What does lues mean?
“Lues” is the third-person singular present form of the rare verb “lu,” used especially of an ass making a braying or wailing cry. It is therefore a highly specific form rather than a separate lexical item. In modern standard English, the ordinary verb is usually “bray,” and a person might say that an ass “brayed” rather than “lued”; consequently, “lues” is likely to be encountered in dialect literature, quotations, or descriptions of animal noises rather than everyday contemporary prose. Its interest lies in preserving an older and more regionally limited vocabulary, while its grammatical dependence on the uncommon base form “lu” also makes it an inflected form in a different sense from the familiar plural in “clues.”
verbThird-person singular present form of “lu,” meaning to make the low, wailing cry characteristic of certain animals, especially an ass.
- Third-person singular present of “lu”: to bray or make a wailing cry.
"The ass lues in the cold, grey dawn."
"The ass lues throughout the night."
"He heard the animal lues somewhere beyond the hedge."
A rare verb form with a distinctly rural sound, recalling the braying of an ass.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lues come from?
“Lues” is the third-person singular present form of the Scots and northern English verb “lu,” meaning to bray like an ass. The verb is recorded chiefly in northern British usage and has Old Norse connections, being related to Scandinavian forms meaning to bellow or bray. Its modern appearance is uncommon, and the more familiar standard English verb is “bray.”
How lues is actually used
This is an inflected verb form rather than an independent dictionary headword. It is rare and associated chiefly with Scottish and northern English usage.