lowering
n. uncountablen. the act of making something go down or reducing its level. You use this when talking about prices, voices, or physical objects being moved to a lower spot.
n. the act or process of reducing the height, level, or value of something. Often used in technical or formal contexts to describe physical movement or abstract decreases.
The lowering of prices helped the store sell more clothes.
A gradual lowering of the interest rate encouraged more people to take out home loans.
The careful lowering of the heavy machinery into the basement required a team of ten engineers and a specialized crane system.
c. 1600, "descend, sink, grow less or lower" (intransitive), from lower (adj.), comparative of low (adj.). Transitive meaning "let down, cause to descend" attested from 1650s. Related: Lowered; lowering. In the transitive sense "to cause to descend" the older verb was low. From Middle English lahghenn, (c. 1200), which continued in use into the 18c.
From Middle English louryng, louringe, lowrynge, later variant of lourand, lowrand, lourande, lowrande, equivalent to lour + -ing. Cognate with Dutch loerend (“lurking, louring”).
Often functions as a gerundial noun; frequently followed by the preposition 'of'.