high-low

American  

[hahy-loh, hahy-loh] / ˈhaɪˈloʊ, ˈhaɪˌloʊ /

noun

1. a game of poker in which both high and low hands are eligible to win, the pot usually being split equally between the player with the highest hand and the player with the lowest hand.

2. Also highlow an ankle-high, laced shoe.

3. Chiefly Bridge. a signal for one's partner to lead a suit, conveyed by playing a high card and then a lower card in that suit.

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adjective

1. having a hemline that is longer in the back than the front.

   high-low dresses; a high-low blouse.

Etymology

Origin of high-low

First recorded in 1795–1805

Example Sentences

We need a high-low mix: smaller numbers of exquisite, expensive weapons for our smaller numbers of high-end threats, alongside a more affordable, more producible class of weapons for our larger number of lower-end threats.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

A high-low agreement with the Angels would ensure that Skaggs’ lawyers are paid and the family gets some money even if the jury denies them anything.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2025

This high-low juxtaposition — much like the caviar-potato chip pairing seen on the series — is another example of something that makes “Housewives” so alluring and topsy-turvy.

From Salon • Nov. 9, 2023

Miller made a sneaky high-low pass to a wide-open Meyers underneath, where she flipped in a backward layup for a 30-20 lead.

From Washington Times • Mar. 3, 2023

It was high ground, and many residents had evacuated there when the high-low siren had alerted them that a flood was coming.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone