Lord

See lord.

In reference to the God of the Jewish Tanakh and Christian Bible, originally a translation (attested from the late Old English form hlāford) of the Vulgate Latin Dominus (“master of a house; lord”), translating the New Testament and the Septuagint's Ancient Greek ὁ κύριος or Κύριος (ó kýrios, "the supreme one; Lord, Kyrios"), both in reference to Hebrew אֲדֹנָי (ʾdny, "my lord; my Lord, Adonai") from אדון (ʾdwn, "lord, patron; Lord") + י- (-y, "my"), cognate with Phoenician 𐤀𐤃𐤍 (ʾdn, "lord; Lord, Adon"). Adonai appears in the Tanakh both directly and as a euphemism read aloud during occurrences of the Tetragrammaton יהוה (YHWH, "I Am that I Am; Jehovah"). See the usage notes below. Displaced the earlier term Drighten.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /lɔːd/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /lɔɹd/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)d

Lord (countable and uncountable, plural Lords)

1. The Abrahamic deity of the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic faiths.
   • 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], line 53:

     The breath of worldly men cannot depose,
     The deputy elected by the Lord.

   • 2017, Raymond Grant, Dialogue with Deity: Genesis and Jesus, →ISBN:

     Their act emphasized their acceptance of Islam as their new allegiance and the forsaking of the true and Living God, Jehovah (the LORD), with devotion to the moon god idol Allah.
     Abram was given a new name, as well, by the LORD.

   1. (Judaism, Islam) The God of Abraham and the Jewish scriptures.
   2. (Christianity) God the Father; the Godhead.
      • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 20:7:

        Some trust in charets, and some in horses: but wee will remember the Name of the Lord our God.

2. (Christianity) Jesus Christ, God the Son.
   • 1582, Douay–Rheims Bible, 1 Corinth. 12:3:

     Therfore I doe you to vnderſtand that no má ſpeaking in the Spirit of God, ſaith anáthema to IESVS. And no man can ſay, Our Lord IESVS: but in the holy Ghoſt.

   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, (please specify |part=Prologue or Rpilogue, or |canto=I to CXXIX):

     How loyal in the following of thy Lord!

3. (religion) Any other deity particularly important to a religion or a worshipper.
   • 2002, A.J. Drew, Wicca for Couples: Making Magick Together‎^[1], page 89:

     ...and our Lord [the Horned God] as Master, Father, and Sage.

4. An English surname transferred from the nickname, originally a nickname for someone who either acted as if he were a lord or had worked in a lord's household.

In monotheistic contexts (including Trinitarian Christianity), the term is used absolutely: "the Lord". In reference to Jesus, it is often expressed as "Our Lord" or "Our Lord and Savior". (Note, however, that Mormonism typically distinguishes "the Lord" as describing Jesus and "God" as describing Elohim, the God of Abraham.)

In many English Bibles, references in the Hebrew Tanakh to the name of God (YHWH) or the title Adonai, are distinguished by capitalizing the former as "Lord" and the latter as "LORD", "lord", "Lord", etc. Similarly, "Lord God", "Lord GOD", etc. translate the dual form "Adonai YHWH;" and "Lord of Hosts" (etc.) translates the form YHWH Sabaoth.

• (God): Lord of Hosts, Lord's Day, Lord knows, Lord only knows (see also use as an injection below), Lord rest his soul, the Lord's work, Our Lord's candle
• (Christ): in the year of our Lord, in the year of our Lord's incarnation, Lord's Prayer, Lord's Supper, Lord's table, Lord's Table, our Lord, year of the Lord
• (other deities): Lord of the Flies

Lord

1. (originally an invocation) An interjection variously expressing astonishment, surprise, resignation.
   • c. 1595, William Shakespeare, The Comedie of Errors, published 1623, iii. i. 50:

     O Lord I must laugh.

Originally solemn, now typically invoked in trivial and profane use.

• Lor', lud
• Lord have mercy, Lord-a-mercy, lordy
• O Lord, oh Lord, dear Lord, my Lord, good Lord
• (British, dialectal) Lawk, lauk, lawks
• (British, dialectal) Lord bless me, Lord lumme, Lor' lumme

Lord (plural Lords)

1. A formal title of the lesser British nobility, used for a lord of the manor or Lord Proprietor.
2. A generic title used in reference to any peer of the British nobility or any peer below the dignity of duke and (as a courtesy title) for the younger sons of dukes and marquesses (see usage note).
   • 1892, Oscar Wilde, “Act I”, in Lady Windermere's Fan […] ‎^[2]:

     How do you do, Lord Darlington?

3. Similar formal and generic titles in other countries.
4. An additional title added to denote the dignity of certain high officials, such as the "Lord Mayors" of major cities in the British Commonwealth
5. The elected president of a festival.
6. (Wicca) A high priest.

The title lord is usually understood as one borne by men, and lady is its usual female equivalent. For example, King William IV of the United Kingdom was styled Lord of Mann and, upon his death, his niece Victoria was styled Lady of Mann. Modern usage is not always so clear, however, and "lord" may now refer to either male or female bearers of a title. For example, Queen Elizabeth II was styled "the Queen, Lord of Mann".

Lord is the formal title of only a few British nobles. It is, however, traditionally used as a title and form of address for all members of the British peerage, including the Lords Spiritual (the 26 bishops of the established Church of England). In present practice, dukes are instead styled "Your" or "His Grace" and the Lords Spiritual are usually styled "Lord Bishop". In Scotland, the title Lord of Parliament, often shortened to Lord, is used instead of Baron. The younger sons of dukes and marquesses also bear the courtesy title of lord.

• (female, spouses) Lady
• (dukes) Grace
• (bishops) Lord Bishop

See also derived terms at lord.

• (festival titles): Harvest Lord, Lord of Christmas, Lord of Misrule, Lord Muck, Summer Lord
• (British titles): Civil Lord, Lords' Act, Lord Admiral, Lords of the Admiralty, Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, Lord High Admiral, Lord Advocate, Lords of the Articles, Lord Bishop, Lord Chamberlain, Lord Great Chamberlain of England, Lord Chancellor, Lord Clerk Register, Lords of the Congregation, Lords of the Daily Council, Lord Derby, Lord General, Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal, Lord High Constable, Lord of Ireland, Lords of the Judiciary, Lord Marcher, Lord Mayor, Lord of the Manor, Lords, Lords of Parliament, Lords of Police, Lord Probationer, Lord Proprietor, Lord-rector, Lord-rectorship, Lords of Regality, Lord Register, Lords of Session, Lords Spiritual, Lords Temporal, Lords of the Treasury, Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, Naval Lords
• (direct address): his Lord, my Lord, my Lord of (London, Canterbury, etc.), my Lord Duke, my Lord Marquis, my Lord Mayor

• laird

• Oxford English Dictionary, 1st ed. "lord, n." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1903.

17th century, from English lord.

• IPA^(key): /lɔrt/, [lɔʁt], [lɔɐ̯t], [lɔːt]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Lord

Lord m (strong, genitive Lords, plural Lords or (dated) Lorde, feminine Lady)

1. lord, Lord (British nobleman)

• “Lord” in Duden online
• “Lord” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Lord

1. Lord: the Abrahamic deity of the Jewish and Christian faiths
   • c. 1382–1395, John Wycliffe [et al.], edited by Josiah Forshall and Frederic Madden, The Holy Bible, […], volume 1 KINGS, Oxford: At the University Press, published 1850, →OCLC, 36:(please specify the verse(s)):

     Lord God of Abraham, and of Ysaac, and Yrael [...]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)