Lewis
proper noun
- male given name
- family name
- place name
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈluːɪs/
name
Etymology: Derived from Scottish Gaelic Leòdhas, of uncertain origin; traditionally referred to Old Norse Ljóðahús, from ljóð (“song, poem”) + hús (“house”); but may be related to the Pictish name of the island recorded in Ptolemy's Geography as Λίμνου (Límnou).
- Ellipsis of the Isle of Lewis: an island of Scotland, United Kingdom.
noun
Etymology: From Middle English lewis, of uncertain origin. Possibly from Old French lous, plural of lou, loup (“the name of a kind of siege engine”, literally “wolf”); or related to clevis.
- A cramp iron inserted into a cavity in order to lift heavy stones; used as a symbol of strength in Freemasonry.
- The son of a Freemason, envisaged as assisting his father in heavy work or in old age.
- A kind of shears used in cropping woollen cloth.
“After the preeming period, the lads are put either to the gig-machines, or to the lewises in the cutting or shearing-room.”