lewis

IPA/ˈluː.ɪs ˌæs.ɪd/
KK[lˈuɪs]IPA/ˈluː.ɪs ˌæs.ɪd/

lewis — noun

  • lewissingular
  • lewisesplural

1. A common family name from England and Wales carried by many well-known people in

1.nounB1
Definition

A common family name from England and Wales carried by many well-known people in history, including the British writer C. S. Lewis (1898–1963), who is best known for the Narnia books; the American explorer Meriwether Lewis (1774–1809), who crossed North America with William Clark; the American labour leader John L. Lewis (1880–1969); the American novelist Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951), the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature; the British artist and writer Wyndham Lewis (1882–1957); the British author Matthew Gregory Lewis (1775–1818); and the American biologist Edward B. Lewis (1918–2004).

Example

Felipe wrote his book report on C. S. Lewis and the world of Narnia.

proper noun: surname of a famous writer

Many American school children learn about the journey of Lewis and Clark across the Rocky Mountains.

fixed pair: Lewis and Clark (the famous expedition)

Common collocations
  • Lewis and Clark
  • Mr. Lewis
  • Ms. Lewis
  • C. S. Lewis

Usage Note

Frequently appears with a first name or initials (C. S. Lewis, Meriwether Lewis, John L. Lewis) and in the fixed pair 'Lewis and Clark' that names the famous westward expedition across North America. Common as both a real surname and a typical surname for fictional characters in English-language books and films.

Common Mistakes

C. S. Lewis wrote the Harry Potter books.
C. S. Lewis wrote the Narnia books.
J. K. Rowling is the author of Harry Potter; Lewis wrote The Chronicles of Narnia.

2. Used before 'acid' or 'base' to name a kind of chemical helper, first described

2.nounC1
Definition

Used before 'acid' or 'base' to name a kind of chemical helper, first described by the American chemist Gilbert N. Lewis in 1923. A Lewis acid pulls in a pair of electrons offered by another chemical (the Lewis base), so the two stick together to form a new bond. The idea covers many reactions that the older school definition of acids and bases cannot explain.

Example

Our chemistry teacher drew arrows to show how a Lewis acid grabs a lone pair.

fixed pair: Lewis acid / Lewis base

Iris ran a small experiment using boron trifluoride, a classic Lewis acid, in the school chemistry lab.

collocation: classic Lewis acid + example compound

Common collocations
  • Lewis acid
  • Lewis base
  • act as a Lewis acid
  • strong Lewis acid
Synonyms
  • electron-pair acceptor

    the plain technical description of what a Lewis acid does; used in chemistry textbooks alongside the named term

Antonyms
  • Lewis base

    the partner term — gives the pair of electrons that a Lewis acid accepts

Grammar Patterns

Lewis acid

Lewis base

Usage Note

Always written with a capital L because it is named after the chemist Gilbert N. Lewis. Almost always followed by 'acid' or 'base'; the bare noun 'a Lewis' is not used in this sense. Distinguish from sense 1 — sense 2 only appears in chemistry contexts.

Common Mistakes

A Lewis acid gives away a pair of electrons.
A Lewis acid takes in a pair of electrons.
it is the Lewis base that gives the electrons; the acid accepts them.

Common collocations

Nouns

  • the Lewis family
  • Mr. Lewis
  • Ms. Lewis

Phrases

  • Lewis and Clark
  • C. S. Lewis
  • Lewis acid
  • Lewis base

Prepositions

  • about Lewis
  • of Lewis

Etymology

GermanicOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The surname comes from the old male first name 'Lewis', an English form of the Old French 'Louis'. That French name was itself borrowed from a Germanic name 'Hludwig', made from two parts meaning 'famous' and 'fight'. The same root gave the name 'Ludwig' in German and 'Luigi' in Italian. In Wales, the name was also used to render the older Welsh name 'Llywelyn'. The chemistry sense is much younger — it honours the American chemist Gilbert N. Lewis (1875–1946), who first set out this way of thinking about acids and bases in 1923.

First known use

1743

1743, in the meaning defined above