lover

plural lovers · alternative dialectal obsolete lovyer

1. One who loves and cares for another person in a romantic way; a sweetheart, love, soulmate, boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse.

   […]loue is blinde, and louers cannot ſee / The pretty follies that themſelues commit,[…]

   c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vi], page 170, column 2

   5 more examples

   Well there's a wide wide world of noble causes / And lovely landscapes to discover / But all I really want to do right now / Is find another lover

   1976, Joni Mitchell, “Song For Sharon”, in Hejira

   This is for the lover in you (take this ring) / This ring (It means I'll always be true) / This is (how we'll start love anew) This time (were gonna last forever)

   1980, Shalamar, “This Is For The Lover In You”, in Three For Love

   When HBO airs “Behind the Candelabra” on May 26, the world will get to see Matt Damon play Liberace’s drug-addled, surgically enhanced lover – a role about as far from Jason Bourne as it gets.

   2013 March 11, Adam Markovitz, “Matt Damon on (maybe) returning to ‘Bourne’ and playing Liberace’s lover”, in CNN

   Now, there's one in California who's been cursing my name / 'Cause I found me a better lover in the UK, hey, hey / Until I made my getaway

   2014 September 23, Elle King, Dave Bassett, “Ex's & Oh's”, in Love Stuff, performed by Elle King

   We can only hurt each other the way that lovers can / So where do we go, where do we hide now?

   2016, David Boulter, Stuart A. Staples, “Like Only Lovers Can”, in The Waiting Room, performed by Tindersticks

   Synonyms: love, love interest, spouse, sweetheart, significant other

2. A sexual partner, especially one with whom someone is having an affair.

   2018 January 17, "Libra Woman: Personality Traits: Love & More", Astrology.com http://www.astrology.com/libra-woman.html A Libra woman seems to always be in love - either with her long term partner or with an ever-changing series of rotating lovers.

   2 more examples

   Be my bad boy, be my man / Be my weekend lover, but don't be my friend / You can be my bad boy, but understand / That I don't need you in my life again

   2006, Peifer Yann, Reuter Manuel, “Bad Boy”, in Everytime^([sic]) We Touch, performed by Cascada, →OCLC

   I'm up and jaws are on the floor Lovers in the bathroom and a line outside the door

   2020 April 3, Chappell Roan, Dan Nigro, “Pink Pony Club”performed by Chappell Roan

   Synonyms: bedfellow, bedmate, fuck, hookup, paramour, mate, root, sex partner

3. A person who loves something.

   a lover of fine wines

   3 more examples

   a lover of his/her own country

   But though a conscientious disciplinarian he was no lover of authority for mere authority's sake.

   1888–1891, Herman Melville, “[Billy Budd, Foretopman.] Chapter XVIII.”, in Billy Budd and Other Stories, London: John Lehmann, published 1951, →OCLC, page 279

   Sunday is 420 day, when lovers of marijuana get together to celebrate their fondness for weed.

   2025 April 20, Sandee LaMotte, “Marijuana hospital visits linked to dementia diagnosis within 5 years, study finds”, in CNN

   Synonyms: connoisseur

4. West CountryAn informal term of address for any friend.

   All right, my lover?

plural lovers

1. obsoleteObsolete form of louver.