Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Far down in the social scale; degraded; mean.
  • noun A ravine, or gully, such as is frequented by the sea-elephant of California.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun true confidential information.
  • adjective of the most contemptible kind; contemptible; mean; base; vile; -- of people or the actions of people.
  • adjective having the soulful feeling of early blues; -- of jazz.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The story or truth; the scoop or dirt.
  • adjective Unfair; shameful.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective (of jazz) having the soulful feeling of early blues
  • adjective of the most contemptible kind
  • noun slang terms for inside information

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

low +‎ down

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word lowdown.

Examples

  • When MTV News had the chance to chat with QT recently, we had to get the lowdown from the man himself.

    EXCLUSIVE: Quentin Tarantino ‘Thinking About A Few Different Things Right Now’ » MTV Movies Blog 2009

  • Here's the weekly lowdown from the Liberal Coalition.

    Friday Blogaround 2009

  • Also, check out the General Forum and the Living etc.Forum. an excellent source for the lowdown is www. newbeginningsmexico.com also Karen Blue's book Midlife Maverick's, her articles on the mexconnect site (about 72 of them going back since she arrived 7 years ago).

    moving to la chapala 2003

  • Here, over at Kevin Drum's site, he gives us the lowdown, which is that, no, she never managed to get the local librarian to actually cooperate cause, you know, most librarians are tough cookies about issues like banning books, if you have ever actually met a librarian but that doesn't mean Sarah Barracuda didn't try.

    What About That Book Banning? delagar 2008

  • Here, over at Kevin Drum's site, he gives us the lowdown, which is that, no, she never managed to get the local librarian to actually cooperate cause, you know, most librarians are tough cookies about issues like banning books, if you have ever actually met a librarian but that doesn't mean Sarah Barracuda didn't try.

    Archive 2008-09-01 delagar 2008

  • From her unique, close-to-the floor perspective, Spot provides the "lowdown" on key administration figures.

    Laurence Hughes: The Doggies of War Laurence Hughes 2010

  • From her unique, close-to-the floor perspective, Spot provides the "lowdown" on key administration figures.

    Laurence Hughes: The Doggies of War Laurence Hughes 2010

  • From her unique, close-to-the floor perspective, Spot provides the "lowdown" on key administration figures.

    Laurence Hughes: The Doggies of War Laurence Hughes 2010

  • We putted out of the harbour and got ready to sail, her giving me the "lowdown" on everything I'd need to know for the trip.

    The Courage to Sail Joyful Fox 2008

  • We putted out of the harbour and got ready to sail, her giving me the "lowdown" on everything I'd need to know for the trip.

    Archive 2008-03-01 Belinda 2008

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.