low-born

See also: lowborn

English

Alternative forms

• lowborn

Adjective

low-born (comparative more low-born, superlative most low-born)

1. Born in a family of low status.
   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Challenge”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 234:

     "The shame of refusing to meet you!—from the shame of meeting an equal I might," said Kingston, tauntingly; "but it is absurd to be challenged by my hired servant—a low-born nobody!"

   • c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:

     This is the prettiest low-born lass that ever
     Ran on the green-sward.

Antonyms

• high-born

Translations

born of humble parentage

• Irish: anuasal
• Japanese: 賎しい (ja) (iyashii), 下賎な (ja) (gesen na), チープな (chīpu na)
• Maori: tautauhea

References

• “low-born”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “lowborn”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• Oxford English Dictionary, second edition (1989)
• Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary (1987-1996)