form. We tend to think of lore as something centuries-old, as in the British Arthurian lore surrounding the doings of the mythical King Arthur and his court. However, newer lore — such as baseball lore — is constantly springing up. Humans need and love their lore.
Vocabulary lists containing lore
Vocabulary from an excerpt from "Confessions of a 30-Year-Old Gamer," by Ta-Nehisi Paul Coates
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Beowulf
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The Girl Who Drank the Moon
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
With a knack for lively storytelling, Peva shares that lore with more than 37,000 Instagram followers—who, alongside his signature boarding-school bow ties, have made the veteran broker an unlikely social-media influencer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
He had a twinkle in his eye, and seven of the most famous words in Dodgers broadcasting lore at the ready.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Devour some books … and pizza: Pizza Hut’s Book It! program, which rewarded children for reading with personal pan pizzas, is part of the lore of countless childhood readers turned adults.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
Spinning that lore for a modern audience, then, calls for fronting the cast with a star whose popular persona is outsized compared to his dramatic proficiency.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
Then through all the years that followed he traced the Ring; but since that history is elsewhere recounted, even as Elrond himself set it down in his books of lore, it is not here recalled.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
