lo

[ loh ]

/ loʊ /

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interjection

look! see! (frequently used in Biblical expressions; now usually used as an expression of surprise in the phrase lo and behold ).

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of lo

before 900; Middle English; conflation of lo exclamation of surprise, grief, or joy, O! (Old English lā;see la²) and lo, shortened form of loke (Old English lōca), imperative of loken to look

Words nearby lo

LMVD, ln, lndry rm, LNG, LNPF, lo, loach, load, load displacement, loaded, loaded for bear

Other definitions for lo (2 of 3)

lo²

[ loh ]

/ loʊ /

adjective

an informal, simplified spelling of low¹, used especially in labeling or advertising commercial products: lo calorie.

Other definitions for lo (3 of 3)

abbreviation

little one (used, especially by women, in digital communications to refer to one's infant or young child): We've been cloth diapering since my LO hit 10 pounds, about 6 months now.

loved one (used, especially by women, in digital communications to refer to one's romantic partner or spouse): I realized that my LO and I really didn't have much in common in terms of interests and basic values that could have held us together.

Origin of LO

First recorded in 2000–05 for def. 1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use lo in a sentence

Lights will flash in time with the beat creating the perfect atmosphere for a raucous party or setting the mood for a lo-fi study session.
The best smart light bulbs to light up any space|Carsen Joenk|January 31, 2022|Popular-Science
We’ve announced that recently, and we work very closely with companies like Audi, who are deploying new AI inference on the factory floor in tight collaboration with compute that resides either on that floor or nearby in a co-lo facility.
Building the future with software-based 5G networking|MIT Technology Review Insights|December 15, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Panic’s lo-fi device even has the monochrome, non-backlit screen which harkens back to Nintendo’s handheld.
The hottest entertainment innovations of 2021|Stan Horaczek|December 3, 2021|Popular-Science
After nearly writing off this Devolver Digital game as another uninspired, lo-fi indie game, I decided—admittedly, upon a colleague's prodding—to give Loop Hero a spin.
Loop Hero review: I’ve somehow gotten hooked on an RPG that plays itself|Sam Machkovech|March 4, 2021|Ars Technica

Brands like Lo & Sons and Delsey are already tapping Travel Noire to connect with black travelers.
‘We Out Here’: Inside the New Black Travel Movement|Charlise Ferguson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And lo, Snowballs—underpants which can hold a flexible gel pack that you store in the freezer—was born.
Men, Ice Your Balls To Make Babies—and Other Male Fertility Fixes|Tom Sykes|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And lo and behold, she was determined to sink the mining industry, and we were determined to fight for our community.
‘Pride’: The Feel-Good Movie of the Year, and the Film Rupert Murdoch Doesn’t Want You to See|Marlow Stern|October 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“In a sense, the masses are not organized,” says Lo, who is with the South China Morning Post.
Occupy Hong Kong Hangs On|Lennox Samuels|September 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Beijing knows, as Alex Lo put it, “that it holds all the cards.”
Occupy Hong Kong Hangs On|Lennox Samuels|September 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "Behold, how ye prevail nothing; lo, the world is gone after him."
His Last Week|William E. Barton
The shaft whizzed away with force enough to delight him, and, lo, there was the first bow-and-arrow!
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various
Impulsively I reached out, and pressed the parts of the ring into a close-fitting whole, when, lo!
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist|Alexander Berkman
And lo, this Olympian being, this unfathomable man, descended from his cloud-capped heights and held out his hand to Tchaikovsky.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
"Lo-ong ways," she crooned, and her voice was the first attractive thing Bud had discovered about her.
Cabin Fever|B. M. Bower

British Dictionary definitions for lo (1 of 2)

/ (ləʊ) /

interjection

look! see! (now often in the phrase lo and behold)

Word Origin for lo

Old English lā

British Dictionary definitions for lo (2 of 2)

/ text messaging /

abbreviation for

hello

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012