lower case

American  

[loh-er] / ˈloʊ ər /

noun

Printing.

lower cases plural

1. case28

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lower case British  

noun

1. a compositor's type case, in which the small letters are kept

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adjective

1. of or relating to small letters

verb

1. (tr) to print with lower-case letters

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lower cases
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lower case

First recorded in 1675–85

Example Sentences

I left my first semester of ceramics class with a handful of bowls, a mini mug and a flower vase.

From Salon • May 25, 2025

Sweetin picked up a flower vase resembling an urn, insisting they include it, addressing it as Bob.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2024

You can walk on either side of the street, looking out for a giant flower vase as your landmark — that’s Ginny Ruffner’s “The Urban Garden” at the corner of Union and Seventh Avenue.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 14, 2022

Sticky-rice crepes rolled around crushed peanuts and brown sugar show up speared on the ends of wooden picks that are held in a flower vase with a sprig of baby’s breath.

From New York Times • Oct. 5, 2021

Beside the bed was a three-drawer chest with a flower vase on it.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini