"down low" meaning in All languages combined

See down low on Wiktionary

Adjective [English]

Forms: more down low [comparative], most down low [superlative]
Head templates: {{en-adj}} down low (comparative more down low, superlative most down low)
  1. (of a person) Undercover or lying about one's identity.
    Sense id: en-down_low-en-adj-8~zkhJUO
  2. (African-American Vernacular, of a man) Purporting to be heterosexual while engaged in sex with men.
    Sense id: en-down_low-en-adj-td8tM8OW Categories (other): African-American Vernacular English, English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 1 12 0 27 28 31
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: down-low, downlow Derived forms: DL

Noun [English]

Forms: down lows [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} down low (countable and uncountable, plural down lows)
  1. A state of secrecy. Tags: countable, uncountable
    Sense id: en-down_low-en-noun-sHwydvq8
  2. (sexuality) The state of being a man who secretly sleeps with people other than his partner. Tags: countable, uncountable Categories (topical): Sexuality
    Sense id: en-down_low-en-noun-ovjUBInQ Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 1 12 0 27 28 31 Topics: lifestyle, sexuality
  3. (African-American Vernacular, sexuality) The state of being a man who secretly sleeps with other men. Tags: countable, uncountable Categories (topical): Sexuality, LGBT
    Sense id: en-down_low-en-noun-b66UV1-E Disambiguation of LGBT: 4 17 0 28 35 15 Categories (other): African-American Vernacular English, English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with topic categories using raw markup, English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 1 12 0 27 28 31 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 1 17 0 22 37 23 Disambiguation of English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 2 16 1 26 32 24 Topics: lifestyle, sexuality
  4. (African-American Vernacular, sexuality) A man who secretly sleeps with other men. Tags: countable, uncountable Categories (topical): Sexuality
    Sense id: en-down_low-en-noun-umkrRrrb Categories (other): African-American Vernacular English, English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 1 12 0 27 28 31 Topics: lifestyle, sexuality
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: down-low, downlow

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for down low meaning in All languages combined (6.0kB)

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "down lows",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "down low (countable and uncountable, plural down lows)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I'll tell you, but keep it on the down low.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A state of secrecy."
      ],
      "id": "en-down_low-en-noun-sHwydvq8",
      "links": [
        [
          "secrecy",
          "secrecy"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Sexuality",
          "orig": "en:Sexuality",
          "parents": [
            "Human behaviour",
            "Sex",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Reproduction",
            "Fundamental",
            "Life",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 12 0 27 28 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The state of being a man who secretly sleeps with people other than his partner."
      ],
      "id": "en-down_low-en-noun-ovjUBInQ",
      "links": [
        [
          "sexuality",
          "sexuality"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(sexuality) The state of being a man who secretly sleeps with people other than his partner."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "lifestyle",
        "sexuality"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "African-American Vernacular English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Sexuality",
          "orig": "en:Sexuality",
          "parents": [
            "Human behaviour",
            "Sex",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Reproduction",
            "Fundamental",
            "Life",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 12 0 27 28 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 17 0 22 37 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 16 1 26 32 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 17 0 28 35 15",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "LGBT",
          "orig": "en:LGBT",
          "parents": [
            "Sexuality",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Sex",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Reproduction",
            "Fundamental",
            "Life",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2001 April 3, Linda Villarosa, “AIDS Education Is Aimed 'Down Low'”, in The New York times, page 5",
          "text": "I sleep with men, but I am not bisexual, and I am certainly not gay. I am not going to your clinics, I am not going to read your brochures, I am not going to get tested. I assure you that none of the brothers on the down low like me are paying the least bit of attention to anything you have to say.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The state of being a man who secretly sleeps with other men."
      ],
      "id": "en-down_low-en-noun-b66UV1-E",
      "links": [
        [
          "sexuality",
          "sexuality"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "African-American Vernacular",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(African-American Vernacular, sexuality) The state of being a man who secretly sleeps with other men."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "lifestyle",
        "sexuality"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "African-American Vernacular English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Sexuality",
          "orig": "en:Sexuality",
          "parents": [
            "Human behaviour",
            "Sex",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Reproduction",
            "Fundamental",
            "Life",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 12 0 27 28 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2014, Susan Kuklin, Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, Humen: Candlewick Press, published 2015, →LCCN, Mariah: The Real Deal, page 90",
          "text": "I think it must be hard for trans men who like guys. Most gay guys don't like vaginas. […] The guys I'm interested in are down-lows, DLs.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A man who secretly sleeps with other men."
      ],
      "id": "en-down_low-en-noun-umkrRrrb",
      "links": [
        [
          "sexuality",
          "sexuality"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "African-American Vernacular",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(African-American Vernacular, sexuality) A man who secretly sleeps with other men."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "lifestyle",
        "sexuality"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "down-low"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "downlow"
    }
  ],
  "word": "down low"
}

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "DL"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more down low",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most down low",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "down low (comparative more down low, superlative most down low)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Undercover or lying about one's identity."
      ],
      "id": "en-down_low-en-adj-8~zkhJUO",
      "links": [
        [
          "Undercover",
          "undercover"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(of a person) Undercover or lying about one's identity."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "African-American Vernacular English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 12 0 27 28 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Purporting to be heterosexual while engaged in sex with men."
      ],
      "id": "en-down_low-en-adj-td8tM8OW",
      "links": [
        [
          "heterosexual",
          "heterosexual"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "African-American Vernacular",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(African-American Vernacular, of a man) Purporting to be heterosexual while engaged in sex with men."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a man"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "down-low"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "downlow"
    }
  ],
  "word": "down low"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "en:LGBT"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "down lows",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "down low (countable and uncountable, plural down lows)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I'll tell you, but keep it on the down low.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A state of secrecy."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "secrecy",
          "secrecy"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Sexuality"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The state of being a man who secretly sleeps with people other than his partner."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sexuality",
          "sexuality"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(sexuality) The state of being a man who secretly sleeps with people other than his partner."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "lifestyle",
        "sexuality"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "African-American Vernacular English",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Sexuality"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2001 April 3, Linda Villarosa, “AIDS Education Is Aimed 'Down Low'”, in The New York times, page 5",
          "text": "I sleep with men, but I am not bisexual, and I am certainly not gay. I am not going to your clinics, I am not going to read your brochures, I am not going to get tested. I assure you that none of the brothers on the down low like me are paying the least bit of attention to anything you have to say.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The state of being a man who secretly sleeps with other men."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sexuality",
          "sexuality"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "African-American Vernacular",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(African-American Vernacular, sexuality) The state of being a man who secretly sleeps with other men."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "lifestyle",
        "sexuality"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "African-American Vernacular English",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Sexuality"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2014, Susan Kuklin, Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, Humen: Candlewick Press, published 2015, →LCCN, Mariah: The Real Deal, page 90",
          "text": "I think it must be hard for trans men who like guys. Most gay guys don't like vaginas. […] The guys I'm interested in are down-lows, DLs.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A man who secretly sleeps with other men."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sexuality",
          "sexuality"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "African-American Vernacular",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(African-American Vernacular, sexuality) A man who secretly sleeps with other men."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "lifestyle",
        "sexuality"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "down-low"
    },
    {
      "word": "downlow"
    }
  ],
  "word": "down low"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "en:LGBT"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "DL"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more down low",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most down low",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "down low (comparative more down low, superlative most down low)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Undercover or lying about one's identity."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Undercover",
          "undercover"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(of a person) Undercover or lying about one's identity."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "African-American Vernacular English"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Purporting to be heterosexual while engaged in sex with men."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "heterosexual",
          "heterosexual"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "African-American Vernacular",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(African-American Vernacular, of a man) Purporting to be heterosexual while engaged in sex with men."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a man"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "down-low"
    },
    {
      "word": "downlow"
    }
  ],
  "word": "down low"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-30 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (210104c and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.