I. ˈlu̇k verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English looken, loken, from Old English lōcian; akin to Middle Dutch loeken to look, Old Saxon lōcōn
transitive verb
1. : to make sure or take care (that something is done)
censor to look that no man lived idly — Edward Gee
2. : to ascertain by the use of one's eyes
I will look what time the train starts
3.
a. : to exercise the power of vision upon : examine , observe , perceive
b. archaic : to look up
if I looked a word today — John Adams
c. dialect : to count (as sheep) especially to determine whether any have strayed
4. archaic : to search for : seek
at her leisure hours she looks goose eggs — Samuel Johnson
5. : expect
I never look to have a mistress that I shall love half as well — Henry Brooke
6. dialect : to pick over
she looked the spinach
7. archaic : to influence or bring into a place or condition by the exercise of the power of vision
thou has look'd thyself into my grace — Shakespeare
8. : to express by use of the eyes or by an expression of the countenance
not an eye to look comfort to you — Douglas Jerrold
the friar looked his surprise — Robert Brennan
9. : to have an appearance that befits or accords with
the actors … looked the parts they were called upon to play — Linguaphone Magazine
he looked a typical sturdy John Bull — C.H.Driver
she looked her age
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to exercise the power of vision
he looks
look before you leap
— used in the imperative as an interjection especially to call attention
look , here he comes
b. : to exercise this power in a particular direction : direct the eyes or one's attention upon someone or something
from my elevated station I looked down — Thomas De Quincey
looked from one to the other — Carson McCullers
looked abroad for their inspiration — O. Elfrida Saunders
look at the map
if we look at the successful serious novels of the last decade — Lionel Trilling
c. : to direct the eyes in a manner indicative of a specified feeling
looked sadly upon him
2. : to have the appearance of being : appear to the eye : seem
her … lips looked parched and unnatural — Ellen Glasgow
his face looked almost gray — T.B.Costain
it looks as if … varnishes will meet very severe competition during the coming year — C.L.Boltz
it begins to look as though the social scientist … is actually a dialectician — R.M.Weaver
3.
a. : to have a specified direction : afford a specified outlook : open on or into something
a village that looked across the river — Ernest Hemingway
the little terrace which looked seaward — John Buchan
b. : to face or turn in a specific direction
their nostrils … look downwards — T.H.Huxley
4. : to gaze in wonder or surprise : stare
you should have seen them look
5. : to show a tendency : to tend or point in a specific direction
the evidence looks to acquittal
Synonyms: see expect , see
•
- look after
- look a gift horse in the mouth
- look alive
- look at
- look black
- look down one's nose
- look for
- look forth
- look forward
- look here
- look in the eye
- look into
- look like
- look of
- look on
- look the other way
- look through
- look to
- look toward
- look upon
- look up to
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from looken to look
1.
a. : the act of looking : the direction of the eyes toward something in order to see it
b. : a deliberate act of looking : glance
darted a quick look at me — Kenneth Roberts
he was hers for a look or the speaking of a word — Ethel Wilson
c. : an examination of something with or as if with the eyes : the direction of one's attention toward something
his final look at the present regime — J.K.Fairbank
a brief look at the origins and development of … a great liberating movement — M.D.Geismar
2.
a. : the appearance or expression of the countenance
a round face carrying a look of Alpine simplicity — Osbert Sitwell
wearing an ugly look on his face — F.B.Gipson
b. : the appearance of a person ; especially : an attractive or healthy appearance — usually used in plural
she's lost what looks she ever had — Ellen Glasgow
3. : the state or form in which something appears and which is often indicative of its nature or quality
have a manufactured look — A.M.Young
the rough-hewn rural look of the conventional academy — J.P.Marquand
4. : a distance usually encompassed by a single act of looking
a long look of river — S.H.Holbrook
Synonyms: see appearance