Lowry

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A surname of English origin, often associated with prominent individuals or families
2. A reference to an artist known for his distinctive style depicting industrial scenes
3. An informal designation for a specific geographical or cultural context related to the Lowry family

Etymology: The noun "lowry" is named after L. S. Lowry, the English painter (1887–1976) from Stretford, near Manchester, whose crowded canvases of mill workers, factory gates and terraced streets gave a whole visual vocabulary to northern industrial life. Lowry's name became a common noun for works in his manner, and the term is now used by critics and dealers to describe paintings that imitate his stick-figure crowds and smoke-stacked townscapes. The word is related to "lorry," the British term for a heavy goods vehicle, which is a useful reminder of how closely Lowry's subject matter was tied to the machinery and transport of the industrial north. The two words are not etymologically linked in any direct way beyond that shared setting, and "lowry" as a noun rests entirely on the painter's surname.