lover (n.)
"one who is enamored, person in love," early 13c., agent noun from love (v.). Old English had lufend for male lovers, lufestre for women. Meaning "one who has a predilection for" (a thing, concept, pursuit, etc.) is mid-14c. As a form of address to a lover, from 1911. Related: Loverly (adj.) "like a lover, suitable for a lover" (1853); loverless (1819).
Lover's quarrel is from 1660s; lover's leap, usually involving a local crag and a fanciful story, is by 1712; Lover's Lane for a remote and shady road, little-traveled and thus popular with lovers, is by 1853. It seems also to have been an actual road-name in some places.
Entries linking to lover
Old English lufian "to feel love for, cherish, show love to; delight in, approve," from Proto-Germanic *lubojanan (source also of Old High German lubon, German lieben), a verb from the root of love (n.). Weakened sense of "like" attested by c. 1200. Intransitive sense "be in love, have a passionate attachment" is from mid-13c. To love (someone) up "make out with" is from 1921. To love and leave is from 1885.
This truth came borne with bier and pall,
I felt it, when I sorrow'd most,
'Tis better to have loved and lost,
Than never to have loved at all —
[Tennyson, "In Memoriam"]
Dictionary entries near lover
loveliness
love-longing
love-lorn
lovely
love-making
lover
lover-boy
loverly
love-scene
love-seat
lovesick
