Louver
Preserved but no longer current.
Also seen as: Louvre
The tower or turret of mediaeval buildings, originally designed for a sort of chimney to let out the smoke by means of louvre boards, i.e. narrow sloping and over- lapping boards which, while allowing smoke to emerge, prevented the entrance of rain. Louvre is the old Fr. lover or lovier, probably from Old High Ger. lauba, whence our lodge.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Louver” mean?
The tower or turret of mediaeval buildings, originally designed for a sort of chimney to let out the smoke by means of louvre boards, i.e. narrow sloping and over- lapping boards which, while allowing smoke to emerge, prevented the entrance of rain. Louvre is the old Fr. lover or lovier, probably from Old High Ger. lauba, whence our lodge.
Is “Louver” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.