# Luke

/ˈɫuk/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/luke
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a male name

noun · CEFR A1

a common first name for a man.

For teachers: a common masculine given name of Greek origin, meaning 'from Lucania'.

- My friend Luke is coming over to help me fix my computer.
- Luke was recently promoted to senior manager due to his exceptional performance during the merger.

### 2. biblical figure or book

noun · CEFR B2

a person in the Bible who wrote one of the four Gospels, or the book itself.

For teachers: refers to Luke the Evangelist or the third Gospel of the New Testament.

- The priest read a passage from the book of Luke during the service.
- Scholars often debate the specific historical context in which the Gospel of Luke was composed.

### 3. slightly warm

adjective · CEFR C2 · Informal · Dialect

a short way of saying 'lukewarm' — not hot and not cold.

For teachers: a clipped form of 'lukewarm', describing a liquid at a tepid temperature.

- The tea had gone luke by the time he remembered to drink it.
- He complained that the soup was served luke, rather than at the steaming temperature he had requested.

Usage: Usually functions as a predicative adjective following a verb like 'be' or 'go'.

## Examples

- My friend Luke is coming to dinner tonight.
- The teacher called on Luke to answer the question about the solar system.
- While the name Luke has remained consistently popular for decades, its frequency in birth registries often fluctuates based on cultural influences and prominent public figures.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.