"down low" meaning in English

See down low in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-down low.wav 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. Categories (topical): LGBT
    Sense id: en-down_low-en-adj-td8tM8OW Disambiguation of LGBT: 3 17 0 32 33 15 Categories (other): African-American Vernacular English, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 1 12 0 28 28 31 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 1 12 1 28 30 28 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 1 13 1 29 30 26
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: down-low, downlow Derived forms: DL

Noun

Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-down low.wav 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, LGBT
    Sense id: en-down_low-en-noun-ovjUBInQ Disambiguation of LGBT: 3 17 0 32 33 15 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 1 12 0 28 28 31 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 1 12 1 28 30 28 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 1 13 1 29 30 26 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: 3 17 0 32 33 15 Categories (other): African-American Vernacular English, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 1 12 0 28 28 31 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 1 12 1 28 30 28 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 1 13 1 29 30 26 Topics: lifestyle, sexuality
  4. (African-American Vernacular, sexuality) A man who secretly sleeps with other men. Tags: countable, uncountable Categories (topical): Sexuality, LGBT
    Sense id: en-down_low-en-noun-umkrRrrb Disambiguation of LGBT: 3 17 0 32 33 15 Categories (other): African-American Vernacular English, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 1 12 0 28 28 31 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 1 12 1 28 30 28 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 1 13 1 29 30 26 Topics: lifestyle, sexuality
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: down-low, downlow

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

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    {
      "form": "down lows",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
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      "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 28 28 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 12 1 28 30 28",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
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        },
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          "_dis": "1 13 1 29 30 26",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "3 17 0 32 33 15",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
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            "Human behaviour",
            "Sex",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Reproduction",
            "Fundamental",
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            "Nature"
          ],
          "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"
      ]
    },
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      "categories": [
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          "kind": "other",
          "name": "African-American Vernacular English",
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          "source": "w"
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        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Sexuality",
          "orig": "en:Sexuality",
          "parents": [
            "Human behaviour",
            "Sex",
            "Human",
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            "Fundamental",
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            "Nature"
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          "_dis": "1 12 0 28 28 31",
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          "_dis": "3 17 0 32 33 15",
          "kind": "topical",
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            "Sex",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Reproduction",
            "Fundamental",
            "Life",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
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        {
          "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": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "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"
      ]
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            "All topics",
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          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
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          "_dis": "1 12 1 28 30 28",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
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          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "3 17 0 32 33 15",
          "kind": "topical",
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          "parents": [
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        {
          "ref": "2014, Susan Kuklin, Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, Humen: Candlewick Press, published 2015, →ISBN, →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": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A man who secretly sleeps with other men."
      ],
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        "(African-American Vernacular, sexuality) A man who secretly sleeps with other men."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "lifestyle",
        "sexuality"
      ]
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  "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"
      ]
    }
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  "head_templates": [
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      "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"
      ]
    },
    {
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            "Human",
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            "Reproduction",
            "Fundamental",
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          "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"
      ]
    }
  ],
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      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "down-low"
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      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "downlow"
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  "word": "down low"
}
{
  "categories": [
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    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "en:LGBT"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "down lows",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
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        "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."
      ],
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        "countable",
        "uncountable"
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        "countable",
        "uncountable"
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        "lifestyle",
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          "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": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The state of being a man who secretly sleeps with other men."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sexuality",
          "sexuality"
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      ],
      "qualifier": "African-American Vernacular",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(African-American Vernacular, sexuality) The state of being a man who secretly sleeps with other men."
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          "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": "quote"
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      ],
      "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",
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  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "down-low"
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      "word": "downlow"
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  "word": "down low"
}

{
  "categories": [
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    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "en:LGBT"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "DL"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more down low",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most down low",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "down low (comparative more down low, superlative most down low)",
      "name": "en-adj"
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Undercover or lying about one's identity."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Undercover",
          "undercover"
        ]
      ],
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        "(of a person) Undercover or lying about one's identity."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a person"
      ]
    },
    {
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        "African-American Vernacular English"
      ],
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          "heterosexual"
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      ],
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      "raw_glosses": [
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    {
      "word": "down-low"
    },
    {
      "word": "downlow"
    }
  ],
  "word": "down low"
}

Download raw JSONL data for down low meaning in English (4.9kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). 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.