lowdown

Definition

inside information, the story or truth.

Etymology

Compound adjective of low + down in the sense of "humble" recorded in the 1540s, in the sense of "vulgar, far down the social scale" in 1888. Recorded as a noun in 1915 in the slang sense of secret or inside information.

Example Sentences

• "All the reporters hoped to be the first to get the lowdown on the celebrity's marriage plans."
• "here's the lowdown"
• "to give somebody the lowdown"