Lowndean Professor
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The professor of astron- omy and geometry at Cambridge; so called from Thomas Lowndes (1692-1748) who bequeathed all Ms property for the founding of the chair.
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 “Lowndean Professor” mean?
The professor of astron- omy and geometry at Cambridge; so called from Thomas Lowndes (1692-1748) who bequeathed all Ms property for the founding of the chair.
Is “Lowndean Professor” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.